From Cradle to Cup will be a series running throughout July 2013
looking back at players on the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks roster for their
Stanley Cup-winning campaign. Part 10 means we have passed one-third done, and to celebrate we will talk about penalty killing specialist Michael Frolik.
Michael Frolik was born on February 17th, 1988, in Kladno, Czechoslovakia. He began his playing career at the very young age of fourteen with HC Kladno's U17 team in 2002-2003, scoring thirty-seven goals and twenty-one assists during the regular season in forty-six games, followed by nine goals and an assist in ten playoff games. Frolik played only one game with the U17 team in 2003-2004, registering an assist before joining Kladno's Junior level team, where he had twenty-one goals and twenty-three assists in fifty-three games, followed by three goals and an assist in seven playoff games. He then represented the Czech Republic in the World Junior Classic's U18 tournament, playing in two games but failing to record a point. Frolik began the 2004-2005 team at the junior level, posting nine goals and eleven assists in fifteen games before a promotion to the Czech Extraliga Kladno team. He scored only three goals and an assist in twenty-seven games. Frolik also completed a rare accomplishment in the postseason, playing in games with the U17 squad (he was still only sixteen), the junior team, and the parent team in the same season. He had a total of two goals in seven postseason games. Continuing with the heavy workload, Frolik also played in both the World Junior U18 tournament in 2005 as well as the regular World Junior Championships, posting lines of three goals, one assist, and seven games played in both categories and winning the bronze medal in the World Juniors. He continued to split time over many teams in 2005-2006, playing in three games with Kladno's Junior team, with one goal and two assists, followed by two goals and seven assists in forty-eight games with the parent team. He only played with the Junior team in the playoffs, scoring three goals and dishing nine assists in six games. Frolik again did double duty at the World Juniors, playing to two goals and three assists in seven games at the U18 tournament, winning his second bronze medal in that tournament, followed by one assist in six games at the World Junior Championship. His extensive international record caught the eye of the Florida Panthers, who drafted him tenth overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, bringing him to North America. It must have seemed like a calm season in 2006-2007, playing only for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Rimouski Oceanic in fifty-two games, with a line of thirty-one goals and forty-two assists. Frolik again represented the Czech Republic in the World Junior Championships in 2007, scoring four goals and passing two assists in six games. He stayed with Rimouski in 2007-2008, playing in forty-five games while recording twenty-four goals and forty-one assists, followed by nine postseason games with two goals and four assists. He also made his final appearance in the World Junior Championships, scoring five goals in six games. Frolik made his NHL debut, skipping the American Hockey League altogether, in 2008-2009, where he had twenty-one goals and twenty-four assists in seventy-nine games. He put up similar numbers in 2009-2010, playing in all eighty-two games with the Panthers and scoring twenty-one goals and dishing twenty-two assists. The stability Frolik had grown accustomed to was broken in 2010-2011, where he began with the Panthers to the tune of eight goals and twenty-one assists in fifty-two games, in line with his normal production. Florida was done with him though, and traded him and goaltender Alexander Salak to the Chicago Blackhawks for Jack Skille, the "Huge Specimen" Hugh Jessiman, and David Pacan. The change of scenery was not good for Frolik, as he had only three goals and six assists in a reduced role in twenty-eight games. He added two goals and three assists in seven playoff games, his first playoff experience in the NHL. One of the goals was his first postseason penalty shot goal. He finally got his first opportunity to represent the Czech Republic in the 2011 World Championships, scoring three goals and two assists in nine games as the Czechs won the bronze medal. Frolik's numbers failed to rebound in 2011-2012, as he had only five goals and ten assists in sixty-three games, and two more goals and one assist in four playoff games. When the NHL locked out the players in 2012, Frolik took his game back to the Czech Republic to play for Pirati Chomutov in thirty-two games, with fourteen goals and ten assists. He returned for the second year of his three-year contract with the Blackhawks after the lockout ended, but he only had three goals and seven assists in forty-five games played. He matched those totals in the playoffs in only twenty-three games, including his second postseason penalty shot goal against the Detroit Red Wings, making him the first player in NHL history to have two penalty shot goals in the postseason. His strong defensive play and penalty killing abilities made him a vital part of the Stanley Cup-winning Blackhawks team, but he was not heroic and was traded at the NHL Entry Draft to the Winnipeg Jets for a third round and fifth round pick to play out the last year of his contract.
Michael Frolik was born on February 17th, 1988, in Kladno, Czechoslovakia. He began his playing career at the very young age of fourteen with HC Kladno's U17 team in 2002-2003, scoring thirty-seven goals and twenty-one assists during the regular season in forty-six games, followed by nine goals and an assist in ten playoff games. Frolik played only one game with the U17 team in 2003-2004, registering an assist before joining Kladno's Junior level team, where he had twenty-one goals and twenty-three assists in fifty-three games, followed by three goals and an assist in seven playoff games. He then represented the Czech Republic in the World Junior Classic's U18 tournament, playing in two games but failing to record a point. Frolik began the 2004-2005 team at the junior level, posting nine goals and eleven assists in fifteen games before a promotion to the Czech Extraliga Kladno team. He scored only three goals and an assist in twenty-seven games. Frolik also completed a rare accomplishment in the postseason, playing in games with the U17 squad (he was still only sixteen), the junior team, and the parent team in the same season. He had a total of two goals in seven postseason games. Continuing with the heavy workload, Frolik also played in both the World Junior U18 tournament in 2005 as well as the regular World Junior Championships, posting lines of three goals, one assist, and seven games played in both categories and winning the bronze medal in the World Juniors. He continued to split time over many teams in 2005-2006, playing in three games with Kladno's Junior team, with one goal and two assists, followed by two goals and seven assists in forty-eight games with the parent team. He only played with the Junior team in the playoffs, scoring three goals and dishing nine assists in six games. Frolik again did double duty at the World Juniors, playing to two goals and three assists in seven games at the U18 tournament, winning his second bronze medal in that tournament, followed by one assist in six games at the World Junior Championship. His extensive international record caught the eye of the Florida Panthers, who drafted him tenth overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, bringing him to North America. It must have seemed like a calm season in 2006-2007, playing only for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Rimouski Oceanic in fifty-two games, with a line of thirty-one goals and forty-two assists. Frolik again represented the Czech Republic in the World Junior Championships in 2007, scoring four goals and passing two assists in six games. He stayed with Rimouski in 2007-2008, playing in forty-five games while recording twenty-four goals and forty-one assists, followed by nine postseason games with two goals and four assists. He also made his final appearance in the World Junior Championships, scoring five goals in six games. Frolik made his NHL debut, skipping the American Hockey League altogether, in 2008-2009, where he had twenty-one goals and twenty-four assists in seventy-nine games. He put up similar numbers in 2009-2010, playing in all eighty-two games with the Panthers and scoring twenty-one goals and dishing twenty-two assists. The stability Frolik had grown accustomed to was broken in 2010-2011, where he began with the Panthers to the tune of eight goals and twenty-one assists in fifty-two games, in line with his normal production. Florida was done with him though, and traded him and goaltender Alexander Salak to the Chicago Blackhawks for Jack Skille, the "Huge Specimen" Hugh Jessiman, and David Pacan. The change of scenery was not good for Frolik, as he had only three goals and six assists in a reduced role in twenty-eight games. He added two goals and three assists in seven playoff games, his first playoff experience in the NHL. One of the goals was his first postseason penalty shot goal. He finally got his first opportunity to represent the Czech Republic in the 2011 World Championships, scoring three goals and two assists in nine games as the Czechs won the bronze medal. Frolik's numbers failed to rebound in 2011-2012, as he had only five goals and ten assists in sixty-three games, and two more goals and one assist in four playoff games. When the NHL locked out the players in 2012, Frolik took his game back to the Czech Republic to play for Pirati Chomutov in thirty-two games, with fourteen goals and ten assists. He returned for the second year of his three-year contract with the Blackhawks after the lockout ended, but he only had three goals and seven assists in forty-five games played. He matched those totals in the playoffs in only twenty-three games, including his second postseason penalty shot goal against the Detroit Red Wings, making him the first player in NHL history to have two penalty shot goals in the postseason. His strong defensive play and penalty killing abilities made him a vital part of the Stanley Cup-winning Blackhawks team, but he was not heroic and was traded at the NHL Entry Draft to the Winnipeg Jets for a third round and fifth round pick to play out the last year of his contract.
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