Michal Sýkora
# Michal Sýkora

Michal Sýkora (born 5 July 1973) is a Czech former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning and Philadelphia Flyers. He is not related to the NHL hockey player Petr Sýkora who played with the New Jersey Devils in the 2011-12 season. He is the older brother to Petr Sýkora, who played 12 NHL games.

## Playing career

Sýkora started his NHL career with the San Jose Sharks in 1993–94. He joined the Chicago Blackhawks for the 1996–97 season and played in 28 games. He recorded a respectable +/- of 4 and scored 1 goal. Sýkora could not reprise these statistics with the Blackhawks. He recorded a +/- of -10 in the same number of games in the 1997–98 season. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Mark Fitzpatrick and a 4th-round draft choice in 1999. Sýkora signed as a free agent with Philadelphia for the 2000–01 season, leaving the NHL after that season.

## Career statistics

### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1990–91 | TJ Tesla Pardubice | TCH U20 | 40 | 17 | 26 | 43 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990–91 | TJ Tesla Pardubice | TCH | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Tacoma Rockets | WHL | 61 | 13 | 23 | 36 | 66 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1992–93 | Tacoma Rockets | WHL | 70 | 23 | 50 | 73 | 73 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 2 |
| 1993–94 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 47 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 22 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 36 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 16 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 79 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 35 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 28 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997–98 | Indianapolis Ice | IHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | HC IPB Pojišťovna Pardubice | ELH | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 28 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | HC Sparta Praha | ELH | 26 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 38 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1998–99 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–2000 | HC Sparta Praha | ELH | 48 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 89 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 |
| 2000–01 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 49 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 26 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | HC IPB Pojišťovna Pardubice | ELH | 49 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 111 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 26 |
| 2002–03 | HC ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice | ELH | 45 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 58 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 6 |
| 2003–04 | HC Moeller Pardubice | ELH | 45 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 26 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| 2004–05 | HC Moeller Pardubice | ELH | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 267 | 15 | 54 | 69 | 185 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| ELH totals | ELH totals | ELH totals | 214 | 40 | 66 | 106 | 320 | 38 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 60 |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1991 | Czechoslovakia | EJC | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | Czech Republic | WC | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 1996 | Czech Republic | WCH | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2000 | Czech Republic | WC | 9 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 16 |
| 2002 | Czech Republic | OG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | Czech Republic | WC | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 |
| Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | 28 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 36 |

## Awards

* WHL West First All-Star Team – 1993
