Ondřej Palát

Ondřej Palát
Palát with the Tampa Bay Lightning in December 2014
Born	(1991-03-28) 28 March 1991 (age 26) Frýdek-Místek, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	188 lb (85 kg; 13 st 6 lb)
Position	Left Wing/Right Wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team	Tampa Bay Lightning
National team	Czech Republic
NHL Draft	208th overall, 2011 Tampa Bay Lightning
Playing career	2011–present

Ondřej Palát (born 28 March 1991) is a Czech professional ice hockey winger, and an alternate captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the seventh round, 208th overall, by the Lightning at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Palát began his ice hockey career in his native Czech Republic with HC Frýdek-Místek. Prior to turning professional in North America, he played major junior hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. He was then selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the seventh round, 208th overall, of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

On 10 October 2011, the Lightning signed Palát to a three-year, entry-level contract. He then began his professional career with the Norfolk Admirals, Tampa Bay's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in the 2011–12 season. While a member of the Admirals, the club would set a professional hockey record by posting 28 consecutive wins. Norfolk would go on to capture the Calder Cup as AHL champions.

Palát played the next season in the AHL, 2012–13, with the Syracuse Crunch, Tampa Bay's new AHL affiliate. After a brief call-up to the NHL, he scored his first career NHL goal on 16 March 2013, against Justin Peters of the Carolina Hurricanes. Palát would later be returned to Syracuse for the 2013 Calder Cup playoffs. After reaching the Calder Cup Final, Palát and his teammates had the unique opportunity at back-to-back AHL championships, despite playing for two different hockey clubs. The Crunch, however, would fall to the Grand Rapids Griffins in the Final.