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Václav Varaďa

Václav Varaďa
Born (1976-04-26) April 26, 1976 (age 41)
Vsetín, Czechoslovakia
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 208 lb (94 kg; 14 st 12 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Left
Extraliga team
Former teams
HC Vítkovice
HC Oceláři Třinec

NHL
Buffalo Sabres
Ottawa Senators
NLA
HC Davos
NHL Draft 89th overall, 1994
San Jose Sharks
Playing career 1996–2014

Václav Varaďa (Czech pronunciation: [ˈvaːtslaf ˈvaraɟa]; born April 26, 1976) is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for HC Vítkovice of the Czech Extraliga. He formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) in a ten-year span. In his professional career, he has previously played for the Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators. Varaďa is known for his physicality in a third or fourth line role.

Varaďa spent his young years with the Czech League from 1992 to 1994, and that year he became drafted. To get closer to earn a spot in the NHL, Varaďa moved up to the Western Hockey League (WHL), and then the NHL's affiliate, the American Hockey League (AHL). He was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in a deal for Doug Bodger, to Varaďa's original team, the San Jose Sharks. Rotating from the AHL for a few years, he created a reputation as a pest and a solid checking line player.

He played some of his best hockey for the Buffalo Sabres during their trip to the Stanley Cup finals amassing 24 assists, three shy of his professional career. Despite the large help of Dominik Hašek, the Sabres lost to the Dallas Stars in six games by a controversial goal by winger Brett Hull.

He was later traded to the Ottawa Senators for Jakub Klepiš before the 2003 trade deadline in an attempt by the Senators to become a tougher and gritty team, en route to the Senators' first Eastern Conference championship series against the defensive-minded team, New Jersey Devils. In a dramatic seven game series, New Jersey came out on top to eventually win the Stanley Cup.


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