Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender Ondrej Pavelec decides not to extend his contract with Czech League’s team
Ondrej Pavelec, a professional ice hockey player from Czech Republic and a goaltender from Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL), has decided to move back to America and not play in his native country’s hockey league.
Sources say that the player would be moving to Canada after some time, instead of his team in the Winnipeg, USA, where he has not gone since the car accident which took place six months back.
The 25-year-old goaltender had signed a 5-year contract, with Winnipeg Jets earlier this year but had to play in the native country’s league because of the lockout of the NHL. The five year contract was worth $19.5 million, averaging $3.9 million every year.
Pavelec’s contract with the Czech Republic’s team Liberec Bili Tygri HC was till the 4th of the November and it would not renewed according to him. One of the apparent reasons why he has decided not to carry on with the Liberec Bili Tygri HC side
is that his performance was not very satisfying.
But the player himself gave a statement in which he mentioned that he did not renew the contract because he felt like there were chances of ending of the lockout of the NHL season and he should return to America for that. Another reason that he mentioned
was him occupying the place of a goaltender in the team of Czech side. While talking to iSport.cz he said,
"I had a contract to Nov. 4, and now that I saw that the NHL season could be saved, I think I'll probably go back to Canada”.
In the 14 games that he played in Czech Republic league, his average was 3.50 goals per game and his saves percentage was .896, something which must not be a very good stats and sign of such experienced and top level goaltender.
The Kladno, Czech Republic native started his hockey career in America when he was picked in the 2005 NHL Draft by Atlanta Thrashers and made his NHL debut for them two years later. In total he has featured in 187 NHL games and also played some games
for Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League (AHL).
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