“Last Chance” For Notorious Czech Goalie?

A decade ago, the future looked bright for Czech goaltender Patrik Bartošák. He was early in a fine season as a rookie pro for the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs, the top farm club of the Los Angeles Kings. But now, after a career that has included numerous lapses in judgement, run-ins with the law, and “second” chances, he is being given what might be his last chance by Czech second-tier team VHK Vsetín.

“I would like to thank Vsetín very much for this opportunity,” Bartošák is quoted on the club’s website. “I’ve made mistakes in the past that almost cost me my career. I’ve had to realize what is important to me in life.”

“Patrik is 31 years old – he is aware of his past,” said Jiří Weintritt, the team’s head coach. “On the other hand, he is a very good goalie who is highly motivated and he is aware that this is his last chance in pro hockey.”

Bartošák was a promising young netminder for HC Vítkovice as a teenager before heading overseas at age 18 to play for the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels. After a season as a backup, he broke out his second year, winning top goaltender awards in the WHL and CHL and earning the starting job for the Czech team at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship. That summer, he was drafted by Los Angeles in the fifth round of the NHL Entry Draft.

In the 2014-15 season, Bartošák played 28 games for Manchester, posting a goals-against average of 2.14 and a .919 save percentage. He backed up Jean-François Bérubé as the team won the Calder Cup. Two games into the 2015-16 season, however, he was arrested on second-degree assault charges related to a domestic violence issue with his then-girlfriend, which effectively ended his career in North America.

Since his return to Europe, there have been reports of other incidents relating to alcohol abuse, impaired driving, an accusation of assaulting his own father and numerous accounts of him turning up for practise either late or not at all.

But there have also been stretches where he’s settled down and provided solid goaltending. He had the top save percentage in the Czech Extraliga three seasons in a row, was Czechia’s starting goaltender at the 2019 IIHF World Championship and was also named to the Czech roster at both the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics, although he did not appear in a game either time.

In 2022-23, he backstopped the Lahti Pelicans to the Finnish Liiga finals. In 2023-24, he had four shutouts through 17 games for Mountfield HK in the Extraliga before he was suddenly released by the club in late November for failing to attend a team meeting. There were other rumors that were never substantiated, but it’s clear that Bartošák was already on a short leash at that point.

In the 11 months since there have been no offers, until this one by Vsetín – a club that sits in first place in the Maxa Liga with a very decent chance of advancing to the Extraliga. Vsetín has by far the league’s top-ranked offense but is near the bottom in goals against. Last season, Vsetín won the Maxa Liga but was swept by Jaromír Jágr and Rytíři Kladno in a promotion-relegation series. An upgrade in goal could make the difference for Vsetín when it comes time to play for promotion again and Bartošák could be the answer if he can stay out of trouble.

“Whether or not he takes advantage of this chance is up to him,” said club executive Petr Neumann. “In any case, any violation of our club’s rules will mean the end of his chance to return to hockey, which I believe he is aware of.”

Bartošák is now practising with Vsetín but has not yet signed a contract and, given it’s been almost a year since his last competitive game, there is no clear timeline as to when he will make his debut with the team – if at all.

“I’ve realized that if I want to play sports at a professional level, I have to change a lot of things from the ground up," said Bartošák. “I hit rock bottom, but I want to prove to everyone, including myself, that I still have it in me. I will do everything to save my career and convince everyone that I can be useful.”