In early April, the Edmonton Oilers signed David Tomášek, a 29-year-old Czech winger who has never played in the NHL, to a one-year, one-way contract worth $1.2 million US, according to PuckPedia.
Reportedly, Tomášek was close to an NHL deal last year but ended up returning to Färjestad in Sweden, where he led the SHL in (24) goals, (33) assists and (57) points in 2024-25, and won the league’s MVP award.
Although he’s never played professional hockey in North America, he did play three years of youth hockey in Michigan and then two seasons for the OHL’s Belleville Bulls. He was never drafted, however, and has spent the decade since back in Europe – in Czechia with Dynamo Pardubice and Sparta Prague, with JYP in Finland, with Amur Khabarovsk in Russia and with Färjestad.
An injury at the end of the season kept Tomášek out of this year’s IIHF World Championship, but he’s since recovered and is now back home in Prague, getting ready for what lies ahead.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” he recently told Hokej.cz’s Ondřej Mach. “Edmonton is an excellent organization, they’ve been to the Stanley Cup finals the last two years, they have two of the best players in the world... It’s a small reward for the work I’ve put in, and something new to motivate me.”
Did
you have several NHL offers to choose from?
“I
wouldn’t say there were that many. Two or three teams that were
more seriously interested. I
had some discussions with Edmonton last year, but it didn’t work
out. Some clubs were only
offering two-way
contracts. I guess the deciding moment was when they visited me in
Sweden – that always convinces you in some way.”
Was this your last chance to try to
break through in North America? It’s not a common practise for
clubs to take a chance
on European players around 30 years old.
“I
guess so. There
are also cases of older players – everyone has their own path –
but it doesn’t happen every day, so
I’m glad it worked out. I can say that I feel the best I’ve
ever felt in my career, and
I can still improve.”
Are you looking forward to meeting
Connor McDavid and some of the other stars on the team?
“Definitely.
I’m looking forward to seeing how those
players work, think about the game, practise... I hope that camp goes
well for me and I can win a stable spot.”
Did you watch this year’s Stanley Cup
final on TV?
“Yeah, I
couldn’t not watch
it. Really amazing hockey – something incredible for June. Edmonton
gave it a good fight, but Florida was the best team in the NHL and
didn’t give them much of a chance. They deserved to win. It’s
incredible what those guys can do.”
Is it a benefit for you to
go to a team
with such high
ambitions?
“I don’t see
it that way. I don’t think it matters where I go – I’m coming
from Europe as an undrafted player. I had to somehow make my way
there, to earn my way in Sweden. I see it the same way, even though
I’m heading to a very high-end team. I want to play my best, and
I’ll accept any role. I’ll start from
there and not worry about what I can’t
influence.”
Have
you arranged your housing yet?
“Not
yet. I was waiting, because they played for quite a long time, to see
how it would turn out. Now we’ll slowly start working
on that. We’ll figure it out somehow.”
How did the farewell in Sweden
go?
“Slightly emotional. It
was only two seasons, but from a personal point of view, it was
excellent. They treated me well. There was a bit of bitterness left
from the loss in the playoffs, and from the
loss in the Champions League final. That’s how hockey is
sometimes. It’s about 20 people, and (this time) it didn’t work
out. But otherwise, they were great seasons for me, and
they really did a lot for my career.”
How’s your summer going? When are you
planning to fly to Canada?
“First
I had to recover from an injury. The usual
thing – putting
myself together. We took a break, now I’m more or less in the
training process. I want to give myself the best chance to be healthy
and ready. I still have quite a bit of time before I leave.”
In February, the NHL schedule
will be interrupted by the Olympics in Milan. Do you think at all
about playing for the Czech team?
“Of
course. Playing for the national team is an honor. It
didn’t work out this year, but
I want to prepare even more so that my body can be
ready. Something new awaits me – a
demanding season. It’s one of the things
that motivates
me, but at the same time, it’s a long way
off. I’ll have to take it one step at a
time. First, I have to fight for a place on
the team, and then take what comes next.
Photo: Fredrik Karlsson / BILDBYRÅN / COP 185 / FK0364 / Champions Hockey League
