Slovak winger Richard Pánik, 33, has signed a two-month contract with Slovan Bratislava, the Slovak Extraliga club announced on Friday. The short-term deal runs through to November 24.
A veteran of 10 NHL seasons, Pánik played last season in the Czech Extraliga but remained a free agent until now. The short-term nature of the contract indicates that he still hopes to play in a stronger league this season. For now, though, he seems happy to have a place to play.
“I’m glad that a club with such a rich history showed interest in me,” said Pánik. “I’m looking forward to the great fans and the group of guys. I believe that I’ll be an asset and help the club win.”
Pánik was born and raised in Martin, Slovakia, which is about 230 km from Bratislava. He played his youth hockey in Martin but was picked up to play for Slovan Bratislava at the Quebec International Peewee Tournament in 2004.
After turning pro in Czechia with Oceláři Třinec, he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Pánik then played in North America for the next 13 years, first in the OHL for the Windsor Spitfires and Belleville Bulls, and then in the NHL systems of the Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders.
In 521 NHL regular-season games, Pánik recorded 195 points and 274 penalty minutes. In 20 additional playoff games, he had five points and 18 minutes.
“I’m glad that we managed to bring Richard Pánik to Slovan, even if for now only on a short-term contract,” said Slovan GM Lukáš Havlíček. “Having a player with more than 500 NHL games on the team is the dream of every hockey manager. I believe Rich will help us at this stage of the season to the best possible result and Slovan in return for a quality start to another successful season in an already fantastic career.”
Since returning to Europe in 2022, Pánik played one season in Switzerland for Lausanne HC and split last season between Třinec and Dynamo Pardubice, who happened to be the two teams that met in the finals. Pánik was on the losing side, with Pardubice falling in seven games. Pánik put up 38 points in 65 Czech Extraliga games last season.
“I think his arrival is also good news for our entire league, as hockey fans will get the opportunity to see another great player and representative live,” Havlíček continued.
Slovan has won two of its first three regular-season games so far. The team has two road games coming up this weekend, and then Pánik is expected to play his first game on October 3 when Slovan plays at home against HK Poprad.
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