Michal Gro?ek is a retired Czech professional ice hockey right winger. He played in the National Hockey League for 11 seasons between 1993 and 2004. Gro?ek was drafted 145th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Upon suiting up for the Jets, he made history by becoming the first Czech born player to play for the club. In total, he played in 526 career NHL games, scoring 84 goals and 137 assists for 221 points. Gro?ek's best offensive season was the 1998?99 season, when he was playing with the Buffalo Sabres. Gro?ek registered career highs in goals, assists, points, penalty minutes, and shots during that season. In 2000 he requested a trade and was thus traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Doug Gilmour and J.P. Dumont. After Chicago Gro?ek played for the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins but was never able to recapture the form shown in 1998-99. Gro?ek has since expressed regret over the trade, calling it a "big mistake" and stating he should have stayed in Buffalo. After departing from the NHL, Gro?ek moved to Switzerland, suiting up for Nationalliga A side Gen�ve-Servette HC where he was the team's top goal scorer with 15 goals. 

June 1st, 1975 in Vy?kov (Age 49)