David Pastrňák

David Pastrňák (born 25 May 1996) is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Pasta", Pastrňák was selected by the Bruins in the first round, 25th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut that year. Internationally, Pastrňák has played for the Czech national team at both the junior and senior level, including at four World Championships. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the National Hockey League.

Early life
David Pastrňák was born on 25 May 1996 in Havířov, Czechia, to father Milan Pastrňák and mother Marcela Ziembova. He first became interested in hockey through his father, who was a professional player and later a coach. He began skating when he was three years old. Milan left the family and moved to Karviná when Pastrňák was three years old, and after that Pastrňák spent weekends with his father. For most of his childhood, he lived with his mother and older brother in a two-bedroom apartment.

When he was 13 years old, Pastrňák got an agent and his hockey equipment was paid for; this reduced the financial stress on his family. At age 15, Pastrňák moved to the nearby town of Třinec, where he lived alone in a hotel room. This was considered a test to ensure that Pastrňák could move to Sweden the next year. During the 2011–12 season, Pastrňák led the Czech under-18 league in goals (41) and points (68). For the 2012–13 season, Pastrňák moved to Sweden to play for the junior squad of Södertälje SK. While in Södertälje, Pastrňák learned to speak English and Swedish, and started to watch NHL games for the first time. In May 2013, just before Pastrňák's seventeenth birthday, Milan died after a yearslong battle with skin cancer. Grieving his father's death, Pastrňák intensified his training.

Södertälje SK
For the 2013–14 season, Pastrňák was promoted to Södertälje SK's senior team in Allsvenskan, Sweden's second-highest professional league. He led his team in points, scoring 8 goals and 16 assists in 36 games, though he missed part of the season due to a concussion.

Beginnings (2014–2016)
After being drafted by the Boston Bruins with the 25th pick overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Pastrňák signed a three-year, entry-level contract on 15 July 2014. Pastrňák attended the Bruins' training camp for the 2014–15 season before being assigned to the Providence Bruins, the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, on 7 October 2014. He made his NHL debut with the Bruins on 24 November, logging 7:53 of ice time in a 3–2 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He scored the first two goals of his NHL career against Ray Emery on 10 January 2015, as the initial pair of goals resulting in a 3–1 Bruins' road win over the Philadelphia Flyers. On 29 March, Pastrňák became the youngest Bruins' player in history to score an overtime, game-winning goal in regular season play in Boston's 2–1 road win over the Carolina Hurricanes. At the end of the season, he was one of just two players selected in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft to play in more than 40 NHL games during the 2014–15 season, and along with fellow Bruins' rookie Ryan Spooner, led the team in offense during the last 20 games of the season.

During a Bruins' regular season home game in the 2015–16 season, against the Penguins on 24 February 2016, Pastrňák became the youngest Bruins' player ever to score a penalty shot goal, which he scored only four minutes into the game, as the first goal en route to a 5–1 Bruins' defeat of the Penguins. His popularity in Boston has led to Bruins' fans giving him the nickname "Pasta".

Stanley Cup Finals run, "Perfection line" era (2016–2023)
On 28 October 2016, Pastrňák was suspended two games for an illegal check to the head of New York Rangers defenceman Daniel Girardi. The 2016–17 season proved to be a breakout year for Pastrňák, who recorded 34 goals and 70 points to lead the Bruins in scoring. Additionally, Pastrňák scored two goals and four points for the team during the 2017 playoffs where the Bruins would lose to the Ottawa Senators in six games.

Entering the 2017 off-season, Pastrňák was a restricted free agent. On 14 September 2017, the Bruins re-signed Pastrňák to a six-year, $40 million contract extension worth $6.7 million annually.

During the closing months of the 2017–18 season, on 13 March 2018, Pastrňák scored his first NHL hat-trick during a come-from-behind 6–4 Bruins' road win over the Carolina Hurricanes. On 14 April, Pastrňák recorded another hat-trick along with three assists in a 7–3 home win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in game two of the Bruins' First Round series during the 2018 playoffs. He also became the youngest player in NHL history to score six points in a single playoff game beating Wayne Gretzky's record. The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs in seven games but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Second Round.

During the 2018–19 season, Pastrňák played in his first NHL Winter Classic against the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring a goal to help the team win 4–2. On 2 January it was announced Pastrňák would appear in his first National Hockey League All-Star Game. On 16 January 2019, in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers Pastrňák became the all-time leader for most goals in Boston Bruins history before the age of 23 passing Barry Pederson. Pastrňák won the 2019 NHL All-Star Skills Competition Accuracy Shooting hitting five targets in 11.309 seconds. On 31 January, in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers Pastrňák scored 2 goals including his 30th of the season becoming the first player in Bruins history to record three 30+ goal seasons before the age of 23 passing the two of Bobby Orr, Cam Neely and Barry Pederson. However, after recording 66 points so far that season, Pastrňák injured a tendon in his left thumb, and was listed to be out for two weeks. By March 19, Pastrňák's left thumb tendon had healed enough for his return to NHL play, and by his fifth game back from being sidelined, on March 27 he scored his third career hat-trick, his latest coming against the New York Rangers with two assists in setting a career-high five-point night; on the way to a 6–3 Bruins home ice victory. In the 2019 playoffs, Pastrnak and the Bruins would eventually go on to the Stanley Cup Final in which the Bruins lost in seven games to the St. Louis Blues, 1 win short from winning the Stanley Cup.

On 14 October 2019, Pastrňák scored all four Bruins goals in a victory over the Anaheim Ducks, making him the 25th player in Bruins history to score four goals in one game. In the 2019–20 NHL season, Pastrňák finished with 48 goals tied with Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals for most goals in the NHL making him the first Bruins player to win the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy since it was created in 1999.

During the pandemic shortened 2020–21 season, Pastrňák scored 20 goals to give him a career regular-season total of exactly 200. In the second round of the playoffs, he scored a hat trick against the New York Islanders to help give the Bruins a 1–0 series lead on 29 May 2021.

In the midst of an historic 2022–23 season, Pastrňák signed a $90 million, eight-year contract extension with the team on March 2, 2023. He finished the season with a career-best 61 goals and 113 points, second in the league in the former and tied for third in the latter. The Bruins won the Presidents' Trophy as the best team of the regular season, breaking the league record for both wins and standing points. Pastrňák was widely cited as the highlight player of the team, and was for the first time named a finalist for both the Ted Lindsay Award, voted by the National Hockey League Players Association for the league's most outstanding player, and the Hart Memorial Trophy, voted by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association for the league's most valuable player.

Recent years (2023–present)
Pastrňák looked to continue his offensive production from the previous year in the 2023–24 season, and he did just that. In the Bruins opening game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Pastrňák scored two goals to lead the Bruins to a 3-1 victory. Pastrňák continued throughout the year with consistent offensive production, reaching multiple milestones in the process. On 20 January 2024, Pastrňák scored his 30th goal of the season against the rival Montreal Canadiens, which was his seventh career 30-goal season, tying him with Johnny Bucyk for most in Bruins history. On 4 April 2024, Pastrňák scored the 60th game-winning goal of his career against the Carolina Hurricanes, tying him with Ray Bourque for the fifth most in Bruins history. Pastrňák was also named to his second consecutive All-Star Game, where he was drafted by Team McDavid. He would score two goals and an assist in the semi-final against Bruins teammate Jeremy Swayman and Team MacKinnon. Pastrňák would be held scoreless in the championship game, which saw Team McDavid win 5-0. Pastrňák finished the 2023–24 season with 47 goals, 63 assists and 110 points in all 82 contests played. Pastrňák, like most star players, was expected to elevate his game come playoffs, but even with two goals and two assists throughout the first six games of the Bruins first round matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs, many expected Pastrňák to contribute more. After a Game 6 loss that saw the Leafs force a decisive Game 7, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery called out Pastrňák, saying that he "needs to step up." Pastrňák responded by scoring the series-winning goal in overtime in Game 7, and advancing the Bruins to the second round of the playoffs and a rematch with the Panthers.

International play
Pastrňák has represented the Czech Republic's national teams at every level and has led his team in scoring numerous times. He won bronze at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and in 2014 he won silver at the 2014 IIHF World U18 Championships. In 2016, he joined the Czech Republic national team for the first time at the 2016 IIHF World Championship where the team finished fifth. He also represented the Czech Republic at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Following the Bruins' defeat by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Second Round of the 2018 playoffs, Pastrňák was invited to participate at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.

He played at the 2024 IIHF World Championship with Czechia and won a gold medal, scored the winning goal in the final and was also named player of the game.

Personal life
Pastrňák and his girlfriend had a son Viggo Rohl Pastrňák who was born on June 17th 2021 and died six days later. In June 2023, Pastrňák and his girlfriend announced the birth of a daughter Freya Ivy Pastrňák born on June 8th 2023.

Regular season and playoffs
Bold indicates led league

Awards, honors and records
Named as one of the top 20 Bruins of all time during their Centennial Season.
 * Elected Atlantic Division captain of the 2020 National Hockey League All-Star Game.

NHL

 * Youngest player in NHL history to record six points in a single playoff game (21 years and 324 days) – 14 April 2018

Boston Bruins

 * Youngest player in franchise history to score an overtime, game-winning goal in regular season play – 29 March 2015
 * Youngest player to ever score a penalty shot goal – 24 February 2016
 * Youngest player to score 30 goals in regular season – 20 years and 291 days
 * Most goals in franchise history before the age of 23.
 * Most 30+ goal seasons before the age of 23 in franchise history.
 * First and only player in franchise history to record three 30+ goal seasons before the age of 23.
 * First and only player in Bruins history to score all of his team's 4 goals of a game.
 * First and only player in Bruins history to win the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy.

Czech Republic

 * Youngest player in history to win the Golden Stick Award – 21 years and 27 days.
 * Most consecutive Golden Hockey Stick Award wins – 5