Former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Roman Čechmánek dead at 52
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Roman Čechmánek suddenly died on Sunday in his home country of Czechia, the team said. He was 52 years old.
"The Philadelphia Flyers are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of former goaltender Roman Cechmanek. A late-round draft pick, Cechmanek spent three seasons with the team from 2000 through 2003 where he was highly successful and made an instant impact to our club on the ice and in the locker room. Beyond his numbers, which were outstanding, he was beloved by fans and teammates for his personality, distinct style and pride in stopping the puck...His passing at too young of an age is heartbreaking to us all. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time," Keith Jones, the Flyers President of Hockey Operations, said in a release.
Čechmánek, who was divorced, was survived by his children Jakub, Roman Jr. and Katerina.
Čechmánek arrived to the Flyers at 29 years old after he was drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played 163 total games with the Flyers from 2000-03.
In the 2000-01 season, Čechmánek was the runner-up for the Vezina Trophy and named to the NHL All-Star Game. He also finished fourth in the 2000-01 Hart Trophy balloting.
Čechmánek only played three seasons with the Flyers after he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2004 second-round pick in May of 2003, but statistically, he ranks as one of the best goaltenders in franchise history.
Čechmánek racked up 20 shutouts in his Flyers career, a number that only trails Hall of Famer Bernie Parent. In the regular season, Čechmánek had a 1.96 goals against average, .923 save percentage and a win-loss record of 92-43-22.
But the playoff runs with Čechmánek were disappointing for the Flyers. He had a 9-14 record in 23 playoffs games with a 2.33 goals against average, .909 save percentage and three shutouts.
After his playing career in the NHL, Čechmánek returned home to Czechia to play hockey and retired following the 2008-09 season. He eventually returned to the ice as a youth hockey coach.
