Michal Čajkovský

Michal Čajkovský
CHL, HC Sparta Praha vs. Genève-Servette HC, 5th September 2015 16.JPG
Born (1992-05-06) 6 May 1992 (age 32)
Skalica, Czechoslovakia
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 236 lb (107 kg; 16 st 12 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
KHL team
Former teams		 Spartak Moscow
HC Slovan Bratislava
HK Orange 20
Hershey Bears
HC Sparta Praha
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
Charlotte Checkers
Dynamo Moscow
Sibir Novosibirsk
National team  Slovakia
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2009–present

Michal Čajkovský (born 6 May 1992) is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenceman for HC Spartak Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Playing career

Čajkovský made his European Elite debut during the 2009–10 season playing in the Slovak Extraliga with HC Slovan Bratislava. Undrafted, Čajkovský played major junior hockey with the Kingston Frontenacs and the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League.

He spent the 2013–14 season, his first professional North American season, in the ECHL with the Reading Royals, on loan from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. He scored an impressive 14 goals and 36 points in 66 games to earn a selection to the ECHL All-Rookie Team.[1] Čajkovský was re-signed by the Bears to a second one-year contract on 15 August 2014.[2]

On 19 June 2015, Čajkovský returned to Europe and signed a one-year contract with Czech Extraliga team, HC Sparta Praha.[3] In the 2015–16 season, Čajkovský made an immediate impact from the blueline with Sparta, compiling 11 goals and 28 points in 49 games.

After signing an extension to continue with Praha in the 2016–17 season, Čajkovský continued his upward development leading the defense in scoring with 12 points in 19 games before he opted for a mid-season transfer, having gained the attention of Russian-based, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL on 27 November 2016.[4]

After attending the Carolina Hurricanes' training camp on a try-out basis, the club signed Čajkovský to a one-year, two-way contract worth $650,000 on 27 September 2018.[5] He was among the last cuts re-assigned to begin the 2018–19 season with AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. While a fixture on the Checkers blueline, Čajkovský recorded 4 points in 23 games without a recall to the Hurricanes. On 28 December 2018, Čajkovský was placed on unconditional waivers by the Hurricanes in order to mutually terminate his contract in order to return to Europe.[6] He was soon signed to a two-year contract to resume play in the KHL with HC Dynamo Moscow.[7]

Čajkovský played two seasons with HC Sibir Novosibirsk before leaving to sign a two-year contract to remain in the KHL with Spartak Moscow on 3 May 2023.[8]

International play

Medal record
Representing  Slovakia
Ice hockey
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Beijing

Čajkovský participated at the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships as a member of the Slovakia men's national junior ice hockey team.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2008–09 HC Slovan Bratislava SVK U18 52 17 13 30 121 — — — — —
2008–09 HC Slovan Bratislava SVK U20 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2009–10 HC Slovan Bratislava SVK U20 26 4 11 15 95 2 0 2 2 2
2009–10 HC Slovan Bratislava Slovak 15 0 0 0 4 3 0 0 0 0
2009–10 HK Orange 20 Slovak 11 1 0 1 6 — — — — —
2010–11 Kingston Frontenacs OHL 67 4 11 15 82 5 0 1 1 16
2011–12 Ottawa 67's OHL 59 3 18 21 120 18 0 5 5 14
2012–13 Ottawa 67's OHL 66 10 24 34 89 — — — — —
2013–14 Reading Royals ECHL 66 14 22 36 28 4 0 0 0 0
2014–15 South Carolina Stingrays ECHL 25 3 9 12 30 27 7 11 18 18
2014–15 Hershey Bears AHL 13 0 2 2 31 — — — — —
2015–16 HC Sparta Praha ELH 49 11 17 28 92 12 1 4 5 12
2016–17 HC Sparta Praha ELH 19 7 5 12 22 — — — — —
2016–17 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg KHL 20 5 10 15 6 — — — — —
2017–18 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg KHL 43 7 12 19 38 4 0 2 2 0
2018–19 Charlotte Checkers AHL 23 1 3 4 18 — — — — —
2018–19 Dynamo Moscow KHL 12 0 2 2 32 11 2 2 4 8
2019–20 Dynamo Moscow KHL 58 9 22 31 72 6 2 2 4 2
2020–21 Dynamo Moscow KHL 58 12 14 26 36 10 1 5 6 10
2021–22 Dynamo Moscow KHL 2 0 0 0 4 — — — — —
2021–22 Sibir Novosibirsk KHL 40 3 9 12 32 5 1 3 4 2
2022–23 Sibir Novosibirsk KHL 59 7 10 17 30 5 1 0 1 2
2023–24 Spartak Moscow KHL 61 9 25 34 38 10 3 0 3 4
KHL totals 353 52 104 156 288 51 10 14 24 28

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2010 Slovakia U18 8th 6 0 0 0 6
2012 Slovakia WJC 6th 6 0 0 0 12
2017 Slovakia WC 14th 7 0 1 1 0
2018 Slovakia OG 11th 4 0 1 1 31
2018 Slovakia WC 9th 7 1 1 2 6
2019 Slovakia WC 9th 7 2 0 2 2
2022 Slovakia OG 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 7 0 1 1 0
Junior totals 12 0 0 0 18
Senior totals 32 3 4 7 39

Awards and honors

Award Year
ECHL
All-Rookie Team 2013–14 [9]

References

  1. ^ "'Big Mike' Cajkovsky might loom large for Bears in 2014-15". pennlive.com. 12 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Bears sign three to AHL deals". Hershey Bears. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  3. ^ "Slovak players Kudrna and Cajkovsky" (in Czech). HC Sparta Praha. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Čajkovský leaves Sparta for KHL" (in Czech). HC Sparta Praha. 27 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  5. ^ Brown, Michael (27 September 2018). "Canes Sign Michal Cajkovsky to One-Year Deal". Carolina Hurricanes. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Cajkovsky placed on waivers". Charlotte Checkers. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  7. ^ "Michal Cajkovsky leaves NHL, returns to Europe" (in Slovak). tvnoviny.sk. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  8. ^ "Michal Cajkovsky signs two-year contract with Spartak" (in Russian). HC Spartak Moscow. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Defenseman Michal Cajkovsky named to ECHL All-Rookie Team". Reading Royals. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.