Who’s This Guy? – Tomáš Kaberle

• Traded for a fellow Czech in the hopes of bringing offense and veteran leadership, Kaberle is a 33-year old rearguard who is probably best known for his lengthy career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is also a recent Stanley Cup winner with a …different rival.

• While most say his best years are behind him, Kaberle still possesses enough of the hockey know-how that sent Habs fans into a hair-pulling frenzy as they watched him rack up points as a Leaf (50 points in 67 career games against the Canadiens). His offensive skills have seen him quarterback the man-advantage a number of times and while he still makes mistakes in this area of the game, the Habs currently have the second-worst power play in the league. It can’t get (much) worse.

• That he has a pretty shady team history where Habs’ fans are concerned.
• He also has a pretty hefty contract that has already sent a lot of fans a’Twitter. (Average salary for the next three years: $4.25M)
• He has an older brother, František, a former NHLer now playing for Pardubice in the Czech Republic.

• The Kaberles are good friends with a current Hab, Tomáš Plekanec, and have been known to train together in the off-season.
• Their father, František Sr., played for Czechoslovakia’s national team in the late 1970s, winning two World Championships.
• This Kaberle has represented the Czech Republic eight times, winning bronze (2006 Olympics), silver (2006 World Championships) and gold (2005 World Championships) medals.
• Only Börje Salming has more points than Kaberle as a Toronto Maple Leafs’ defenseman.

                                          --- Regular Season ---  ---- Playoffs ----
Season   Team                        Lge    GP    G    A  Pts  PIM  GP   G   A Pts PIM
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1994-95  Kladno                      Czech   4    0    1    1    0
1995-96  Kladno                      Czech  23    0    1    1    2   2   0   0   0   0
1996-97  Kladno                      Czech  49    0    5    5   26   3   0   0   0   2
1997-98  Kladno                      Czech  47    4   19   23   12  --  --  --  --  --
1997-98  St. John's Maple Leafs      AHL     2    0    0    0    0  --  --  --  --  --
1998-99  Toronto Maple Leafs         NHL    57    4   18   22   12  14   0   3   3   2
1999-00  Toronto Maple Leafs         NHL    82    7   33   40   24  12   1   4   5   0
2000-01  Toronto Maple Leafs         NHL    82    6   39   45   24  11   1   3   4   0
2001-02  Kladno                      Czech   9    1    7    8    4  --  --  --  --  --
2001-02  Toronto Maple Leafs         NHL    69   10   29   39    2  20   2   8  10  16
2002-03  Toronto Maple Leafs         NHL    82   11   36   47   30   7   2   1   3   0
2003-04  Toronto Maple Leafs         NHL    71    3   28   31   18  13   0   3   3   6
2004-05  Kladno                      Czech  49    8   31   39   38   7   1   0   1   0
2005-06  Toronto Maple Leafs         NHL    82    9   58   67   46  --  --  --  --  --
2006-07  Toronto Maple Leafs         NHL    74   11   47   58   20  --  --  --  --  --
2007-08  Toronto Maple Leafs         NHL    82    8   45   53   22  --  --  --  --  --
2008-09  Toronto Maple Leafs         NHL    57    4   27   31    8  --  --  --  --  --
2009-10  Toronto Maple Leafs         NHL    82    7   42   49   24  --  --  --  --  --
2010-11  Toronto Maple Leafs         NHL    58    3   35   38   16  --  --  --  --  --
2010-11  Boston Bruins               NHL    24    1    8    9    2  25   0  11  11   4
2011-12  Carolina Hurricanes         NHL    29    0    9    9    2
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         NHL Totals                        931   84  454  538  250 102   6  33  39  28