Standing at 6' 9" and born in the former Czechoslovakia, Zdeno Chara was a Third Round Pick in 1996 by the New York Islanders, but while he made the team a year later, he never figured into their long-term plans.  A trade to obtain the disgruntled Alexei Yashin sent Chara to Ottawa, and it would be evident in a few years that it was the Slovak Defenseman who was the best player in the deal.

It took a while before Miroslav Satan found his groove in pro hockey, but once he did he emerged as the scoring star for the Buffalo Sabres in the late ’90s. Satan was good, but leading Buffalo in scoring still did not put him among the elite in the NHL in that category. Possibly his biggest highlight in hockey might have been leading Slovakia to the World Championship in 2002. He also got a Stanley Cup Ring with the Penguins but was not among the leaders of the team.  Satan would finish his career playing in Europe, and he represented Slovakia in the World Hockey Championships an astronomical 14 times.

The talented Slovakian player was a very good scorer in the National Hockey League and in International play, but Pavol Demitra is probably best known these days for his tragic end. Demitra was killed in the tragic plane crash that killed the entire Lokomotiv squad from the Russian League. We would rather remember him for his skilled play in hockey than for his unfortunate end.