Zdeněk Cíger

Zdeněk Cíger began his ice hockey career in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League with HK Dukla Trenčín’s under-20 team in 1986 and advanced to the senior squad the following year. He was recruited by the New Jersey Devils in the 1988 National Hockey League (NHL) entry draft, but did not make an appearance with them until the 1990-91 season, when he also played eight games with the affiliated Utica Devils of the American Hockey League. Cíger remained with the Devils until part way through the 1992-93 season, after which he was sent to the Edmonton Oilers. He played with the Oilers through 1996, although he spent more of 1994-95 with HC Dukla Trenčín of the Slovak Extraliga due to the lockout-shortened season. He then left the NHL and played with HC Slovan Bratislava of the Extraliga through his retirement in 2006. He did, however, suit up for both the New York Rangers and the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2001-02 NHL season.

Cíger represented Czechoslovakia internationally until its breakup, after which he played for Slovakia. He earned his first major medal, bronze, at the 1987 European Junior Championships, before coming fourth at the World Junior Championships in 1988. He took bronze the following year and also competed at the senior edition, where he also captured bronze. After winning bronze again in 1990, he did not see the top tier of World Championship hockey with Slovakia until 1996, where his nation was eliminated in the first round. Slovakia then finished ninth in 1997 and was eliminated in the second round in 1998 and 1999. During that time, he also competed at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, where his nation ranked 10th overall. At the 2001 World Championships Slovakia was eliminated in the quarter-finals, but finally reached the podium in 2003 by defeating the Czech Republic in the bronze medal match. Cíger later took up coaching at both the club and national level, and was inducted into the Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.