Michal Kempny’s horrendous luck has followed him back to his native Czechia.
In just his second game for HC Sparta Praha, the 32-year-old defenseman was taken off the ice on a stretcher after getting cut on his leg by an opponent’s skate blade.
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By Chris Cerullo 7 months ago
Former Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny was waived by the Seattle Kraken for contract termination purposes last Thursday. The 32-year-old 2018 Stanley Cup champion cleared waivers the next day, allowing him to sign anywhere he pleased.
We now know his next destination. Kempny signed a two-year contract with HC Sparta Praha in his native Czechia.
By Chris Cerullo 7 months ago
The Seattle Kraken placed 2018 Stanley Cup champion defenseman Michal Kempny on unconditional waivers Thursday for contract termination purposes.
The 32-year-old Czech signed a one-year deal in Seattle in late July.
By Chris Cerullo 7 months ago
Michal Kempny made the move to Seattle in free agency this summer, signing a one-year deal with the Kraken in late July. Thursday, he made another, proposing to longtime partner Nicola Minarikova out on the water of Lake Washington.
Minarikova said yes and showed off her engagement ring on Instagram.
“We have some news 💍🤭,” she wrote.
By Chris Cerullo 8 months ago
The Washington Capitals spent over a decade during the Alex Ovechkin era unable to get over the hump. Then in 2018 they finally did. One of the players that proved to be a key difference maker was defenseman Michal Kempny, whom the team acquired at the trade deadline that season.
Lusciously haired and beautiful, Kempny was John Carlson’s steady eddy on the left side during that infamous run. The team beat the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five. Kempny was one of three Czechs on the team, including Jakub Vrana and Jakub Jerabek.
In the years after, Kempny suffered three unlucky injuries to his left leg. After not making the Capitals out of Training Camp for the 2021-22 season, Kempny spent most of the year in Hershey to regain his timing and form before getting a late season callup.
The Caps let Kempny go during free agency and the Czech signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Kraken over the weekend worth the veteran minimum.
Kempny thanked the Capitals on Tuesday via his Instagram page.
Michal Kempny has found his new team.
CapFriendly reports that the 31-year-old defenseman has signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Seattle Kraken worth the veteran minimum, $750k.
Kempny has spent the past four seasons with the Caps after a trade deadline deal from the Blackhawks in 2018.
By Chris Cerullo 10 months ago
Nicklas Backstrom was spotted in public for the first time since undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in mid-June.
Backstrom attended Christian Djoos and Ebba Östlund’s wedding in Sweden. Djoos was a defenseman for the Capitals’ Stanley Cup team in 2018.
By Ian Oland 11 months ago
Vitek Vanecek had two absolutely life-changing events happen in approximately 24 hours.
Yesterday, Vanecek was traded by the Washington Capitals to the New Jersey Devils after spending the first eight years of his career with the DC hockey team (and this time, there will be no take-backsies).
Today, Vanecek got married to his longtime love, Kristýna, in his native Czechia.
By Ian Oland 11 months ago
Michal Kempny is a new man after getting what appears to be his first haircut in a calendar year.
“Lettuce is gone!” Kempny wrote on Instagram, Monday. “What do you think?”
Kempny got several responses from his current and former Capitals teammates.
The 2022 IIHF World Championship wrapped up on Sunday with Finland taking down Canada in the gold medal game. Before that though, Czechia stomped the United States in the bronze medal match. On that Czech team was Washington Capitals defender Michal Kempny.
Kempny skated a team-high 24:11 of ice time in the 8-4 victory that featured a hat trick from Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak. The Czechs scored six goals in the third period alone to fuel their first medal at a Men’s World Championship since 2012.
By Chris Cerullo 12 months ago
