Like other promising hockey kids in Kladno, Czech Republic, after 1990, Michael Frolik drew the inevitable comparisons to Jaromir Jagr. During his teenage years playing in his hometown, Frolik was even nicknamed "Baby Jagr" for his on-ice similarities to Kladno's biggest hockey export.
By the time Frolik was selected by the Florida Panthers with the No. 10 pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, Jagr already had won the Art Ross Trophy five times, the Hart Trophy once, an Olympic gold medal and two Stanley Cup championships.
Like other promising hockey kids in Kladno, Czech Republic, after 1990, Michael Frolik drew the inevitable comparisons to Jaromir Jagr. During his teenage years playing in his hometown, Frolik was even nicknamed "Baby Jagr" for his on-ice similarities to Kladno's biggest hockey export.
By the time Frolik was selected by the Florida Panthers with the No. 10 pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, Jagr already had won the Art Ross Trophy five times, the Hart Trophy once, an Olympic gold medal and two Stanley Cup championships.
To get acclimatized to the game and culture in North America, and at the urging of the Panthers, Frolik made the jump overseas that fall, joining Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he had 138 points (55 goals, 83 assists) in 97 games.
Following consecutive 21-goal seasons to begin his NHL career, Frolik was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 9, 2011.
Two seasons later, "Baby Jagr," who had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 23 playoff games, would lift the Stanley Cup, just as Jagr had in 1991 and 1992 with the Penguins.
However, six days after winning the Cup, Chicago would Frolik to the Winnipeg Jets on June 30, 2013. He would go on to get 42 points in each of his two seasons in Winnipeg before signing with the Flames as a free agent on July 1, 2015.
Frolik played parts of five seasons in Calgary, including in 2016-17, when he had 44 points (17 goals, 27 assists) in 82 games, but he was traded for the third time in his career when the Buffalo Sabres acquired him on Jan. 2, 2020.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- QMJHL All-Rookie Team (2007)
- Traded to Chicago by Florida with Alexander Salak for Jack Skille, Hugh Jessiman and David Pacan, February 9, 2011.
- Signed as a free agent by Chomutov (CzRep), September 22, 2012.
- Traded to Winnipeg by Chicago for Winnipeg's 3rd (John Hayden) and 5th (Luke Johnson) round picks in 2013 NHL Draft, June 30, 2013.
- Signed as a free agent by Calgary, July 1, 2015.
- Traded to Buffalo by Calgary for a 4th-round pick in 2020 NHL Draft, January 2, 2020.
- Signed as a free agent by Montreal, December 23, 2020.
