Former NHL goaltender Cechmanek dies at 52

Ex-Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings goaltender Roman Cechmanek has died at the age of 52, the Flyers confirmed Sunday.

Cechmanek played three seasons with the Flyers and one with the Kings. Philadelphia drafted him at age 29 in 2000 with the 171st overall pick. He made an instant impact in 2000-01, going 35-15-6 with a .921 save percentage and 10 shutouts in his first NHL campaign. Cechmanek finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting and second among Vezina Trophy ballots that season.

Two years before arriving in the NHL, he was a member of the Czech Republic squad that won gold at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Cechmanek served as Dominik Hasek's backup but didn't play a game in the tournament. Hasek won the Vezina in 2001 when Cechmanek finished as the runner-up.

However, Cechmanek made his mark in North America during his brief NHL tenure. In his second season with the Flyers, he equaled the save percentage he posted in his first campaign while going 24-13-6.

He authored a 33-15-10 record and a .925 save percentage with Philadelphia in 2002-03, sharing the William M. Jennings Trophy with teammate Robert Esche and New Jersey Devils netminder Martin Brodeur.

Cechmanek enjoyed further international success, helping his home country claim gold at the World Championships in 1999 and 2000. He started and finished his career in what is now Czechia, playing four seasons with Vsetin before heading to North America and spending his final four pro campaigns in his homeland, Germany, and Sweden.

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