By Brian Kopycinski
The Pittsburgh Penguins have had great success developing talent from the Czech Republic since the early 1990s, notably Jan Hrdina, Martin Straka, and, of course, Jaromír Jágr, following the end of communist rule in the country. From Dominik Hašek to David Pastrňák, Czechia has produced some of the best in the game. While the Penguins have certainly hit on some of these prospects, others haven’t exactly worked out. One such example is Milan Kraft, a big, strong forward and former first-round pick who showed promise but left the NHL for good after the 2004–05 lockout and returned home. His career, largely overlooked, was still noteworthy given all that he had accomplished at both the amateur and professional levels
Kraft was born and raised in Plzeň, the fourth largest city in the Czech Republic. He began his junior career with HC Plzeň, the same team his father, Milan, had played for in the 1970s and 1980s. In the younger Kraft’s debut season in 1995–96, he scored 54 goals and 41 assists in the CZE U18 league. Kraft later played in the Czech Extraliga before the Penguins drafted him in 1998. Following his selection, he moved to Canada and joined the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. Among the best Raiders alumni are Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Modano and Oilers star Leon Draisaitl.
With Prince Albert, Kraft scored 86 points and helped the team win the division title in 1998–99. He remained with the Raiders for 1999–00 and totaled 34 goals and 35 assists.
In what was perhaps the greatest moment of his career, Kraft and the Czech Republic defeated Russia in the 2000 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. In the gold medal game, Kraft scored a goal in the 1–0 shootout victory to secure the country’s first title. He was named to the All-Star Team and awarded Best Forward of the tournament.
Kraft later joined the big club for the start of the 2000–01 season and scored his first NHL goal against the Rangers on October 14 at Mellon Arena. In his rookie year, he recorded seven goals and seven assists with the Penguins. He also played 40 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL, totaling 44 points. He was named AHL Player of the Week in January 2001. The Penguins finished third in the Atlantic Division but made it all the way to the Conference Finals, losing to New Jersey in five games. Kraft appeared in eight playoff games but did not record a point.
After the season, the Penguins took a major blow by losing Jágr to the Capitals in free agency. Several other notable players also left via free agency or trade. Over the next few years, Pittsburgh would truly struggle for the first time since the mid-1980s, finishing at the bottom of the division. Much like the period before the arrival of Mario Lemieux, it wouldn’t be until Sidney Crosby became a Penguin that things started to turn around. Kraft split his time between Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during this stretch. His best season with the Penguins came in 2003–04, when he scored 19 goals and 21 assists. Still, the team finished in last place again. Mario Lemieux was no longer the player he once was, and a lockout was looming.
Kraft would go on to play for several Czech clubs over the next decade. He never returned to the NHL. While a new era of Penguins hockey was underway, Kraft went back to the Czech Extraliga. After a few seasons, he played one year for Avangard of the Russian Superleague, then returned to Czechia. Eventually, he signed with Chomutov of the Max liga, the second-tier league in the country.
Kraft later became the team’s captain and led the Pirates to two Czechia2 championships in 2009–10 and 2011–12. In the latter season, he totaled 22 goals and 33 assists. Chomutov was then promoted to the ELH. Kraft played one more year with the Pirates and retired after the 2012–13 season. Over his NHL career, he scored 41 goals and 41 assists. In the ELH, he notched 90 points. Since retiring, Kraft has been a youth hockey coach in the Plzeň area. His son, Daniel, most recently played for the HC Rokycany U17 team.
The Penguins, of course, won the Stanley Cup in 2008–09, ending a 17-year title drought. Not since the days of Lemieux and Jágr had the Pens been blessed with such talent. The core of Crosby, Fleury, Letang, and Malkin stuck together and won two more Cups in the next decade. While Milan Kraft was never a part of these teams, he still has much to be proud of. Had he returned to the NHL after the 2004–05 lockout, perhaps he could have been a productive bottom-six player in the years that followed. Kraft was a first-round pick, but it’s hard to call him a bust given his limited experience at the highest level. His career stands as one of the great “what ifs” in Penguins history.