About Martin Erat
Martin Erat (Czech pronunciation: [ˈmarcɪn ˈɛrat] ) (born August 29, 1981) is a Czech former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes. == Playing career == Erat was selected in the seventh round, 191st overall, of the 1999 NHL entry draft by the Nashville Predators, the team's 12th choice in the draft Erat made a splash in his NHL rookie year in 2001–02 as a member of the "vowel line", which consisted of himself on left wing, Vladimír Országh on right wing and Denis Arkhipov at centre. His first NHL point was a game-winning goal against the Calgary Flames on October 11, 2001. That year, he set a then Nashville rookie record for games played (80), assists (24) and points (33). Erat struggled in his sophomore season in 2002–03 and spent the majority of the season with the Predators' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. After changing his number from 19 to 10 in the off-season, his play improved in his third season, 2003–04. He notched then career highs with goals (16), assists (33) and points (49), also ranking second on the team with a +10 plus-minus rating. Erat's first Stanley Cup playoff point was an assist in the 2004 Western Conference Quarterfinals in a 2–1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on April 10, 2004. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Erat played for HC Zlín of the Czech Extraliga, where he finished eighth in the league in scoring with 20 goals and 23 assists in 48 games.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.