Tomas Vokoun

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Vokoun was chosen by the Nashville Predators in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft on 26 June 1998. He played 37 games for Nashville in their debut season and split time between the Predators and the Milwaukee Admirals in the IHL the following season. By 2000, Vokoun established himself in the NHL, though he initially saw limited action as the back-up to starter Mike Dunham. In 2002, Dunham was traded to the New York Rangers, effectively awarding Vokoun the starting job. Vokoun's play was solid enough in 2003–04 to send him to the All-Star Game for the first time, and his goaltending was a major factor in the Predators' first-ever playoff berth that season. The team lost in six games to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round. In game 4 of that series, played in Nashville, Vokoun earned the first-ever playoff shutout in franchise history, stopping 41 Red Wing shots. On 10 April 2006, the Predators announced Vokoun was afflicted by thrombophlebitis of the pelvis, a blood-clotting condition. He missed the team's remaining regular season games and the entire playoffs while he recovered by taking blood-thinning drugs and avoiding physical activity. On 24 July 2006, Vokoun was cleared to resume his career and returned for the 2006–07 NHL season. However, at the beginning of the season, Vokoun injured his thumb during a game and required surgery, playing with pins and a brace on his thumb.

In Their Own Story

Game 4 of the 2004 Western Conference Quarter-finals. The Nashville Predators, in their first-ever playoff appearance, faced the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings at home. Tomáš Vokoun stood in net, facing a Red Wings team loaded with future Hall of Famers. The pressure was immense, but Vokoun was unshakeable. He stopped all 41 shots the Red Wings threw at him, earning the first playoff shutout in Predators franchise history. The crowd in Nashville roared as the final horn sounded, a moment that announced the Predators as a legitimate playoff contender. Vokoun's performance was not just a win; it was a statement that the Predators' goaltender could stand toe-to-toe with the best in the league.

Reader's Guide

Tomáš Vokoun's tenure with the Nashville Predators spanned from 1998 to 2007. He was acquired via the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft and initially split time between the NHL and the IHL's Milwaukee Admirals. After Mike Dunham was traded in 2002, Vokoun became the starter. His 2003–04 season was a highlight, earning him an All-Star Game selection and leading the Predators to their first playoff berth. In the playoffs, he recorded the franchise's first playoff shutout in Game 4 against the Detroit Red Wings, stopping 41 shots. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Vokoun played 19 regular season games for HIFK in the Finnish SM-liiga, posting a .940 save percentage. In the playoffs, he posted an .846 save percentage in four games. After returning from a blood-clotting condition in 2006, he injured his thumb early in the 2006–07 season and required surgery, playing with pins and a brace. Vokoun was traded to the Florida Panthers on the day of the 2007 NHL entry draft. His nine-year tenure in Nashville set many of the Predators' goaltending records, all of which were later overtaken by Pekka Rinne.

Did You Know?

• Vokoun was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the ninth round, 226th overall, in the 1994 NHL entry draft.
• He earned the first-ever playoff shutout in Predators franchise history in Game 4 of the 2004 playoffs, stopping 41 shots against the Detroit Red Wings.
• Vokoun was afflicted by thrombophlebitis of the pelvis in April 2006, a blood-clotting condition that caused him to miss the rest of the season and playoffs.
• During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Vokoun played for HIFK in the Finnish SM-liiga and posted a .940 save percentage in 19 regular season games.
• Vokoun's nine-year tenure in Nashville set many of the Predators' goaltending records, all of which were later overtaken by Pekka Rinne.