Future Watch: Erik Cernak Rookie Hockey Cards, Lightning – Erik Cernak was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning with the 43rd overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The Lightning are about to set a record for the most wins a season and the talented defenseman has been a part of that.
In 2015-16, Cernak was a part of an Erie Otters team that included Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat who became teammates again with the Chicago Blackhawks. On that squad, he had 15 points in the regular season and six in the playoffs. He’s not the kind of defenseman you expect points from. His all-around tough play is what was talked about.
The following season more offense emerged when he got 21 points in 50 games. He had a great playoff run as well. Erie was OHL cup champs and they made it to the final game and lost the Memorial Cup to the Windsor Spitfire 4-3. During that season he also represented Slovakia in the 2017 U20 World Junior Championship. He was voted one of the Top 3 Players on his Team.
In 2017-18, he turned pro and played in the AHL for the Syracuse Crunch. That year he had five goals and 18 points in 71 games. He added a goal and an assist in the seven postseason games he played.
This season he’s played in the AHL and NHL. He only played in nine AHL games and he had two goals and seven points. Playing with the Lightning he’s been in 53 games getting four goals and 14 points during that time span. That was very productive, and the Lightning could never send him down. He’d become invaluable.
The 6-3 defenseman makes his presence known in a lot of games:
Future Watch: Erik Cernak Rookie Hockey Cards, Lightning – Stats
Scor | Scor | Scor | Goal | Goal | Goal | Goal | Assi | Assi | Assi | Shot | Shot | Shot | Ice | Ice | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Age | Tm | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | EV | PP | SH | GW | EV | PP | SH | S | S% | TSA | TOI | ATOI | FOW | FOL | FO% | BLK | HIT | TK | GV | Awards |
2018-19 | 21 | TBL | 53 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 25 | 41 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 4.3 | 168 | 1017 | 19:11 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 183 | 11 | 19 | ||
Career | 1 yr | 53 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 25 | 41 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 4.3 | 168 | 1017 | 19:11 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 183 | 11 | 19 |
Future Watch: Erik Cernak Rookie Hockey Cards, Lightning – More Resources
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For more from Russ Cohen, follow him on Twitter @sportsology.
Russ Cohen is the author of several top-selling sports related books.
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