On Monday, it was reported that former NHL defenseman Tomas Kloucek died as a result of a skiing accident. He was 45 years old.
According to a story by hokej.cz, Kloucek’s passing was confirmed by his wife on her Instagram page.
The NHL Alumni Association is heartbroken to learn that Tomáš Klouček has passed away at the age of 45.
— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) March 17, 2025
A defenceman, the New York Rangers selected Tomáš with the 131st pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft after three seasons with his hometown HC Slavia Praha of the Czechia U20… pic.twitter.com/P54PtprmVj
Per reports, Kloucek skied into a power pole on the edge of the slope at Špindlerův Mlýn, a popular ski resort in the northern portion of Czechia near the Polish border. He died on the spot due to his injuries.
One of Kloucek’s former teams, Oceláři Třinec of the Czech Extraliga, paid tribute to him on social media.
“We were hit by sad news – Tomáš Klouček died following a tragic accident,” the team posted on X. “The tough defenseman played a total of 90 games for us. We wish his family and loved ones a lot of strength. Our sincere condolences.”
After coming up through the ranks in his home country, playing for his native Slavia Praha, Kloucek was taken in the fifth round, 131st overall, by the New York Rangers in the 1998 NHL Draft. After one season with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Maritimes Hockey League and another with the Rangers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, Kloucek made his NHL debut with the Blueshirts during the 2000-01 season.
Kloucek spent parts of three seasons with the Rangers before being traded to the Nashville Predators in the middle of the 2002-03 campaign. He was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers the following year and would finish out the North American portion of his pro career in the minors in 2007.
From there, Kloucek moved back to Czechia to play for HC Ziln for a season before playing with Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League from 2008 to 2011. He bounced around Europe for the next few years, including winning the Slovak Extraliga championship in 2014 with HC Kosice. He finished his playing days with French club Epinal in 2016-17.
In 141 NHL games, Kloucek scored two goals and eight assists for 10 points. He also played 258 games in the AHL, playing for Hartford, the Milwaukee Admirals, Chicago Wolves and Syracuse Crunch, notching seven goals and 39 points, including six points in 33 Calder Cup Playoff appearances.