| Born: | Nov 9, 1976 | Draft: | 2001 Kings, 51st Overall |
| Hometown: | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Position: | Right Wing |
| Known For: | 2x NLA Champion | Shoots: | Right |
| National Team: | Czechia | Current Status: | Retired |
Jaroslav Bednar (born November 9, 1976) is a former Czechia ice hockey player, having played his final year in the NHL with the Florida Panthers during the 2003-2004 season. Drafted 51st overall by Los Angeles Kings in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Bednar was an exceptional player in the Czechia league, playing for HC Slavia Praha in five seasons before moving on to Finland’s SM-Liiga. There, he would register back-to-back 30-goal seasons, leading the league in scoring during the 2000-01 season. He also represented Czechia on the international level on three occasions leading up to his draft, giving him the exposure he needed to help elevate his stock.
Making his debut in the 2001-02 season, Bednar appeared in 22 games with the Kings, registering four goals and two assists. He spent the majority of the time in the American Hockey League as he wasn’t able to find his scoring form from his days in Finland. After 15 games the following season, Bednar was dealt to the Florida Panthers, along with Andreas Lilja, for Dmitry Yushkevich and a fifth-round pick. He appeared in 67 games with the Panthers that year, recording five goals and 22 assists. In 2003-04, his time with Florida was cut short to 13 games, signalling the end of his days in the NHL and hockey in North America.
Bednar’s return to Europe started with a two-year stint in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Avangard Omsk. In 2005-06, he returned to the Czechia league to once again play for HC Slavia Praha, playing in four seasons, capturing on Czechia-league championship and two second-place finishes. After another brief run in Russia and four years in the Swiss league, Bednar played out his final eight years in Czechia, captaining HC Slavia Praha and Mountfield HK, and representing his country up until 2010.
Jaroslav Bednar Statistics
Trade Tracker
| Date | Traded From | Traded With | Traded To | Traded For |
| Nov. 26, 2002 |  | Andreas Lilja |  | 2003 5th-Round Pick (Brady Murray) Dmitry Yushkevich |
Staff History
- Mountfield HK, Czechia (Sports Manager) 2019-2020
- HC Slavia Praha, Czechia2 (Sports Manager) 2021-current
Achievements
- SM-liiga Player of the Month (November, 2000)
- SM-liiga Most Goals (Aarne Honkavaara Trophy) (2001)
- RSL Champion (2004)
- 2x Czech Extraliga Silver Medal (2006, 2009)
- World Championship Silver Medal (2006)
- Czech Extraliga Champion (2008)
- Czech Extraliga Playoffs Most Goals (2008)
- Czech Extraliga Playoffs MVP (2008)
- Czech Extraliga Best Plus/Minus (2009)
- Czech Extraliga Most Assists (2009, 2017)
- Czech Extraliga Most Game Winning Goals (2009)
- Czech Extraliga Most Points (2009)
- 2x NLA Champion (2011, 2013)
- NLA Most Assists Playoffs (2011)
- NLA Most Points Playoffs (2011)
- NL Media All-Star Team (2012)
- Czech Extraliga Bronze Medal (2017)
- Spengler Cup All-Star Team (2018)
- Czechia3 (West) Most Assists (2020)
- Czechia3 (West) Most Points (2020)
- Czechia3 to Czechia2 Promotion (2020)