David Pastrnak

David Pastrňák (Czech pronunciation: ; born 25 May 1996) is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Pasta", Pastrňák was selected by the Bruins in the first round, 25th overall, of the 2014 NHL entry draft and made his NHL debut that year. Internationally, Pastrňák has played for the Czech national team at both the junior and senior level, including at four World Championships. David Pastrňák was born on 25 May 1996 in Havířov, Czech Republic, to father Milan Pastrňák and mother Marcela Ziembova. He first became interested in hockey through his father, who was a professional player and later a coach. He began skating when he was three years old. Milan left the family and moved to Karviná when Pastrňák was three years old, and after that Pastrňák spent weekends with his father. For most of his childhood, he lived with his mother and older brother in a two-bedroom apartment. When he was 13 years old, Pastrňák got an agent and his hockey equipment was paid for; this reduced the financial stress on his family. At age 15, Pastrňák moved to the nearby town of Třinec, where he lived alone in a hotel room. This was considered a test to ensure that Pastrňák could move to Sweden the next year. During the 2011–12 season, Pastrňák led the Czech under-18 league in goals (41) and points (68). For the 2012–13 season, Pastrňák moved to Sweden to play for the junior squad of Södertälje SK. While in Södertälje, Pastrňák learned to speak English and Swedish, and started to watch NHL games for the first time. In May 2013, just before Pastrňák's 17th birthday, Milan died after a years-long battle with skin cancer. Grieving his father's death, Pastrňák intensified his training. Pastrňák has represented the Czech Republic's national teams at every level and has led his team in scoring numerous times. He won bronze at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and in 2014 he won silver at the 2014 IIHF World U18 Championships. In 2016, he joined the Czech Republic national team for the first time at the 2016 IIHF World Championship where the team finished fifth. He also represented the Czech Republic at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Following the Bruins' defeat by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Second Round of the 2018 playoffs, Pastrňák was invited to participate at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. He played at the 2024 IIHF World Championship with Czechia and won a gold medal, scored the winning goal in the final and was also named player of the game. On April 28, 2025, after much speculation about his participation, it was announced Pastrňák would once again join Czechia for the 2025 IIHF World Championship. Pastrňák and his girlfriend, Rebecca Rohlsson, had a son Viggo Rohl Pastrňák who was born on June 17, 2021 and died six days later. In June 2023, Pastrňák and his girlfriend announced the birth of a daughter Freya Ivy Pastrňák born on June 8, 2023. In August 2024 they were married in Croatia.