Eddie's Jersey Room

Jan Hejda was born June 18, 1978 in Prague, Czech Republic. Buffalo's fourth pick, 106th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Hejda spent time honing his skills in the Czech and Russian League prior to arriving in North America.

In July 2006, Hejda was traded to Edmonton in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick. He then signed a one-year contract with the Oilers in the same week. A strong puck-moving defenseman, Hejda made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers in 2006-07 and went on to appear in 39 games.

In the summer of 2007, Hejda was on the move once again, signing as a free agent with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Hejda would provide the Blue Jackets with a steadying presence on the back end. In 2008 and 2009, his plus/minus ratings of +20 and +23 respectively were far and away the best on the Blue Jackets.

In the summer of 2011, Hejda signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Colorado Avalanche. He would spend the next four seasons with the Avalance before being released following the 2014-15 season. He would retire from professional hockey following a short minor league tryout with Lake Erie of the AHL.

In addition to his professional career, Hejda also played in a number of international tournaments for the Czech team, including the 2010 Olympics.

Defense -- shoots L
Born Jun 18 1978 -- Prague, Czech Republic
Height 6.03 -- Weight 209

Drafted by Buffalo Sabres round 4 #106 overall 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Traded to Edmonton by Buffalo for Edmonton's 7th round pick (Nick Eno) in 2007 NHL Draft, July 10, 2006. Signed as a free agent by Columbus, July 5, 2007. Signed as a free agent by Colorado, July 1, 2011. Signed to a PTO (professional tryout) contract by Lake Erie (AHL), December 5, 2015. Released from tryout by Lake Erie (AHL), January 8, 2016