Born in Htuboka nad Vitavou, Czechoslovakia, on October 11, 1951, defenseman Miroslav Dvorak had a long and accomplished career in his native land before he came overseas to play for the Philadelphia Flyers in 1982.
Dvorak played nine seasons in Czechoslovakia and participated in eight World Championships and two Canada Cups in that time. The Philadelphia Flyers made Dvorak their third selection in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, and he came to North America the next fall to join the Flyers lineup.
Dvorak made a solid impression in his first NHL season, playing in all 80 contests and scoring four goals and 37 points. The Flyers were so impressed with the play of the rookie defenseman, he was awarded the Barry Ashbee trophy, given annually to the Best Flyers' Defenseman.
In his second season in North America, Dvorak was producing and an even better pace, but injury woes stopped him from exceeding the previous year's output. In 1984-85, he was limited to just 47 games, but got his first significant taste of post-season play when the Flyers unexpectedly advanced to the Stanley Cup finals before eventually falling to the Edmonton Oilers. Dvorak played 13 playoff contests for the Philadelphia registering one assist.
Dvorak left the Flyers following their playoff march and signed a contract to play in Germany. He played two seasons with Kassel, then split his final season of professional hockey between Germany and his native Czechoslovakia.
