Hamrlik was the first player ever drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who selected the Czechoslovakia-born defenseman with the No. 1 pick in the 1992 NHL Draft. He stepped into the NHL as an 18-year-old and finished with 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 67 games in the expansion team's first season.

Hamrlik had his best offensive season with 65 points (16 goals, 49 assists) in 1995-96, helping the Lightning qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time. But the Lightning traded him to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 30, 1997.

Hamrlik played three seasons with the Oilers. He also became an Olympic gold medalist in 1998, when he was part of the Czech Republic team that defeated Russia 1-0 in the championship game in Nagano, Japan.

The Oilers traded Hamrlik to the New York Islanders on June 24, 2000. He had four solid seasons with New York, matching his NHL career high with 16 goals in 2000-01 and helping the Islanders make the playoffs three times and averaging more than 25 minutes of ice time per game three times.

The Calgary Flames signed Hamrlik on Aug. 14, 2005; after two seasons with them, he signed with the Montreal Canadiens in 2007. Four years later, he signed with the Washington Capitals, then finished his NHL career by playing 12 games with the New York Rangers after being claimed off waivers during the 2012-13 season.

Hamrlik retired Oct. 21, 2013, with 638 points (155 goals, 483 assists) in 1,395 NHL games, and 41 points (three goals, 38 assists) in 113 playoff games.