Through changes in personnel and management, good seasons and not-so-good, Plekanec remained a constant for the Montreal Canadiens for more than a decade.

After playing two games for the Canadiens in 2003-04, Plekanec cracked the Montreal lineup for good as a 22-year-old in 2005. But he would have to wait his turn to wear No. 14, the number he owned throughout his career in the Czech Republic; veteran Radek Bonk was wearing the number at the time, so Plekanec took No. 35.

At the time, he was the new guy in a town with a grand hockey history. But Bonk signed with the Nashville Predators in 2007, and Plekanec began a long run wearing his signature number with the Canadiens.

Plekanec played as a youth in the HC Kladno hockey factory, graduating to the senior team at 18. An 18-point debut season in the Extraliga and a place on his country's gold medal-winning World Junior Championship team in Russia in 2001 convinced the Canadiens to select him that summer in the third round (No. 71) of the 2001 NHL Draft.

He spent one more season prepping in the Czech Republic before jumping to North America, where he played three full seasons with Hamilton of the American Hockey League and had 46, 66 and 64 points, respectively.

Plekanec had nine goals and 29 points for the Canadiens in 2005-06, beginning an NHL career marked by streaky production. He has also been prized for his versatility in killing penalties and taking key faceoffs.

His time with the Canadiens came to an end when he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 25, 2018. But after helping the Maple Leafs qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he returned to Montreal when he signed a one-year contract on July 1, 2018.

The Canadiens placed Plekanec on unconditional waivers Nov. 9, 2018, for the purpose of terminating his contract. He played in Czechia the next six seasons before retiring from hockey on Oct. 28, 2023.