{{short description|Czech ice hockey player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | name = Alena Polenská | image = Alena Mills Show Jana Krause.jpg | image_size = | caption = Polenská on ''Show Jana Krause'' in 2019 | alt = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|6|9|df=y}} | birth_place = Kutná Hora, Czechoslovakia | height_cm = 172 | weight_kg = 79 | position = Forward | shoots = Left | league = SWHL A | team = ZSC Lions Frauen | former_teams = {{ubl|Agidel Ufa|Brynäs IF|KRS Vanke Rays|HPK Hämeenlinna|Dinamo St. Petersburg|Brown Bears}} | sex = f | ntl_team = CZE | career_start = 2004 | career_end = | medaltemplates = {{MedalCompetition|World Championship}} {{MedalBronze|2022 Denmark|}} {{MedalBronze|2023 Canada|}} {{MedalCompetition|World U18 Championship}} {{MedalBronze|2008 Canada|}} }} '''Alena Polenská''' (previously '''Mills'''; born 9 June 1990) is a Czech ice hockey player and former captain of the Czech Republic women's national ice hockey team. She plays in the Swiss Women's League (SWHL A) with the ZSC Lions Frauen.
Polenská was part of the first Czech team to participate in a top-level tournament of the IIHF Women's World Championship (2013 tournament) and was captain of the first Czech team to earn a medal at the Women's World Championship (2022).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Podnieks |first=Andrew |title=Czechia wins historic bronze |url=https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2022/ww/news/38765/czechia_wins_historic_bronze |access-date=2022-09-04 |language=en |archive-date=4 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904155050/https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2022/ww/news/38765/czechia_wins_historic_bronze |work=IIHF |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Playing career== She won a bronze medal for the Czech Republic at the 2008 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship. In the bronze medal game, Polenská scored two goals.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2001-01-13|title=IIHF World Womens U18 Championship, Women – Play-Off Bronze Medal Game, Game 19 – Game Summary: SWE - CZE 2-4|url=https://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/156/IHW156119_74_5_0.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307151103/http://reports.iihf.hockey/Hydra/156/IHW156119_74_5_0.pdf|work=IIHF|archive-date=7 March 2018}}</ref> At the 2008 Roller Hockey World Championships, she won a gold medal. It marked the first time that a European team had won the event. On August 12, 2010, she was named captain of the Czech Republic Olympic Development Team.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2010-08-12|title=Polenska Named Czech Team Captain|url=https://www.ecachockey.com/women/members/brown/20101208_PolenskaCzechCaptain|url-status=live|access-date=2020-10-09|website=ECAC Hockey|language=en|type=Press release|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205133/http://www.ecachockey.com/women/members/brown/20101208_PolenskaCzechCaptain |archive-date=3 March 2016 }}</ref>
===NCAA=== Polenská joined the Brown Bears women's ice hockey program in the autumn of 2009 and appeared in 28 games during her freshman campaign. Her five goals tied for first on the squad, and her 96 shots on goal led all Bears skaters.<ref>http://www.brownbears.com/sports/w-hockey/2010-11/bios/polenska%20alena00<nowiki/> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826190015/http://www.brownbears.com/sports/w-hockey/2010-11/bios/polenska%20alena00 |date=26 August 2011 }}</ref> On January 31, 2010, versus Yale, she registered two assists. In an exhibition game versus the Etobicoke Dolphins on 17 October 2010, Polenská scored two goals in a 5–2 victory.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2010-10-17|title=Polenska Powers Brown to Exhibition Win|url=https://www.ecachockey.com/women/2010-11/Game_Stories/20101710_Brown_Etobicoke?dec=/printer-decorator|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211032/http://www.ecachockey.com/women/2010-11/Game_Stories/20101710_Brown_Etobicoke?dec=/printer-decorator |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=2020-10-09|website=ECAC Hockey}}</ref>
===Russia=== Polenská played in Russia from 2014 to 2022. Her first season was played in the Russian Women's Hockey League (RWHL) with Dinamo Saint Petersburg, and she then remained with the club as the RWHL was replaced by the Zhenskaya Hockey League for the 2015–16 season. After four seasons with Dinamo, she signed with Agidel Ufa in 2018. With Agidel, Polenská won the 2019 Russian Championship and was selected for the ZhHL All-Star Game in 2019 and 2020.<ref>{{cite web |website=hc-forward.ru |url=http://hc-forward.ru/NewsView.aspx?NewsID=150 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131003083251/http://hc-forward.ru/NewsView.aspx?NewsID=150 |archive-date=3 October 2013|title=Interview with Alena Polenská |language=Russian}}</ref> Following that season, she signed with the KRS Vanke Rays<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-10|title=Алена Миллс подписала контракт с "Ванке Рэйз"|url=https://whl.khl.ru:443/article/3815-alena-mills-podpisala-kontrakt-s-vanke-reyz|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-07|website=|publisher=Kontinental Hockey League|language=ru|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212163018/https://whl.khl.ru/article/3815-alena-mills-podpisala-kontrakt-s-vanke-reyz |archive-date=12 December 2021 }}</ref>
=== Sweden === After leaving the Vanke Rays, Polenská signed with Brynäs IF.<ref name="brynäs">{{Cite web |title=Tjeckisk toppspelare klar för Brynäs IF – centern Alena Mills ansluter |url=http://www.brynas.se/article/j9goal5jf-1ekad/tjeckisk-toppspelare-klar-for-brynas-if-centern-alena-mills-ansluter |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=Brynäs IF |language=sv |archive-date=13 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713235327/https://www.brynas.se/article/j9goal5jf-1ekad/tjeckisk-toppspelare-klar-for-brynas-if-centern-alena-mills-ansluter |url-status=live }}</ref> She left Brynäs following the 2022–23 season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trio av spelare lämnar Brynäs IF |url=https://www.brynas.se/article/ws6arvg-1ekad/view |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=www.brynas.se |language=sv |archive-date=20 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620175810/https://www.brynas.se/article/ws6arvg-1ekad/view |url-status=live }}</ref>
==International play== Polenská was a stalwart member of the Czech national team for nearly two decades. She served as captain from 2010 until her retirement from international competition in 2023<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alena Polenska Named Czech Hockey Team Captain |url=https://brownbears.com/news/2010/8/12/8_12_2010_7437 |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=Brown University Athletics |language=en |archive-date=4 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904214408/https://brownbears.com/news/2010/8/12/8_12_2010_7437 |url-status=live }}</ref> and led the team through promotion to the Top Division, as well as their first World Championship medal victory.<ref name=":0" /> She and figure skater Michal Březina served as flag bearers for the Czech delegation at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Žehanová |first=Barbora |title=Českou vlajku na zahájení ponesou hokejová kapitánka Mills a krasobruslař Březina |url=https://www.olympijskytym.cz/article/ceskou-vlajku-na-zahajeni-ponesou-hokejova-kapitanka-mills-a-krasobruslar-brezina |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=www.olympijskytym.cz |language=cs |archive-date=3 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203061516/https://www.olympijskytym.cz/article/ceskou-vlajku-na-zahajeni-ponesou-hokejova-kapitanka-mills-a-krasobruslar-brezina |url-status=live }}</ref> After playing 260 international games, Polenská announced her retirement from the national team in June 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Montroy |first=Liz |date=11 June 2023 |title=Alena Mills announces national team retirement |url=https://www.iihf.com/en/news/45505/alena_mills_announces_national_team_retirement |access-date=20 June 2023 |work=IIHF |language=en |archive-date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619151505/https://www.iihf.com/en/news/45505/alena_mills_announces_national_team_retirement |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Personal life == Polenská's Czech Republic jersey from the 2008 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship was displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-05-18 |title=Alena Polenska |url=http://www.timesleader.com/community/brightest/Alena_Polenska_05-17-2009.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020151317/http://www.timesleader.com/community/brightest/Alena_Polenska_05-17-2009.html |archive-date=2011-10-20 |website=The Times Leader}}</ref>
In June 2018, she married American ex-pat Thomas Mills, who she met while playing in Saint Petersburg.<ref name="Kemmerer1">{{cite web |last1=Kemmerer |first1=Gillian |date=2020-05-04 |title=Ice Diaries: Alena Mills |url=https://en.khl.ru/news/2020/05/04/468395.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124070630/https://en.khl.ru/news/2020/05/04/468395.html |archive-date=24 November 2021 |access-date=2022-01-11 |website=Kontinental Hockey League}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stremple |first=Claire |date=2022-02-14 |title=Why one Hoonah family rooted for the Czech women's hockey team this Olympics |url=https://www.ktoo.org/2022/02/14/why-one-hoonah-family-rooted-for-the-czech-womens-hockey-team-this-olympics/ |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=KTOO |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301161933/https://www.ktoo.org/2022/02/14/why-one-hoonah-family-rooted-for-the-czech-womens-hockey-team-this-olympics/ |url-status=live }}</ref> She returned to using her maiden name in 2024.
==Career statistics== === Regular season and playoffs === {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! rowspan="97" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Regular season ! rowspan="97" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" !Season !Team !League !GP !G !A !Pts !PIM !GP !G !A !Pts !PIM |- |2009–10 |Brown University |NCAA |28 |5 |5 |10 |12 |– |– |– |– |– |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |2010–11 |Brown University |NCAA |26 |10 |7 |17 |12 |– |– |– |– |– |- |2011–12 |Brown University |NCAA |23 |7 |8 |15 |12 |– |– |– |– |– |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |2012–13 |Brown University |NCAA |22 |9 |10 |19 |16 |– |– |– |– |– |- |2014–15 |Dinamo St. Petersburg |RWHL |32 |22 |21 |43 |18 |– |– |– |– |– |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |2015–16 |Dinamo St. Petersburg |ZhHL |24 |20 |16 |36 |10 |– |– |– |– |– |- |2016–17 |Dinamo St. Petersburg |ZhHL |36 |13 |16 |36 |10 |– |– |– |– |– |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |2017–18 |Dinamo St. Petersburg |ZhHL |24 |5 |11 |16 |10 |2 |0 |0 |0 |0 |- |2018–19 |Agidel Ufa |ZhHL |32 |22 |14 |36 |14 |6 |0 |1 |1 |2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |2019–20 |Agidel Ufa |ZhHL |28 |12 |17 |29 |12 |5 |2 |3 |5 |6 |- | 2020–21 | KRS Vanke Rays | ZhHL |28 |9 |13 |22 |34 |5 |5 |1 |6 |6 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |2021–22 |HPK |Naisten Liiga |6 |3 |0 |3 |0 |– |– |– |– |– |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" |NCAA totals !99 !31 !30 !61 !52 |– |– |– |– |– |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" |Russia totals !204 !103 !108 !211 !136 !18 !7 !5 !12 !14 |}
===International=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:40em" |- ALIGN="centre" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! Result ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 2004 | Czech Republic | {{Abbr|OGQ|Olympic Games qualification}} | {{Abbr|DNQ|Did not qualify}} | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2005 | Czech Republic | WWC D1 | 3rd | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |- | 2008 | Czech Republic | U18 | {{Bronze3}} | 5 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2008 | Czech Republic | WWC D1 | 3rd | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 |- | 2008 | Czech Republic | {{Abbr|OGQ|Olympic Games qualification}} | {{Abbr|DNQ|Did not qualify}} | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2009 | Czech Republic | WWC D1 | 5th | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 |- | 2011 | Czech Republic | WWC D2 | 1st | 4 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2012 | Czech Republic | WWC D1A | 1st | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 |- | 2013 | Czech Republic | {{Abbr|OGQ|Olympic Games qualification}} | {{Abbr|DNQ|Did not qualify}} | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2013 | Czech Republic | WWC | 8th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |- | 2014 | Czech Republic | WWC D1A | 1st | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2014 | Czech Republic | {{Abbr|WWQ|World Championship Top Division qualification}} | {{Abbr|DNQ|Did not qualify}} | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |- | 2015 | Czech Republic | WWC D1A | 1st | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2016 | Czech Republic | WWC | 6th | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 |- | 2017 | Czech Republic | {{Abbr|OGQ|Olympic Games qualification}} | {{Abbr|DNQ|Did not qualify}} | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2017 | Czech Republic | WWC | 8th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |- | 2019 | Czech Republic | WW | 6th | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2021 | Czech Republic | WWC | 7th | 6 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 |- | 2021 | Czech Republic | {{Abbr|OGQ|Olympic Games qualification}} | {{Abbr|Q|Qualified}} | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2022 | Czech Republic | WWC | {{Bronze3}} | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |- | 2023 | Czech Republic | WWC | {{Bronze3}} | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="4"|Junior totals ! 5 ! 6 ! 3 ! 9 ! 0 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="4"|Senior totals ! 91 ! 37 ! 39 ! 76 ! 48 |} <small>Sources:</small> <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/home|title=The Official Website of Hockey Canada | Minor Hockey, Team Canada, National Championships and more|website=www.hockeycanada.ca|accessdate=28 October 2020|archive-date=28 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028105313/https://hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/home|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Alena Polenska: Career Statistics|url=https://www.uscho.com/stats/player/wid,7469/alena-polenska/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528195010/http://www.uscho.com/stats/player/wid,7469/alena-polenska/ |archive-date=28 May 2012 |access-date=2020-10-09|website=USCHO.com|language=en-us}}</ref><ref name="Podnieks_IIHF2020">{{Cite book|title=IIHF Guide & Record Book 2020|publisher=Moydart|year=2019|isbn=9780986796470|editor-last=Podnieks|editor-first=Andrew|editor-link=Andrew Podnieks|location=Toronto|pages=655|language=en|editor-last2=Nordmark|editor-first2=Birger}}</ref>
==Awards and honors== *Most Valuable Player for the Czech Republic, 2008 U18 World Championship *Most Valuable Player, Princeton Tiger Lilies, 2009<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2009-09-01|title=Brown Welcomes Class of 2013|url=https://www.ecachockey.com/women/members/brown/20090109_BrownClass2013?dec=/printer-decorator|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064057/http://www.ecachockey.com/women/members/brown/20090109_BrownClass2013?dec=/printer-decorator |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=2020-10-09|website=ECAC Hockey}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{icehockeystats}} * {{Olympedia|name=Alena Mills}}
{{s-start}} {{s-sports|oly}} {{succession box | before = Eva Samková | title = Flagbearer for {{CZE}} | years = Beijing 2022<br> with Michal Březina | after = David Pastrňák<br />Lucie Charvátová }} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polenska, Alena}} Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Brown Bears women's ice hockey players Category:Brynäs IF (women) players Category:Czech expatriate ice hockey players in Switzerland Category:Czech women's ice hockey forwards Category:HPK Kiekkonaiset players Category:Ice hockey people from the Central Bohemian Region Category:Ice hockey players at the 2022 Winter Olympics Category:Olympic ice hockey players for the Czech Republic Category:People from Kutná Hora Category:Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays players Category:Swiss Women's League players Category:21st-century Czech sportswomen