Flames prospect Sam Honzek leads Slovakia into playoff action at world juniors

Calgary Flames forward prospect Sam Honzek has been scoring his goals from gimme range. Not necessarily a bad thing. A , Honzek tallied three times during preliminary round action at the world juniors, with each of those buries coming from around the blue paint. “I’ve heard some jokes that I’m only scoring a couple feet away from the net,” Honzek told Postmedia from Gothenburg, Sweden.

“But I’m going there, and it works. So I’ll go there until the last game of the tournament, and hopefully I can score more.” Starting Tuesday, the markers mean even more. After a second place showing in pool play, Honzek and the Slovaks will face Finland in what could be the most compelling of four quarterfinal matchups.

Flames fans, if you’re eager for a glimpse of this first round pick from the 2023 NHL Draft, you’ll need to set an early alarm. Puck drop is 4 a.m. MT, with coverage on TSN3. Honzek, who turned 19 in mid November and is getting his final shot at a world junior medal, posted an impressive stat line in four preliminary round contests, with three goals, one assist, nine shots on net and a plus 3 rating.

He was credited with the game winner against Czechia, outmuscling a defender before shoving a loose puck across the line, and notched another GWG in a showdown with Switzerland. He wasn’t on the ice for a single goal against until a lopsided loss to Team USA on New Year’s Eve, which leaves the Slovaks with a 3 1 record as they enter the won or done portion of the schedule.

“I think we are capable of a lot,” said Honzek, who is captain of the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants and is wearing an ‘A’ for his national junior team. “We have a lot of good leaders and a lot of good guys, and I think we just need everyone to step up and bring the best version of their self.

That’s going to be really important.” That’s what the brass at the Saddledome will be watching for, too. Honzek missed the first two months of the season due to an injury sustained during an exhibition audition with the Flames, so this highly touted left hander has been trying to find his top gear in the international spotlight.

“You just want to see how they handle the big moments,” said Flames general manager Craig Conroy, asked what an organization can learn about a top prospect during the world junior playoff round. “You want to see guys that always give the effort. Win, lose or draw, you want to see them play the right way, and I think that’s what you’re looking for.

Because obviously you always want your guys to win, to have big nights and to step up, but also you want to see them grow as a player. “This is a big stage with lots of people, so how do you handle that pressure?” While Conroy will likely be awake in the wee hours to see how Honzek fares in this must win against the Finns, a couple of his future teammates will be checking the score as soon as their alarms buzz Tuesday morning in Minnesota, where the Flames open a four game roadie against the Wild (6 p.m.

MT, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan). As a teen, Adam Ruzicka was three times selected to represent Slovakia at the world juniors. Martin Pospisil, now an NHL rookie, was picked once. Both have been keeping tabs on this power forward in progress. “Obviously a big, fast, skilled player,” said the 24 year old Ruzicka of Honzek, who is currently listed at 6 foot 4 and 195 lb.

“It’s just a matter of time when he’s going to be playing with us, I think. And he’s a great guy.” When Honzek was hanging around Calgary this fall as he rehabbed his lower body injury, Pospisil offered words of encouragement, sharing his own experiences in . “A lot of times, I took him for dinner and I was trying to talk to him,” said Pospisil, also 24.

“Especially when he was injured, I hope that I helped him a little bit to stay positive and I think he will be even better after that. You have to do that — just stay positive and keep looking forward.” This was one of the things that Honzek was looking forward to. As he told Postmedia: “For me, it’s an honour and I’m really glad that I get an opportunity to play for the national team and for my country in this event.

It means a lot to me. And especially when it’s my last year, I want to make the most of it.” With three snipes so far, including a couple of game winners, he’s certainly doing that. And there’s no such thing as a gimme or a garbage goal when there is hardware up for grabs. “They have a good team and great players, so it’s a great opportunity to have a really good tournament,” Pospisil said.

“I hope they will take a medal. That would be pretty cool for our country.” Ruzicka nodded his head in agreement. “Obviously, it’s been the same teams winning over and over again,” he said. “So it would be nice to see somebody else finally.”.