Honzek refused to let injury derail first-round dream

Samuel Honzek was off to a great start with the Vancouver Giants during his NHL draft season when disaster struck at the World Juniors.

The Slovak winger had his left calf sliced by a skate when American Charlie Stramel knocked him to the ice and then accidentally stepped on his leg in a game on Dec. 28. 

"It was upsetting, and I was sad," Honzek said. "I missed World Juniors and the Top Prospects Game. The [CHL/NHL] Top Prospects Game happens once in your life, and World Juniors maybe a couple times. After the injury, I was thinking lots about the draft and what may change."

When he left for the World Juniors, Honzek was leading the Giants in scoring with 43 points in 32 games. His draft stock was on the rise.  

"I talked to our mental coach and lots of people and they said there's nothing you can do about it. They said, 'You just have to stay positive and focus on the things you need to do to get back,  which is conditioning and strength,'" Honzek recalled. "I used it as an advantage and came back stronger and better."

Honzek, who stands 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, returned to the Giants lineup on Feb. 18 after missing 20 games. He produced 13 points in the final 12 games of the regular season. 

"I did pretty well," Honzek said of his 56-points-in-43-games campaign. "That was my expectation. I came from a men's league in Slovakia, and I should be dominant here and in some parts I was. I had an injury but that's part of hockey and everyone has to go through it. I did a really good job. It also taught me a new experience, you know, being injured and how to get back on the ice and hop on the train in the middle of the season."

Honzek, though, can't help but wonder what might've been when it comes to his draft situation.  

"If I wouldn't have been injured it would've been better and more interesting," he said. 

Honzek finished No. 17 on TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie's final list of top prospects, which was up two spots from the mid-season ranking. The native of Trencin, Slovakia is on track to be picked on the opening night of the draft on Wednesday in Nashville.  

"Before I came to North America, I wasn't even first round," Honzek said of projections. "It's something I was dreaming of. I was fourth or fifth. Now I see myself as No. 17 and in the top 20 players in the world. I'm glad to see that, but still, anything can change, and anything can happen. I can go higher or lower. We'll see."

During a conversation with TSN, Honzek listed Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl as his NHL role model and explained why he had so much success in the physical testing at the scouting combine. The following is an edited transcript of the interview. 

TSN: How would you describe your game? 

Honzek: A good two-way forward. Really strong in the offensive zone and in 1-on-1 battles and protecting the puck. My shot is one of my big strengths. I can play power forward, bottom six, upper six, I've been through all roles on the team.

TSN: What's the best part of your game? 

Honzek: How I see the game. I see the plays. I can read the game really well. That's one of my special things. I can read the play two moves ahead. 

TSN: Where does your hockey sense come from? 

Honzek: I always played with older guys. I was always the young player on the team. Since I'm here I definitely watch more NHL games than when I was home because the time [zone] is different. It's a lot easier to watch here than in Slovakia. It just developed. Every coach helped me. I've been through lots of video and I kind developed that, and it can still be better.  

TSN: Who is your NHL role model? 

Honzek: I would say Leon Draisaitl, you know, a big guy who can skate and can play both sides of the puck. Good on the puck and really strong. His passes are really, really good. He can score and make plays. 

TSN: Is that why you wear No. 29? 

Honzek: That's just a coincidence (laugh). Most of the time I say, 'Yeah, 29 is for Draisaitl, [Nathan] MacKinnon and those guys.' It was a random number I got, but I stick with that.  

TSN: Draisaitl has a pretty unique stick. What's your stick like? 

Honzek: Just P28. It's nothing special like for flipping burgers. 

TSN: What was the biggest adjustment for you this season coming to the Western Hockey League? 

Honzek: I didn't have any problems with a change in my life living in North America. I was really excited. I have no bad things to say. People were great. Vancouver is really nice. But with hockey, it was common things like the size of the rink. You have to know what you have to do with the puck before you get it. The competition level with guys are fighting for NHL contracts and wanting to be the best, I found it more competitive here. 

TSN: By the end of the season, you were wearing an 'A' as an alternate captain. What makes you a good leader? 

Honzek: I'm a leader by example. I'm not the loudest guy in the locker room but when things don't go well I definitely can say something. I can tell the guys are looking up to me and we are in the same boat. If I see something bad or if some guy doesn't do his job I will tell him, but also I will accept if they have something to say to me. I think we have good chemistry. 

TSN: What was it like watching last year's NHL draft and seeing Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec make history for Slovakia? 

Honzek: Ah, it was really interesting. We had first overall and then second too. It was something unbelievable. It shows that it's possible and we can do it. Maybe we won't be as high this year, but we'll have more drafted guys than last year. 

TSN: At the scouting combine, you did well in the physical teasing. How did you prepare for that? 

Honzek: The Giants season ended pretty early. We lost in the first round. I took one week off and then I got into off-season training, and it's been seven weeks. I've worked out with pro NHL guys, so I think it really helped me. I came to the combine prepared, and it showed with really good results.

TSN: The Wingate bike test is maybe the toughest. It measures peak power output, and you finished first by generating 22.4 watts per kilogram. How did that feel? 

Honzek: Honestly, you go through the testing, and you know you have pull-ups and Wingate at the end. I wasn't looking forward to it. I was like, 'Let's just get it done.' Especially with Wingate, my mind was just to get through it. It's 30 seconds. I wouldn't say I didn't want to compete, but at that time, you know, I would say my conditioning is not good. I was, like, it's going to be whatever. When I was done the lady told me, 'You are first.' I was like, 'Oh my God, what?' And she was like, 'Yeah, you are first.' And I was like, 'What?!' I still couldn't believe that. Yeah, it's something cool. I'm glad I did well on my testing and hopefully it may help me on draft day.  

TSN: You haven't been home to Slovakia since August. Why have you decided to stay in Vancouver? 

Honzek: I know what I have to do and what I have to sacrifice for hockey. This is the way I try to do better and be better. It was a very hard decision, because every guy is leaving, but I had a chance to skate with the pros and work out with them. Big thanks is to my billet parents who let me stay with them. I spent all summer with them and also working out. It's all about dedication. I'm focused. I put everything I have to be ready in development camp and stay with the NHL team as long as I can and show them that one day I will play in NHL and it's not going to be in three years, but maybe it's going to be one year or two years.

TSN: Who are you working out with? 

Honzek: Brendan Gallagher, Alex Tuch, Ty Smith, Lance Bouma, Kyle Burroughs, so really good players and some big names with lots of experience. I've really enjoyed it. 

TSN: What's something you've learned from those guys? 

Honzek: They have fun parts, but also in the fun parts they're still focused. They do everything 100 per cent and push each other for more and over the limit. I like it a lot. That's why they are NHL players. 

TSN: What are you working on this summer, specifically? 

Honzek: I want to improve my skating and my conditioning. In the gym I'm lifting and getting stronger but still being mobile on the ice. On the ice, I'm trying to focus on the skating and my conditioning, because in NHL development and rookie camps the pace is higher so it's going to be more about conditioning. I spent a long time here, so I'm really prepared for it.  

TSN: What will you wear to the NHL draft? 

Honzek: A suit, but it's still not here. Hopefully, fingers crossed, it's going to be there. I'm a little stressed about it. But definitely not going to show up in sweatpants or a hoodie. I'll have something.  

TSN: Where's it coming from? 

Honzek: It's a company used for the NBA draft, so they are busy. It should've been here already, but they said they will send it to Nashville because they are busy. Hopefully it will show in Nashville.

TSN: What will it look like? 

Honzek: Something with purple and darker pink. Like a retro style with squares pattern. But, who knows, I may have to wear my old one or go quickly and buy one.

TSN: What song do you want to play when you are picked? 

Honzek: Oh my God, we talked about this a lot with the Slovak guys at the combine. Like, what they are picking and stuff. I put, Can't Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and asked to play it at a certain minute. It's going to be perfect. 

TSN: Why did you pick that? 

Honzek: There's words like, 'This is the night,' and for me it's the big night. You're waiting for this moment to come and hear your name call and then basically the first chapter closes and you're entering another episode of your life. It will be something unreal and really rare because it happens only once in your life. It will be lots of fun and I have to just enjoy it.