Flames prospect Honzek leads Slovakia to World Juniors quarterfinals

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Calgary Flames forward prospect Sam Honzek has been scoring his goals from distance.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing.

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A go-to guy for Team Slovakia, Honzek scored three times during preliminary round action at the world juniors, and each of those digs came from around the blue paint.

“I’ve heard some jokes that I’m only scoring a couple meters from the net,” Honzek told Postmedia from Gothenburg, Sweden. “But I go there and it works. So I will be there until the last game of the tournament and I hope I can score more.”

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Starting Tuesday, the scores mean even more.

After a second-place finish in pool play, Honzek and the Slovaks will face Finland in what could be the most compelling quarterfinal matchup of the four.

Flames fans, if you’re eager to get a look at this 2023 NHL Draft first-round pick, you’ll want to set an early alarm. The album delivery is at 4 am MT, with coverage on TSN3.

Honzek, who turned 19 in mid-November and is having his last chance at a world junior medal, posted impressive statistics in four preliminary round matches, with three goals, one assist, nine shots on net and a plus -3. classification.

He was credited with the game-winning goal against Czechia, beating a defender before pushing a loose puck across the line, and scored another GWG in a matchup against Switzerland. He wasn’t on the ice for a single goal against until suffering a lopsided loss to Team USA on New Year’s Eve, leaving the Slovaks with a 3-1 record entering the half. of the “won or done” calendar.

“I think we’re capable of a lot,” said Honzek, captain of the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League and who wears an ‘A’ for his junior national 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 themselves. “That’s going to be really important.”

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That’s what the top brass at the Saddledome will also be paying attention to. Honzek missed the first two months of the season due to an injury suffered during an exhibition tryout with the Flames, so the highly touted lefty has been trying to find his best time in the international spotlight.

“You just want to see how they handle the big moments,” Flames general manager Craig Conroy said when asked what an organization can learn about a top prospect during the world junior playoff round. “You want to see guys who always try hard. 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, have big nights and take a step forward, but you also want to see them grow as players.

“This is a big stage with a lot of people, so how do you handle that pressure?”

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While Conroy will probably be up into the wee hours of the morning 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 the alarms ring Tuesday morning at Minnesota, where the Flames open. a four-game roadie against the Wild (6 p.m. MT, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan).

As a teenager, Adam Ruzicka was selected three times to represent Slovakia at the Youth World Cup.

Martin Pospisil, now an NHL rookie, was drafted once.

Both have been closely following this development in progress.

“He’s obviously a big, fast, skilled player,” Ruzicka said of Honzek, 24, who is currently 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds. “It’s just a matter of time before he plays for us, I think. And he is a great guy.”

When Honzek was in Calgary this fall while rehabbing his lower-body injury, Pospisil offered words of encouragement and shared his own experiences overcoming multiple absences.

“Many times I would take him to dinner and try to talk to him,” said Pospisil, also 24 years old. “Especially when he got injured, I hope it helped him a little bit to stay positive and I think he will be even better after that. You have to do that: stay positive and keep looking forward.”

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This was one of the things Honzek was looking forward to.

As he told Postmedia: “For me it is an honor and I am very happy to have the 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 shots so far, including a couple of winners, he’s certainly doing it.

And there’s no such thing as a gift or a junk goal when there’s hardware at stake.

“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 get a medal. “That would be very good for our country.”

Ruzicka nodded.

“Obviously, it’s been the same teams that have won over and over again,” he said. “So it would be nice to finally see someone else.”

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