WHL Vancouver Giants

Honzek Selected by Calgary Flames in First Round of 2023 NHL Entry Draft

Published on June 28, 2023 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Vancouver Giants' Samuel Honzek in action
Vancouver Giants' Samuel Honzek in action
(Vancouver Giants)

Nashville, TN - The Vancouver Giants are incredibly proud to announce that 18-year-old forward Samuel Honzek (Trencin, SVK) has been selected 16th overall by the Calgary Flames in the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

This past season, his first in North America, the 6-foot-3, 195 lb. winger finished second on the Giants in scoring with 56 points (23G-33A), despite playing in only 43 regular season games. Fabian Lysell (62 points) and Gilbert Brule (60 points) are the only other Giants to have a more productive rookie season. Honzek added four points in four playoff games for the G-men in their first-round loss to Kamloops.

Originally selected by the Giants 10th overall in the 2022 CHL Import Draft, Honzek was the B.C. Division's Rookie of the Year nominee this season, making him a finalist for the WHL's Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy. His 23 goals tied for the second-most among all WHL rookies and his 56 points ranked third among first-year players, while his plus-17 rating led the Giants and ranked fifth among WHL rookies.

Honzek also played for Slovakia at the 2023 World Junior Championship, suiting up in two games before a freak accident ended his tournament prematurely. It was the second time representing his country at the World Juniors. The left-shot forward has also played for Slovakia at the U-18 World Championships and the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.

"The entire Vancouver Giants organization is absolutely thrilled for Samuel and would like to congratulate him and his family on this achievement," Giants General Manager Barclay Parneta said. "To be a first-round NHL selection is an incredible accomplishment and we are happy to see his hard work this past season pay off."

Giants Head Coach Michael Dyck added that Honzek's player type, a 'power forward with skill' lends itself well at the next level.

"He's explosive [and] has the ability to finish. Really competitive; really focused," Dyck said. "Off the ice he's really well respected by his teammates. No nonsense guy. Very driven...he's going to be a good pro."

The first-round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft continues this evening from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. You can follow along here. Rounds 2-7 of the NHL Draft will take place Thursday morning beginning at 8:00 AM PT.

QUOTES:

"He's very, very lean. He does a lot of things really well - he doesn't do one thing exceptionally well. I think he's got a 2F on projection, but he'll play the game the right way. He'll come every day to compete. The NHL is a hard league. There's a lot of bad days in the league. On those days, this is a guy you'll be able to count on." - Jason Bukala (Sportsnet)

"He skates quite well for his size, he's got good hands and dexterity, he's got great feel and sense for the pressures that exist on the ice, and he's by all accounts a great teammate and kid who is coachable and pays attention to the details of the game. There's a lot of belief out there that he's going to be a well-rounded middle-six NHLer and maybe more." - Scott Wheeler (The Athletic)

"With open-ice speed, in-tight skill, and an intelligent off-puck game, Honzek's likely to play in the NHL. And there's a chance, given the tools and skill level, Honzek could become a top-six forward." - Mitch Brown (Elite Prospects)

NOTES:

Honzek becomes the sixth Vancouver Giant to ever be selected in the first round of the NHL Draft. The others are: Bowen Byram (2019 - Colorado); Evander Kane (2009 - Atlanta); Jonathon Blum (2007 - Nashville); Gilbert Brule (2005 - Columbus); and Mark Fistric (2004 - Dallas).

He is the 35th Giants player to ever be drafted to the NHL.

Honzek becomes the fifth Vancouver Giant ever to be selected by the Flames

The Vancouver Giants have had at least one player selected in the NHL Draft in 18 of the past 22 years.

Check out the Vancouver Giants Statistics

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Images from this story

Vancouver Giants' Samuel Honzek
Vancouver Giants' Samuel Honzek
 Vancouver Giants' Samuel Honzek in action
Vancouver Giants' Samuel Honzek in action
  



Western Hockey League Stories from June 28, 2023


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