Vancouver Giants captain Sam Honzek is one of 28 players participating in Team Slovakia camp in preparation for the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, which will take place December 26 – January 5 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
If Honzek makes the final roster it will be his third time representing Slovakia at the World Juniors.
“Congratulations to Sam for the incredible opportunity to represent Slovakia,” Giants General Manager Barclay Parneta. “If given the chance, he will certainly contribute to his team’s success.”
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Honzek, 19, missed the first 25 games of the season for the Giants after suffering an injury in an NHL preseason game with the Calgary Flames. The Flames picked him in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft with the 16th overall selection.
The 6-foot-4, 195 lb. forward returned to the Giants lineup last weekend and suited up in five games before heading overseas. In those five games, he registered three goals and four assists for seven points. Last season, he recorded 53 points in 43 games (23G-33A) for Vancouver.
“This is my last year as a junior on the national team, so this means a lot to me,” Honzek said before departing for camp. “We have a really good group of guys. We’re really strong. Lots of guys and myself think we can achieve big things so I’m really excited.”
Honzek is one of 10 NHL draft picks on the 28-man Slovakia roster, which also includes Prince George Cougars defenceman Viliam Kmec, as well as eight other CHL players. Slovakia will be looking to capture its first medal at the World Juniors since 2015.
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On Nov.30, Honzek was named the 21st captain in Giants franchise history. He is the first European player to wear the ‘C’ for the Giants.
“A great day for the young man and for our group,” Giants head coach Manny Viveiros said. “This is something we’ve been waiting to announce for a while now, until Sam got back into our lineup. This is well deserving and is quite an honour for him.”
“This means a lot to me. I’m really happy and ready to help the team,” Honzek said. “I would say I lead by example.”