Calgary was dealt a brutal blow by an injury to the former first-round pick
The Calgary Flames confirmed Friday that rookie Samuel Honzek had it repair surgery an injury to the upper part of the body, with an expected recovery of up to six months. The 21-year-old Slovakian winger is likely to miss the rest of the 2025/26 season and will not be able to take part in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. This is the fourth year in a row that he has faced a major setback, which has kept him sidelined for several weeks.
Honzek was injured during the Flames’ 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, colliding with Calgary captain Mikael Backlund in the second period. He missed the next two games, a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks and a 6-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres, before undergoing surgery on Thursday.
Flames coach Ryan Huska confirmed that the procedure fixed the damage from the on-ice collision and stressed that Honzek will spend the next several months rehabbing under Calgary’s medical staff.
The Flames drafted Honzek in the first round, 16th overall, in the 2023 NHL Draft. In 18 games, he scored two goals and added four points while averaging 12:21 on ice. Last season, Honzek went five NHL games without a goal. Most of 2024-25. spent with Calgary’s AHL affiliate, the Wranglers, amassing eight goals and 21 points in 52 games. In the six weeks leading up to his injury, Honzek began to show that he belonged at the NHL level, skating effectively alongside Backlund and Blake Coleman.
His absence not only affects the Flames’ left wing depth, but also deprives Slovakia of one of its three active NHL forwards, removing what was essentially a guaranteed spot on the Olympic roster. Honzek has previously represented Slovakia at three Under-20 World Cups from 2022-24 and played at the World Cup last season.
Calgary currently holds the worst record in the leagueis 6-13-3 with 15 points and a minus-18 goal differential. They will host the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
2025-11-22 08:42:00
