CALGARY — Samuel Honzek was the biggest story of the Calgary Flames’ training camp last fall, forcing an opening-night audition with a stellar showing.
This year he’s put himself in a position to be an even bigger story.
Honzek was the only one in a scrum of reporters Thursday who could say the 15 pounds he put on in the off-season was muscle.
“I put some weight on and I feel a little bit heavier on the ice but my speed stayed the same, which is good,” said the Flames’ 16th pick overall in 2023, whose 6-foot-4 frame is now close to 210 pounds.
“I worked really hard with Pospy (Martin Pospisil) on and off the ice.”
The Flames opened their prospects camp at WinSport Thursday with 24 youngsters hoping to do exactly what Honzek did last year. And as many of the organization’s best and brightest hit the ice, most of the talk revolved around the work Honzek put in to try proving last year’s early success was no fluke.
“Sam came in last year and had a great camp, and came in here and he looks really good,” said Wranglers coach Brett Sutter, who is overseeing the camp and watched Honzek evolve late last year in the minors.
“He had a really good day in testing yesterday, so he’s one of those guys that you’d expect to be pushing the envelope here. I think he’s going to have a really good year with us, whether that’s with us or up top.”
The left-handed Slovakian played five games with the Flames last season before a concussion knocked him out of the lineup and eventually landed him back in the minors where he admits he had trouble adjusting to the disappointment of being demoted.
His marching orders over the summer were clear.
“Being better on the wall and getting in on the forecheck using the extra muscles I gained in the summer to use it to my advantage,” said Honzek, 20, who had eight goals and 21 points in 52 games with the Wranglers before adding a goal and assist at the world championships.
“One other thing is being consistent with that.”
Sutter said that even though it appears there are no roster spots open with the big club, the organization promises that players can force the issue as Honzek did last year.
“I think the message came right from Craig Conroy last night in the opening meeting, ‘we’re going to take the players that are going to help us win,’” said Sutter.
“This isn’t a dip your toe in the water scenario here. You’ve got a week before main camp starts to show how you can help the Flames win games and if you’re on that list you’re going to get the opportunity.”
Asked how he made the team last year, Honzek smiled.
“Put head down and work really hard and don’t pull off the gas one shift, and I earned my spot on the team,” said Honzek, who led the Flames with seven points in five pre-season games.
“It’s doable and I can do it again. There are more guys coming in and it’s going to be more competitive, but that’s going to help us, whether it’s me, Aydar (Suniev), Zayne (Parekh) or lots of other guys.”
The Flames’ prospects camp, which will include a game Friday in Edmonton and a return engagement Sunday at the Dome (4 p.m. and open to the public for a $10 donation to the Flames Foundation), will not include Parekh.
The Flames’ top young prospect, who was selected ninth overall last summer, is being held out for precautionary reasons, as he recovers from a lower body injury he’s been dealing with this summer.
Parekh was seen skating on a separate rink at WinSport early Thursday, which is a good sign he will be able to open main camp next week with the big boys.
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Training camp is a great chance for Hunter Brzustewicz to show he’s worthy of expanding his NHL opportunities beyond the last-game call-up he enjoyed last season.
“I’ve been here for a year already and I think on the back end I’m the only guy who has been here for a year so I think maybe it’s a good time to step up,” said the third-rounder who was acquired in the Elias Lindholm trade.
“I did an okay job last year, but I’m trying to get better every day.”
The man they call Brew had five goals and 32 points in 70 games as a first-year Wrangler last season and is considered the team’s second-best defensive prospect behind Parekh on the right side.
“Excited for Brew, tremendous teammate, really good player and I think he’s got a bright future,” said Sutter of the six-foot, 195 pound 20-year-old.
“He knows the things he’s got to work on, so for him it’s just coming into this camp and leading the main camp and showing he’s taking steps in those areas.”
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