Sam Honzek has been named the 21st Vancouver Giants captain in franchise history, the first European player to wear the ‘C’ for the Langley-based franchise.
Giants General Manager Barclay Parneta described Honzek as a “difference maker on the ice [who] has paired that ability with incredible off-ice habits. We know his strong work ethic and commitment to the game will set the tone and make an impression this season on our young group.”
“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.”
Honzek, 19, was one of a few players to wear an ‘A’ last season, his first in North America. The 6-foot-4, 195 lb. forward finished second on the Giants in scoring with 56 points (23G-33A), despite playing in only 43 regular season games. He was injured in an NHL preseason game with the Calgary Flames.
READ ALSO: Vancouver Giants forward signs entry-level contract with Calgary Flames
“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. How I work out off the ice and how I practice on the ice – that’s how I’m a leader and I’m going to try to help lead this team to the playoffs.”
READ ALSO: Samuel Honzek named WHL rookie of the month
Alongside Honzek, leading the Giants this season, will be Jaden Lipinski, Ty Halaburda, Mazden Leslie and Logen Hammett.
Lipinski took on a big leadership role in Honzek’s absence to start the season and will temporarily wear the ‘C’ if Honzek is again named to Slovakia’s World Junior team next month.
“In [Sam’s] absence, the other guys have been outstanding,” Viveiros said. “It’s not just one man who is the captain, it’s a whole leadership group and we have a bunch of kids who have taken a step this year.”
Halaburda, 18, is also playing in his third WHL season with Vancouver, and currently is tied for second in team scoring with 15 points (6G-9A). Last season, the 5-foot-11, 177-pound winger finished third on the Giants in goals with 21, and sixth in points with 37.
Leslie, 18, has played more games than anyone else on the Giants (171) and is coming off a 50-point season. This year he has recorded 14 points in 24 games (2G-12A).
Hammett, 20, ranks second on Vancouver in career games played (168). The steady defenceman has four points so far this season (2G-2A) and 41 in his career (6G-35A).