Calgary Flames sign first-round draft pick Samuel Honzek to entry-level contract

Samuel Honzek puts on a Calgary Flames jersey after being picked by the team during the first round of the NHL draft in Nashville, Tenn., on June 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-George Walker IV

The Calgary Flames have signed 2023 first-round pick Samuel Honzek to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The deal announced Wednesday carries an average annual value of US$950,000 at the NHL level.

The Flames selected Honzek 16th overall at last month's draft.

The six-foot-four, 195-pound winger from Trencin, Slovakia, had 23 goals and 56 points in 43 games with the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants last season.

A finalist for the WHL's rookie of the year award, Honzek represented Slovakia at the 2023 world junior hockey championship, suiting up twice before missing the rest of the tournament after his leg was cut by a skate blade in a game against the United States.

The Flames missed the playoffs last season after finishing tops in the Pacific Division in 2021-22.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 26, 2023.