Travis Konecny excited to see family and friends at All-Star game in Toronto

Next Level: Travis Konecny Travis Konecny is on pace to pass his career high 31 goals last year, he’s been rewarded with an NHL All-Star selection. Brent Lale reports.

Travis Konecny is playing the best hockey of his professional career.

With 21 goals so far, he‘s on pace to pass his career high 31 last year and he’s been rewarded with an NHL All-Star selection.

“I've been working hard at trying to finish at the net, and it’s paying off,” said Konecny. “My teammates are making it pretty easy for me, and I just have to do the rest and put it in.”

The native of Clachan, Ont., a small hamlet in West Elgin, is a top-15 NHL goal scorer and he’s still having a hard time wrapping his head around the numbers he’s putting up.

“When you are a kid you dream about this kind of stuff, but I'm just shocked that I'm where I'm at,” saidKonecny, via Zoom from Philadelphia, PA. “I almost just play it off, and going to keep playing hard and continue to hope for success.”

The 26 year old has become a fan favourite in Philadelphia for his ability to mix it up physically and also have the finesse to put the puck in the next over 20 times.

His achievements have not gone unnoticed as he was selected to play in his second NHL All-Star game next month.

“I credit some of the players that have come before me that have taught me a lot of things,” Konecny told CTV News. “They taught me things that I apply it to my own game now. Then another thing is cool being it's going to be in Toronto.”

The homecoming is exciting for Travis’ parents Rob and Terri Konecny.

Travis plays a nine-hour drive from southwestern Ontario and he now summers in Calgary, AB., so his parents rarely see him.

This All-star game will potentially allow some quality time with their son.

“When he went to St. Louis [2019], it was obviously an honour the first time he went to the All Star game,” said Rob Konecny, Travis’ father from his home in Clachan. “This being close to home and the big city of Toronto, it’s going to be great to be in the city and feel the excitement there.”

It’s no surprise Travis unlocked his potential at the NHL level. From his minor hockey days in Ridgetown, West Lorne, Chatham and the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs and the PEAC Academy in London, Ont. he was always a leader and top talent.

He won the Jack Ferguson Award as the top pick in the OHL Priority Selection in 2013 by Ottawa and then a trade to Sarnia allowed him to finish his OHL career close to home.

“The best thing about it is both our families are a huge hockey fans,” said Terri Konecny, Travis’ mom. “So it was so much fun for everybody to watch the whole journey and support him along the way.”

Rob agreed that his son’s support team has been there every step of the way.

“There's so many family members involved in helping him through the through his years,” he said. “We spent a lot of time with him, and we're all cheering him on.”

Travis said he isn’t sure what events he’ll be doing in the skills competition, but he’s excited about the weekend where he can reconnect with all his supporters.

“I was talking to my wife about it and we're trying to figure out how it's going to look,” said Travis. “I was like, honestly, like, it doesn’t matter how we try to plan, there's going to be 30 extra people that we didn't expect to hear from that are going to show up.”

It’s always hectic trying to juggle arranging tickets, meeting up with family and friends, and playing the game, but he’s excited.

“It’s going to be crazy, but fun.”