Unfortunate news from the Calgary Flames today as forward Sam Honzek underwent surgery and is expected to be out of six months. This means he will also miss the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, in which he was essentially a lock to play for Slovakia.
The news was first reported by Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg.
Sam Honzek (upper body) underwent surgery this week.
Will be out up to six months. #Flames
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) November 21, 2025
Terrible injury luck continues for Honzek
This marks the fourth consecutive year that Honzek has suffered a major injury that has kept him out of the lineup for at least multiple weeks. It’s horrible luck for the 2023 first-round pick, especially because he really looked like he was becoming a full-time NHL-level player.
Honzek will be back in the NHL next season, but the biggest loss is missing the Olympics. He played for Slovakia at the World Championships last season, and has represented his country many times in his career.
There are only three Slovak forwards in the NHL, so Honzek would have surely been on the team’s roster and would have played a prominent role for the team. Devastating news, but hopefully Honzek can take the time to fully recover from his injury and come back next year ready to go.
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