Prospect Report: Knazko helped his country to a historic Olympics moment

As members of the Slovakia team prepared to play in the bronze medal game at this year's Winter Olympics, there was a feeling in the room about just how important the contest against Sweden would be.
Slovakia is a proud hockey nation but had never earned an Olympics medal. The closest the team came was 2010, when a group featuring such familiar names as Zdeno Chara, Marian Hossa, Marian Gaborik, Zigmund Palffy, Miroslav Satan, Jaroslav Halak and the late Pavol Demitra lost to Finland with bronze on the line.

"It was kind of important because in 2010 when they were fourth, they lost (5-3) against Finland," said Samuel Knazko, a Blue Jackets draft pick and defenseman on the team. "So we said to each other in the room, 'We need to win this game,' because it was going to be so much fun to go home and see people happy."
This time, Team Slovakia wouldn't let the opportunity get away. The Slovaks drilled Sweden 4-0, leaving no doubt, and when they arrived back in Bratislava, the team was greeted by jubilation that included a party upon arrival as well as a celebration in the following days.

"There was like 20,000 people waiting on us when we came out of the plane and we went to the bus," Knazko told Dylan Tyrer on the latest episode of the Pipeline Podcast. "Everybody was cheering for us. It was so nice to see the people reunited again and just cheering for us. We were like heroes for them. It was so nice to see it again.
"It means a lot for sure. Especially for my family and friends who know me, they know I wanted so much to win a medal with Slovakia, even if it would be like a U-20s or the national team. I wanted it so bad, and hopefully we are going to win the gold medal soon and it's going to be even better."
Knazko can have high hopes for his nation and his career because his track shows someone who is on the right path. A third-round pick by the Blue Jackets in the 2010 NHL Draft, the 19-year-old defenseman has served as team captain for Slovakia's national U-20 team at the past two World Junior Championships -- including the one that was canceled after just two games because of COVID this past December -- and was not just on the Olympic roster but played at the World Championships last summer as well.
The Trencin native also has had a busy year but seems to have a found a home, starting this season with the Finnish club TPS. But when he found minutes with the senior team hard to find and the U-20 level not enough of a challenge, Knazko chose to come to North America to play with Seattle of the WHL.
So far, it's been a good transition, as Knazko has two goals and seven assists for nine points in 15 games and has stepped up into a leadership role, wearing an "A" on his sweater because of injury to another member of the team leadership group.
"I think he's adapted pretty well," Blue Jackets development coach Derek Dorsett said. "It's been a roller-coaster for him season-wise and travel-wise and cancellation-wise. There's been a lot of different things going on, but I think he's played (15) games now in the WHL and he's progressing fairly well. I was just out there last weekend to see him play and he's a good young kid. He's already wearing an 'A' on his jersey in Seattle. It shows that he's a character kid."
Dorsett was in Seattle for one of the top moments of Knazko's season, as the defenseman was on the spot to bury a rebound in the final 15 seconds to give the Thunderbirds a 4-3 win over Kelowna on March 1.

That more aggressive offensive role is one Knazko (6-1, 190) feels he can play at the junior level, as while he's tasked with playing a more responsible defensive game with the national team (he had one assist while playing on the third pair at the Olympics), he believes he has plenty of offensive upside.
"It is kind of tricky because on the national team, I have a different role," Knazko said. "It's more like, not stay at home, but a more defensive way I am playing. It's just if I want to play on the national team, I have to play the right way and what the coaches want from me. Over on the (Thunderbirds), I try to be a two-way D. I know I can defend but I know I have the offensive upside in my game so I can make the plays. I think I am a playmaker, and I have a very good shot. I can do both but I try to make the offense more here because the coaches want it from me."
His goal is to keep working on his shot, while Dorsett says adding strength will be a key as it is for any young player. But when all is said and done, Knazko -- who signed a three-year entry-level contract with Columbus last summer -- feels he'll be able to contribute at the pro level soon.
"I trust myself, I trust my development and I think it is going to be so exciting to see what is going to happen in a couple of years," he said.

Monsters Bounce Back

Things have started to come around a bit for the Cleveland Monsters, who are still without such names as Liam Foudy and Joshua Dunne but have shaked off the doldrums of a long losing streak that started in January and ran through mid-February.
The top farm team of the Blue Jackets is 6-2-1-1 in its past 10 games, and while that hasn't lifted the squad out of last place in the AHL's North Division (19-22-6-4 overall), it has at least made things a lot more fun for those on the farm.
Cleveland split a pair of home games this past weekend vs. Toronto, capturing a 4-2 win against the Marlies on Saturday night, then dropping a wild 8-5 final Sunday. In the win, the Monsters overcame deficits of 1-0 and 2-1, as new signee Robbie Payne scored twice and Dillon Simpson got the game-winning goal at 5:39 of the third. Jake Christiansen also scored while Kevin Stenlund and Tyler Sikura each had two assists, and Jet Greaves made 25 saves in net.
The 8-5 game was a wild Sunday affair, with Toronto leading 4-3 after one period and 6-3 after two, only to watch Cleveland battle back to make it a 6-5 game before the Marlies put it away. Sikura had a pair of goals, while Carson Meyer, Scott Harrington and Tristan Mullin also scored and Cole Cassels had three assists.
Cassels has been hot, as the son of former CBJ forward Andrew Cassels has 10 assists in the last eight games, while Justin Scott has a 6-6-12 line in the last 12 games and Payne has 5-4-9 in 11 games since joining the team. Greaves also has been playing good hockey, giving up a combined seven goals in his last five starts with a 4-0-1 record and .953 save percentage.
Cleveland is on the road for its next two games, playing at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton tonight and Grand Rapids on Friday before home games Sunday and Tuesday vs. Rockford.

Notes

• Two CBJ draft picks have been red-hot of late in 2021 third-round pick Stanislav Svozil and 2020 fourth-rounder Mikael Pyyhtia. Svozil, an 18-year-old defenseman, has found his groove with Regina of the WHL, posting eight goals in his last 14 games to give him a 9-27-36 line in 45 games this season with the Pats. Pyyhtia, meanwhile, has become one of the top scorers on his TPS team in Finland's top-level Liiga, as the 20-year-old has scored nine times in the last 10 games to move up to a 16-11-27 line in 49 games this year.
• Last season CBJ prospects Yegor Chinakhov and Dmitri Voronkov had major impacts on the KHL playoffs, but there hasn't been as much going on this year from a Blue Jackets perspective. Chinakhov is with the Blue Jackets, while Voronkov - fresh off capturing a silver medal at the Olympics - is one loss away from seeing his Ak Bars Kazan team eliminated in the postseason. Voronkov - who had six goals and 10 points in 15 playoff games last year -- has an 0-1-1 line as Ak Bars is down 3-1 in an opening series vs. Avangard Omsk. Meanwhile, fellow 21-year-old forward Kirill Marchenko has not played for SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL playoffs this far, as he has been taking part in the minor league postseason with SKA-Neva.
• After taking part in the 2022 Winter Olympics with Team Canada, 2021 first-round draft pick Kent Johnson is back in Ann Arbor and skating in the Big Ten tournament with Michigan. The sophomore winger had a goal and two assists in two games as the Wolverines swept Michigan State to open the tournament. The fifth overall pick in last summer's draft now has a 7-26-33 line in 27 games on the year and is plus-22.
• Two CBJ draft picks who played college hockey have seen their seasons end. Included in that is another 2021 first-round pick, as freshman defenseman Corson Ceulemans and Wisconsin lost to Notre Dame to begin the Big Ten tournament. Ceulemans, the No. 25 overall pick in this summer's draft, finished tied for the team lead in points with a 7-15-22 line in 34 games. Senior goalie Peter Thome (2016 fifth-round pick) played for the first-year Division I program at St. Thomas and was 3-24-1 with a 4.53 GAA and .876 save percentage for the overmatched Tommies.
• The two CBJ draft picks who play in Hockey East, meanwhile, enter postseason tournament play today. Providence has an outside chance at making the NCAA tournament and begins its Hockey East tournament play tonight vs. Vermont, and 2021 fourth-round pick Guillaume Richard will try to help push the Friars to a win. So far, the freshman defenseman has a 3-11-14 line in 34 games and is plus-20. Senior defenseman Robbie Stucker (2017 seventh-round pick) has played 31 games for the Catamounts, posting a career-best 3-9-12 line.