Three Slovak skaters.
Not a re-work from a 12 Days of Christmas wish list, but instead the final three players off the ice following a Flames informal skate Monday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
And even though the trio of Simon Nemec, Sam Honzek and Martin Pospisil has been reunited for less than a week, they’re already building on chemistry developed through years of camaraderie on junior and senior Slovak national squads.
Nemec, one of two new additions to a revamped Calgary blue-line, is the newest to the club and the city, but two weeks after landing in town, the former No.-2 pick is starting to feel right at home in his new environs.
“It's been great,” said the blueliner, who signed a five-year extension with the Flames in July. “Calgary is a nice place and the people are really helpful here.
It was a pretty smooth transition. We’re enjoying our time so far.”
At 26 years old, Pospisil is the elder statesman of the trio (Nemec and Honzek are 22 and 21, respectively). And as he prepares for his fourth NHL campaign in Calgary, he’s more than willing to show the newcomer Nemec around town.
“I told him about Calgary, how great the city is, the fans,” Pospisil explained. “I think he's already comfortable, and he's really excited for this opportunity. He's on a long contract, so I think he's already finding a house and settling down.
“It’s nice to have another Slovak on the team, if there’s anything he needs, I can help him. I’ve been here for a longer time, I know the go-to restaurants. So, yeah, I help him a lot, too.”
Each of Calgary’s three Slovaks come into the 2026-27 campaign with an eye on defining and cementing their roles, too. Nemec could slot in as one of the Flames’ top defenders after an 11-goal campaign a season ago in New Jersey, while Pospisil and Honzek enter camp on a clean slate after injuries limited them to a combined 40 NHL appearances last winter.
Honzek was well on his way to establishing himself with the big club, too, before an unfortunate collision ended his season in mid-November. But the 2023 first-rounder has been working his way back, from practicing with the team at the end of last year to spending half of his off-season here in Calgary.
“I spent half the summer in Slovakia, half here, but I’m ready to go,” the 6-foot-4 winger said. “(The injury) was tough, I was playing good, feeling good, and it just happened, but I got to look at it as a lesson and learn, and use the whole time I had to get better.
“I think I'm more than ready to go and fight for a spot again.”
Pospisil, who returned to the Flames lineup in January after suffering an injury during the 2025 preseason, shared similar optimism about his summer prep.
“It was really important to reset after the injury. I wasn't expecting the season (to go) like that, but at the end of the season, I was feeling good,” said Pospisil, who has spent time both on the wing and down the middle of the ice during his time with the Flames. “I had a really good summer, I was working to get my speed back.
“Play simple, drive to the net, that’s what makes me a good player. And if there's going to be a chance to play centre, then take that chance.”
As fellow 2004-born players, Nemec and Honzek grew up playing against one another, joining forces at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup U-18 tourney in 2021 whilst also battling against one another in their home country’s top pro league.
Nemec and Pospisil, meanwhile, were teammates on Slovakia’s World Championship entry in 2024 as well as at the Olympics in Milan this past February, while all three spent time back home taking part in charity events, too.
For Nemec, that familiarity has made his move West even easier.
“It’s really helpful,” he said. “On the ice and off the ice, too. They've been here for a long time, so they can show me everything, how it works.
“So it's obviously really good.”
“We hang out, we went to a Stampeders game (the Labour Day Classic on Monday),” Honzek added. “On the ice, having another person speaking our language is pretty cool to have, it makes you feel a little bit more comfortable.
“I think Simon is a good addition to the Flames, and I think he's going to have a great year.”
That year will come quickly. In fact, Calgary will contest its season-opener in just over three weeks time, when the Seattle Kraken pay a visit to the Scotiabank Saddledome Oct. 1.
For Nemec, that fresh start, that new opportunity, cannot come soon enough.
“The three weeks before Training Camp was like, I would say, perfect timing, to come here and just look around to find a place to live and everything to settle in,” said Nemec of his arrival in Alberta. “Now, I can just focus on the hockey. That's obviously the most important part.
“I'm really excited about this new opportunity here. I couldn't wait to come to Calgary.”
