"For the first month and a half at home, I was kind of just improvising," said Ahac. "Pretty much everyone was on lockdown in their house, and we were only able to go out for groceries and whatnot. I had to improvise with the weights in my garage and going on runs."
This unusual offseason forced Ahac to train from home. Without fellow teammates or coaches around him, Ahac needed extra support and motivation to continue the grind toward getting better as a player. Lucky for him, he went home to a very accomplished athletic family, who he attributes his success comes from. His father, Alan, is the Director of International Events for Volleyball Canada, his older sister, Danika, played volleyball at Queen's University and his grandfather, Zane, was an accomplished rower.
"I don't think I could thank my family enough," Ahac said. "They have been with me for every step of the way. Their support and encouragement are unbelievable. Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to play in the NHL, and every single time where I have had a struggle, they have been there to support me and helped me get through it if I needed it."
His family helped him chase his passion and showed him that resiliency is how you combat adversity.
"All of them are just inspirations to me," Ahac said. "They work so hard at what they do. They are great people to be around, because they are so encouraging and positive."
Ahac also has extra motivation and confidence for this current season. In his freshman year at Ohio State, he developed his game in the defensive zone with 26 blocked shots while ranking second on the team with a +10 rating. In addition to his defensive game, Ahac showed potential in the offensive zone as he notched three assists, including one that was labeled as an NCAA Play of the Week.
As his sophomore season with the Buckeyes progresses, Ahac has already built on his freshman year. In seven games, he already has one assist and nine blocks, which is tied for second on the team. For the rest of the season, Ahac said he wants to continue playing physically, and he hopes to diversify his skill sets to become a more dangerous and elite defender, while contributing more on the offensive side of the ice.
