Samuel Kňažko
{{short description|Slovak ice hockey player}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Samuel Kňažko
| image = Samuel Kňažko (52789220297) (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Kňažko with the Cleveland Monsters in 2023
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2002|08|07}}
| birth_place = Trenčín, Slovakia
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lb = 190
| position = Defence
| shoots = Left
| league = NHL
| team = Columbus Blue Jackets
| prospect_league = AHL
| prospect_team = Cleveland Monsters
| former_teams = TPS
| ntl_team = SVK
| draft = 78th overall
| draft_team = Columbus Blue Jackets
| draft_year = 2020
| career_start = 2021
}}
Samuel Kňažko (born 7 August 2002) is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
Kňažko was selected 78th overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.{{cite web|url=https://sport.aktuality.sk/c/464239/samuel-knazko-prvym-draftovanym-slovakom-vybral-si-ho-columbus/|title=Samuel Kňažko prvým draftovaným Slovákom: Columbus mal veľký záujem, draft ešte nič neznamená|date=7 October 2020|accessdate=October 7, 2020|work=sport.aktuality.sk}}
After his selection by the Blue Jackets, Kňažko was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with Blue Jackets on June 9, 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/bluejackets/news/cbj-sign-2020-pick-samuel-knazko-to-three-year-elc/c-325270584|title = CBJ sign 2020 pick Samuel Knazko to three-year ELC|publisher=Columbus Blue Jackets|date = June 9, 2021|accessdate = June 9, 2021|work=nhl.com/bluejackets}}
International play
{{MedalTableTop|name=}}
{{MedalCountry | {{ih|SVK}} }}
{{Medal|Sport | Ice hockey}}
{{Medal|Comp|Olympic Games}}
{{MedalBronze|2022 Beijing|}}
{{MedalBottom}}
Kňažko served as Slovakia's captain in the 2021 and 2022 editions of the IIHF World Junior Championship.{{Cite web|title=IIHF - Slovakia looks to teen trio|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2022/olympic-m/news/31562/top_prospects_and_games_veterans|access-date=2022-02-11|website=IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation|language=en}}
He was selected to make his full IIHF international debut, participating for Slovakia in the 2021 IIHF World Championship.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hockeyslovakia.sk/sk/article/ms-2021-do-zaverecnej-nominacie-sa-neprebojovali-koch-regenda-a-hrehorcak|title=MS 2021: SR do Rigy s historicky najmladším tímom, nedostali sa doň Koch, Regenda a Hrehorčák|language=Slovak|work=Hockey Slovakia|date=May 15, 2021}}
Kňažko was selected for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
Career statistics
=Regular season and playoffs=
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Playoffs | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM | ||||||||
| 2015–16
| SVK U18 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2016–17 | HK Dukla Trenčín | SVK U18 | 43 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 8
| 8 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 2017–18
| HK Dukla Trenčín | SVK U18 | 24 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 10
| 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2017–18 | HK Dukla Trenčín | SVK U20 | 21 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8
| 17 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| 2018–19
| TPS | FIN U18 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2018–19 | TPS | FIN U20 | 49 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 8
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019–20
| TPS | FIN U20 | 48 | 7 | 21 | 28 | 6
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2020–21 | TPS | FIN U20 | 23 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 22
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2021–22
| TPS | FIN U20 | 15 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 4
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2021–22 | TPS | Liiga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22
| WHL | 27 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 12
| 25 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2022–23 | AHL | 50 | 1 | 20 | 21 | 17
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022–23
| NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2023–24 | Cleveland Monsters | AHL | 44 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 12
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | Liiga totals ! 1 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — |
=International=
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em" | ||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year ! Team ! Event ! rowspan="103" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM | ||||
| 2018
| Slovakia | U18 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2018 | Slovakia | HG18 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2019
| Slovakia | U18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2019 | Slovakia | HG18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020
| Slovakia | WJC | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2021 | Slovakia | WJC | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| 2021
| Slovakia | WC | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
|2021 |Slovakia |OGQ |3 |0 |0 |0 |0 | ||||
| 2022
| Slovakia | WJC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
|2022 |Slovakia |OG |7 |0 |1 |1 |2 | ||||
| 2023
|Slovakia |WC |7 |0 |3 |3 |2 | ||||
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
|2024 |Slovakia |OGQ |3 |0 |2 |2 |2 | ||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | Junior totals ! 31 !! 2 !! 6 !! 8 !! 26 | ||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | Senior totals ! 28 !! 0 !! 6 !! 6 !! 6 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Ice hockey stats}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knazko, Samuel}}
Category:Cleveland Monsters players
Category:Columbus Blue Jackets draft picks
Category:Columbus Blue Jackets players
Category:Ice hockey players at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Category:Medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Slovakia
Category:Olympic ice hockey players for Slovakia
Category:Olympic medalists in ice hockey
Category:Seattle Thunderbirds players
Category:Slovak ice hockey defencemen
Category:Ice hockey people from Trenčín
Category:Slovak expatriate ice hockey players in Finland
Category:Slovak expatriate ice hockey players in the United States