Samuel Kňažko
| Samuel Kňažko | |||
|---|---|---|---|
_by_Sandro_Halank%E2%80%93089.jpg) Kňažko with Slovakia in 2026 | |||
| Born |
7 August 2002 Trenčín, Slovakia | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| ELH team Former teams |
HC Vítkovice TPS Columbus Blue Jackets | ||
| National team |
 Slovakia | ||
| NHL draft |
78th overall, 2020 Columbus Blue Jackets | ||
| Playing career | 2021–present | ||
Samuel Kňažko (born 7 August 2002) is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for HC Vítkovice in the Czech Extraliga (ELH).
Playing career
Kňažko was selected 78th overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.[1]
After his selection by the Blue Jackets, Kňažko was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with Blue Jackets on June 9, 2021.[2]
Following three seasons within the Blue Jackets organization, Kňažko left as a free agent and returned to Europe in agreeing to a two-year contract with Czech club, HC Vítkovice of the ELH, on 16 July 2025.[3]
International play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Slovakia | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 2022 Beijing | |
Kňažko served as Slovakia's captain in the 2021 and 2022 editions of the IIHF World Junior Championship.[4]
He was selected to make his full IIHF international debut, participating for Slovakia in the 2021 IIHF World Championship.[5]
Kňažko was selected for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.[4]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2015–16 | HK Dukla Trenčín | SVK U18 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | TPS | Liiga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 27 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 12 | 25 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | Cleveland Monsters | AHL | 50 | 1 | 20 | 21 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Cleveland Monsters | AHL | 44 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2024–25 | Cleveland Monsters | AHL | 55 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | HC Vítkovice Ridera | ELH | 42 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Liiga totals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| NHL totals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Slovakia | WJC18 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2018 | Slovakia | HG18 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2019 | Slovakia | WJC18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2019 | Slovakia | HG18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2020 | Slovakia | WJC | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2021 | Slovakia | WJC | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | |
| 2021 | Slovakia | WC | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | Slovakia | OGQ | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Slovakia | WJC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Slovakia | OG | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2023 | Slovakia | WC | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2024 | Slovakia | OGQ | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2025 | Slovakia | WC | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2026 | Slovakia | WC | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 31 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 26 | |||
| Senior totals | 41 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 10 | |||
References
- ↑ "Samuel Kňažko prvým draftovaným Slovákom: Columbus mal veľký záujem, draft ešte nič neznamená". sport.aktuality.sk. 7 October 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ↑ "CBJ sign 2020 pick Samuel Knazko to three-year ELC". nhl.com/bluejackets. Columbus Blue Jackets. June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Olympic medalist Samuel Kňažko will strengthen the ranks of HC Vítkovice" (in Czech). HC Vítkovice. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- 1 2 "IIHF - Slovakia looks to teen trio". IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
- ↑ "MS 2021: SR do Rigy s historicky najmladším tímom, nedostali sa doň Koch, Regenda a Hrehorčák". Hockey Slovakia (in Slovak). May 15, 2021.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- 2002 births
- Living people
- Cleveland Monsters players
- Columbus Blue Jackets draft picks
- Columbus Blue Jackets players
- HC TPS players
- Ice hockey players at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- Medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- Olympic bronze medalists for Slovakia
- Olympic ice hockey players for Slovakia
- Olympic medalists in ice hockey
- Seattle Thunderbirds players
- Slovak ice hockey defencemen
- Ice hockey people from Trenčín
- Slovak expatriate ice hockey players in Finland
- Slovak expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
- 21st-century Slovak sportsmen