'Really Proud Of Him'

He stops short of referring to himself as a mentor.

But Martin Pospisil has been acting like one, in taking countryman Sam Honzek under his wing.

The duo will draw into the lineup tonight as the Flames pre-season continues in Abbotsford, B.C. - just a hop, skip and a jump down Highway 1 from where Honzek played in the WHL - as Calgary takes on the Vancouver Canucks (8 P.M. MT, CalgaryFlames.com / Flames App).

The 24-year-old Pospisil has taken the 19-year-old Honzek trained together this summer back in Slovakia.

So far, the results have paid off; Honzek leads the team with five assists from his first two pre-season games.

According to head coach Ryan Huska, the pair put in shifts, too, during that summer work.

“There were a few times where, I would assume, Honner was like ‘I think we’ve done enough here’ and Marty was like ‘no, we’re not done!’” Huska said with a chuckle Wednesday morning. “That’s a part of it, so he’s learning from a guy, Marty, (who) had to go through all the steps to get himself here.

“He dealt with some injuries, same thing as Honzek did last year, he had to prove his way through the American League and eventually convince people here that he deserved a chance to play, and he’s run with it. So there’s a lot of similarities between the two guys, for sure.”

Those similarities between Pospisil and Honzek make their partnership that much more special.

And Pospisil has definitely recognized the fact that Honzek has all the attributes to make the jump from the WHL to professional hockey this winter.

“He’s doing really good and I’m really proud of him,” said Pospisil. “He’s showing all the tools, what he has; he’s big, he’s strong, and he can skate.

“I was telling him ‘just play simple,’ when he does these things, he can be really effective.”

They’ll be on separate lines against the Canucks Wednesday, but as training partners do, Pospisil will be watching closely when Honzek is on the ice.

Learning the pro game, one shift at a time.

“The first game (in Seattle), he was outstanding, also the second game (in Edmonton),” said Pospisil. “I’m really proud, he just has to keep playing like that.”