Wiesblatt Says Being Recalled to Preds a 'Dream Come True'

Ozzy Wiesblatt has never had a New Year’s Eve quite like the most recent iteration.

At a get-together with teammates and friends, the forward saw his phone light up with the name of Predators Assistant General Manager Scott Nichol, a sure sign something was afoot.

The news coming from the other end of the line was as good as it could have been for a hockey player who has yet to appear in an NHL game, and after Nichol told Wiesblatt he needed to pack a bag and head to Vancouver, the 22-year-old couldn’t contain his emotion.

“I just broke down, crying like a baby and it was hilarious,” Wiesblatt laughed. “But yeah, just super excited to be here, honestly. It’s a dream come true.”

Along with defenseman Spencer Stastney, Wiesblatt was recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals on Thursday and practiced with the Predators at Rogers Arena ahead of Friday’s meeting with the Canucks.

For Wiesblatt, who inked a two-year, two-way deal with the Predators in November after being acquired from San Jose in the summer, the chance to skate in the NHL is what every hockey player aspires to do, and this situation is no exception.

He almost did so at the start of the current campaign, but the Calgary native was one of the final few players to be assigned to Milwaukee ahead of Opening Night. Since then, he’s found success with the Admirals, and it was seemingly only a matter of time before earning his first recall.

“I think I started a little bit slower than I wanted to, but the coaching there is great and really helped me build my game,” Wiesblatt said of his time with the Admirals. “[They’ve helped me] build a solid foundation to have a great work ethic every day and a great base. I think I just keep getting better and better.

“I was super happy with how I had my camp [with Nashville] and such, but it’s always a battle to get back here. You’ve always got to stay hungry.”

Originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the first round (31st overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Wiesblatt is currently tied for fourth on Milwaukee in goals (7) and tied for fifth in points (14) through 27 games this season.

A 5-foot-10, 183-pound forward, Wiesblatt is on a three-game point streak (2g-2a) at the AHL level and has three goals, two assists, a +2 rating and 13 shots on goal in his last five outings.

What he may lack in size, Wiesblatt more than makes up for with heart and determination, something that was aided by growing up with three brothers - two older and one younger.

“[I’m a] hard-nosed player that’s not afraid of bigger guys…scrums, stuff like that,” Wiesblatt said. [My brothers and I], we’re all feisty as the next one is. All of us, we’re not very big guys, but definitely real feisty guys. So, a lot of fun growing up with them.”

Wiesblatt’s younger brother, Oasiz - who is the captain of the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL - is busy with his own hockey schedule, but the newest Preds forward expects his two older brothers, Ocean and Orca, as well as other family members, to be in attendance when his NHL debut comes.

Until then, he’s preparing for that first game while soaking everything in - perhaps a New Year’s resolution that is coming to fruition in hardly any time at all.

“You get here, you go into a beautiful hotel, and now you come here and you're in an NHL rink, it’s crazy,” Wiesblatt said. “I mean, even seeing the guys that are in this dressing room, guys you grow up watching on TV, and you're playing video games [as] these guys, and a couple years later, you’re on their team. So, it’s a dream come true. That's the only way you can really explain it.”