Back to School: Jonny Tychonick
That's the world Ottawa Senators prospect Jonny Tychonick finds himself currently in after leaving North Dakota to join Nebraska-Omaha.
"I haven't even stepped foot on campus yet," Tychonick said, who is majoring in communications but directing into broadcast and media. "I don't even know what it's like. I haven't really met anyone. I go to the rink, I'm on zoom for my classes and then I am back home to do homework."
After heading home to Penticton, B.C. after the cancellation of the remainder of the 2019-20 NCAA season, Tychonick was able to stay in shape over the summer despite the Covid-19 restrictions, largely in part to a home-gym his family was able to set up. It was a short-stay at home as he returned to the United States in July and after a school-mandated 14-day quarantine, Tychonick was able to meet up with his new teammates to begin training for the upcoming season.
"They were incredibly welcoming and we were all able to hang out at people's houses, go out to dinner, go do stuff together so Covid hasn't really affected it too much," Tychonick said. "It's definitely a different culture than I am use to but it's so welcoming and I love it. I like these guys a lot and I'm pretty sure they'll be friends for the rest of my life."
As the 2019-20 season went along, a change of scenery became more appealing for Tychonick. He was in and out of the line-up, and even when he did draw in, he was sometimes playing as a winger although he's naturally a defenceman.
So, he entered the NCAA transfer portal.
When it was all said-and-done, Tychonick chose Nebraska-Omaha. Perhaps most importantly, his former head coach with the Fighting Hawks, Brad Berry, signed a waiver to allow Tychonick to play immediately this season for the Mavericks rather than sitting out a year as is usual practice with NCAA transfers.
He now also gets the opportunity to face his old school, and teammates, on multiple occasions as both schools play in the NCHC, although that wasn't by design.
"Not a factor at all," Tychonick said. "It was just opportunity. The conference didn't matter. It was just straight up opportunity. As with every player, they want to play and I want to play and that was the biggest thing for me."
Playing time should be ample now for the 48th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. In 24 games last season, he scored four times and added seven assists, respectable numbers for a player who wasn't given consistent playing time and played out of position.
But that will change now.
"I'm so excited. It's a fresh start, new opportunity, new goals. I'm just trying to work hard. That's the biggest thing for me. I have an opportunity here and I don't want to blow it up. I want to make sure I run with the opportunity I've been given and do the best that I can with it.
"I've got a fire starting in my stomach here to get going, play games, prove to myself, not anybody else, but to myself that I am able to do it. Things haven't gone as well as I wanted them to the last couple of years with playing time and I'm looking forward to a fresh start where I am able to play and be a contributor and have the confidence that I was maybe lacking the previous two years."
