Tyson Kozak

Last updated

Tyson Kozak
Born (2002-12-29) December 29, 2002 (age 21)
Souris, Manitoba, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Centre
Shoots Left
NHL team (P)
Cur. team		 Buffalo Sabres
Rochester Americans  (AHL)
NHL draft 193rd overall, 2021
Buffalo Sabres
Playing career 2022–present

Tyson Kozak (born December 29, 2002) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract as a prospect to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Sabres selected him in the seventh round, with the 193rd overall pick, of the 2021 NHL entry draft.

Contents

Early life

Kozak was born December 29, 2002, in Souris, Manitoba, [1] to Trevor and Michelle Kozak. [2] He grew up playing ice hockey and baseball around the Brandon, Manitoba, area. [3] Kozak played minor ice hockey with the Southwest Cougars of the Manitoba U-18 'AAA' Hockey League. During the 2018–19 season, he scored 26 goals and recorded 72 points in 40 games. [4]

Playing career

Junior

The Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL) selected Kozak in the sixth round, with the 121st overall pick, of the 2017 WHL bantam draft, and he signed with the team the following August. [5] Kozak played in three junior ice hockey games for Portland during the 2018–19 season before he was reassigned to the Cougars. [6] He made two more appearances with the team that season: once in December as a replacement for Cody Glass, who was participating in the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships; and again in March as a black ace for the WHL playoffs. [7] He was held pointless in all five regular season and four postseason games. [8]

Kozak joined the Winterhawks in full for the 2019–20 season. [9] He recorded his first junior point on September 21, assisting on Cross Hanas's goal against the Tri-City Americans. [10] Kozak scored his first two goals for the Winterhawks the following week, during Portland's 4–2 victory over the Vancouver Giants on September 27. [11] One of the younger players on the team that season, Kozak credited the Winterhawks' coaching staff for improving his confidence, and through the first 29 games of the season, Kozak posted four goals and 10 points. [12] Playing both centre and wing, Kozak finished his rookie season with 13 goals and 29 points in 63 games, being named the Winterhawks Rookie of the Year. [8] [13]

Ahead of the 2020–21 WHL season, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau named Kozak a C-grade prospect on their preliminary players-to-watch list. [14] The COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on ice hockey limited the Winterhawks to 24 games that year, six of which Kozak missed due to a hip flexor injury early in the season. After failing to record a point through his first five games, he steadily improved throughout the remainder of the shortened season, finishing with three goals and 11 points in 18 games. [15] [16] He also played in one game with the Dauphin Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League while waiting for the WHL season to begin. [8] [17] At the end of the season, the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL) selected Kozak in the seventh round, with the 193rd overall pick, of the 2021 NHL entry draft. [18]

After attending training camp with the Sabres, Kozak returned to Portland for the 2021–22 season. [19] There, he was named co-captain of the Winterhawks, alongside Clay Hanus. [20] Centering Portland's top line, Kozak overcame a slow start. After recording only one assist in his first eight games, he added 20 goals and 39 points through his next 30 games, setting career highs in goals and points halfway through the season. [21] He attributed his performance to greater confidence, saying that he was "not as worried about making mistakes" as he had been in prior seasons. [22] Kozak finished the season fourth in team scoring, with 32 goals and 69 points in 66 games. [23] At the end of the year, he was named to the WHL U.S. Division Second All-Star Team. [24]

Professional

The Sabres signed Kozak to a three-year, entry-level contract on August 19, 2022. [25] After training camp, he was assigned to the Rochester Americans, Buffalo's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, to begin his professional hockey career. [26] Kozak scored his first professional goal on October 21, against Syracuse Crunch goaltender Maxime Lagacé. [27] Despite missing time with injury, Kozak finished the 2022–23 season with five goals and 10 points in 55 regular season games. [28] Despite his middling points, Kozak received praise from the Americans coaching staff for his physicality and his abilities on the penalty kill. [29] Kozak added another two goals and five points in 14 postseason games during the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs. [30]

Kozak opened the 2023–24 season on the Americans. [31] He spent the entire season in the AHL, struggling to find his rhythm as he battled through injury. [32] These recurring lower-body injuries limited Kozak to only 41 games, during which he posted five goals and 12 points. [33] Kozak was injured again at the Prospects Challenge rookie tournament, causing him to miss all of training camp ahead of the 2024–25 season. [34] When he returned, he found success in Rochester, matching his career high with five goals through his first eight games of the AHL season. [35] After recording six points through 14 games, Kozak was promoted to the Sabres on November 29, 2024, as a replacement for an injured Sam Lafferty. [36] He made his NHL debut on December 5, playing on the fourth line with Beck Malenstyn and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel against the Winnipeg Jets. Kozak appeared to score against Connor Hellebuyck in his debut, but the goal was called back for goaltender interference. [37] Kozak scored his official first goal two days later against the Utah Hockey Club. [38]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2018–19 Portland Winterhawks WHL 5000040000
2019–20 Portland WinterhawksWHL6313162915—————
2020–21 Dauphin Kings MJHL 10000—————
2020–21 Portland WinterhawksWHL18381113—————
2021–22 Portland WinterhawksWHL6632376942102352
2022–23 Rochester Americans AHL 55551040142352
2023–24 Rochester AmericansAHL4157121440002
AHL totals9610122254182354

Awards and honours

AwardYear(s)Ref.
WHL
U.S. Division Second All-Star Team 2022 [24]

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References

  1. ↑ "Tyson Kozak Stats and News". National Hockey League . Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  2. ↑ Wiebe, Ken (December 5, 2024). "Slump busted". Winnipeg Free Press . Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  3. ↑ Danzer, Paul (January 27, 2022). "Winterhawks' Tyson Kozak finds his scoring touch". Portland Tribune . Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  4. ↑ Bergson, Perry (October 19, 2019). "Kozak learning in massive year of transition". The Brandon Sun . Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Winterhawks Sign Prospect Tyson Kozak". Canadian Hockey League. Portland Winterhawks. August 29, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Winterhawks Reassign Three Players". Canadian Hockey League. Portland Winterhawks. September 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Winterhawks Boast Top 16 Year Old Class". Canadian Hockey League. Portland Winterhawks. June 3, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 "Tyson Kozak – Stats, Contract, Salary & More". Elite Prospects. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  9. ↑ "2019–20 WHL Season Preview: Portland Winterhawks". Canadian Hockey League. Portland Winterhawks. September 15, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Impressive Home Opening Win for the Hawks". Canadian Hockey League. Portland Winterhawks. September 21, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Hawks Last Unbeaten Team in the WHL". Canadian Hockey League. Portland Winterhawks. September 27, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  12. ↑ Danzer, Paul (December 12, 2019). "Young centers making strides for Winterhawks". Portland Tribune. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  13. ↑ Bergson, Perry (April 18, 2020). "Tyson Kozak named Portland Winterhawks top rookie". The Brandon Sun. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Three Winterhawks Recognized by NHL Central Scouting". Canadian Hockey League. Portland Winterhawks. November 2, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  15. ↑ Bergson, Perry (July 19, 2021). "Local players ready for NHL draft". The Brandon Sun. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  16. ↑ Danzer, Paul (May 18, 2021). "Winterhawks make the most of short season". Portland Tribune. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Winterhawks Grant Players Temporary Loans". Canadian Hockey League. Portland Winterhawks. November 2, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  18. ↑ LaBarber, Jourdon (July 24, 2021). "Sabres 2021 NHL Draft Coverage: Day 2 Selections". National Hockey League. Buffalo Sabres . Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Buffalo Assigns Kozak to Portland". Canadian Hockey League. Portland Winterhawks. September 28, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Clay Hanus & Tyson Kozak Named Winterhawks Co-Captains for 2021–22 Season". Canadian Hockey League. Portland Winterhawks. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  21. ↑ Danzer, Paul (January 27, 2022). "Winterhawks' Tyson Kozak finds his scoring touch". Portland Tribune. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  22. ↑ Bergson, Perry (February 16, 2022). "WHL Notebook: Kozak finds offensive game as co-captain". The Brandon Sun. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Tyson Kozak signs NHL entry-level contract with Buffalo Sabres". Canadian Hockey League. Portland Winterhawks. August 19, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  24. 1 2 "Five Winterhawks earn honors as WHL announces divisional awards". Canadian Hockey League. Portland Winterhawks. April 21, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  25. ↑ LaBarber, Jourdon (August 19, 2022). "Sabres sign Kozak to 3-year, entry-level deal". National Hockey League. Buffalo Sabres. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  26. ↑ Ryndak, Chris (October 1, 2022). "Sabres trim training camp roster". National Hockey League. Buffalo Sabres. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  27. ↑ Cool, Suzie (December 1, 2022). "Trust from coaches allowing Kozak to grow in confidence". Rochester Americans. Archived from the original on July 24, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Tyson Kozak: Season in review". Rochester Americans. June 19, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  29. ↑ Lysowski, Lance (May 11, 2023). "Sabres prospect Tyson Kozak having an 'incredibly impressive' rookie season with Amerks". The Buffalo News . Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  30. ↑ Kardaman, Katelyn (September 18, 2023). "Kozak a physical presence in Prospects Challenge finale". National Hockey League. Buffalo Sabres. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  31. ↑ LaBarber, Jourdon (September 29, 2023). "Sabres trim training camp roster to 39 players". National Hockey League. Buffalo Sabres. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  32. ↑ Hoppe, Bill (September 14, 2024). "After injury-plagued season, Sabres still high on prospect Tyson Kozak". Buffalo Hockey Beat. Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  33. ↑ Augello, Michael (August 16, 2024). "Buffalo Sabres Prospects – #37 Tyson Kozak". The Hockey News . Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on August 21, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  34. ↑ Hoppe, Bill (October 24, 2024). "Sabres prospect Kozak earning bigger role with Amerks". Niagara Gazette . Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  35. ↑ Monroe, Noah (November 8, 2024). "Prospects Report | Tyson Kozek off to strong start with Amerks". National Hockey League. Buffalo Sabres. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  36. ↑ DeRosa, Michael (November 29, 2024). "Sabres Call Up Promising Forward Prospect". The Hockey News. Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 30, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  37. ↑ Tovell, Jonathan (December 5, 2024). "Buffalo Sabres Rookie Sees First NHL Goal Get Called Back For Goallie Interference". The Hockey News. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  38. ↑ LaBarber, Jourdon (December 7, 2024). "Sabres focus on execution following loss to Utah". National Hockey League. Buffalo Sabres. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
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