by Joel Vanderlaan | AHL On The Beat
In July, an offseason trade with the Utah Hockey Club brought Jan Jenik to the Ottawa Senators.
Now, he’s embracing the next chapter of his career with the organization.
Acquired in exchange for fan favorite Egor Sokolov, Jenik was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft. The 24-year-old forward appeared in 22 NHL games with the franchise and spent the majority of his professional career with their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners.
“It was definitely exciting. A little bit of a new chapter,” Jenik said of the trade. “It’s been fun. Everybody has been really good to me. I’m just trying to get the most out of it.”
Jenik began playing hockey in his hometown of Nymburk, Czechia, a town with a population of 16,000 situated on the Elbe River, 35 kilometers east of Prague. It is known as the home of Basketball Nymburk, the most successful club in the Czech National Basketball League.
“It’s a small town. So there wasn’t that much hockey, but it was good,” Jenik said. “I had a lot of friends there. I watched a lot of the national team. Honestly, my favorite player growing up was always Pavel Datsyuk, and then all the guys on the national team because they all brought something different.”
Jenik’s talent eventually took him to North America, where he joined the Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League.
“It was a big difference,” he said of transitioning from the Czech Extraliga to North American major junior. “Obviously, the rink is bigger in Europe, but I think I prefer the style of play here more than back home so I adjusted pretty quickly.”
Jenik recorded 35 goals and 51 assists in 54 games with Hamilton, including 56 points in 27 games during his final season, highlighted by a 26-game point streak. If not for a season-ending injury at the 2020 World Juniors, he would have been the front-runner for the OHL MVP.
Moving to the Senators’ organization reunited Jenik with team owner Michael Andlauer and president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios, who he played for with the Bulldogs for two seasons between 2018 and 2020. Jenik was thrilled to rejoin both executives.
“Great people. I love playing for them,” he said. “They always took care of us (in Hamilton), and they do the same here. I’m just glad I can be part of this team with them once again. It’s exciting.”
Known for his competitive nature, Jenik prides himself on doing whatever is necessary to help his team succeed.
“I’ve always been very competitive since growing up,” he said. “I hated losing and tried to do it all, whatever the team needs at the moment.”
Jenik has enjoyed playing for Belleville Senators head coach David Bell. The left-hand-shot center appreciates Bell’s focus on two-way play and resume. Bell played 295 games in the AHL and ECHL on defense and has been coaching since 2004.
“He’s a great guy, so that makes it easier,” Jenik said. “He’s experienced, a good coach. He played, so he knows what it takes, he knows how it goes. He expects a 200-foot game from me, and that’s what I’m trying to deliver.
“The biggest difference (in professional hockey) is how much you play without the puck and how much attention you have to pay to details in the zone. Most of the guys coming from juniors are very good offensive players, but (it’s) just listening to your coach and teammates… they’re always trying to help you out.”
Following an early-season injury, Jenik has returned to the lineup skating in 13 contests, tallying seven points, 38 penalty minutes and a plus-4 rating. He was recalled this week and made his Ottawa debut on Tuesday night.
After they won their first playoff series last season, Jenik is eager to help Belleville return to the postseason.
“Playoffs is everything you play for all season,” he said. “We always want to be in a race, we always want to be there, so there is no game that we don’t want to win. That’s just the mindset we keep going for the year.”
Now calling the Friendly City and the Bay of Quinte region home, Jenik is settling into his new surroundings.
“It’s a good spot,” he said. “We live right by the water, so it’s very nice.”
Living on the waterfront and competing for a playoff spot are both good places. It’s no wonder Janik loves life in Belleville.