The 2023 draft class has been a fascinating one so far, with all the high-end talent seeming to come up front. Forwards such as Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson are dominating the headlines and if the draft were held today, it’s very possible no defensemen would go in the top 10. But if your team needs a blueliner, a very intriguing option is developing in the OHL right now: Oliver Bonk of the London Knights.
The son of former NHLer Radek Bonk is one of the leading rookie scorers in the OHL and, like many youngsters in London, had to wait his turn before getting a bigger role on the team. In Bonk’s case, that meant spending last season in Jr. B with the St. Thomas Stars of the GOJHL.
“It really was the best thing for his development,” said Rob Simpson, associate GM of the Knights. “When they go down and play Jr. B, they get put into prime situations right away – they’re on the power play, they play the penalty-kill and they’re an important part of the team where they can play big minutes and be relied upon in key moments. You want to continue their development and hopefully prepare them, like Oliver has, to be ready to have a breakout season in their NHL draft year.”
With St. Thomas, Bonk notched a point-per-game as a 16-year-old – and gave himself plenty of motivation when he was reassigned by London at the beginning of that season.
“At first I wasn’t very happy about it,” Bonk said. “But I was playing 30 minutes a night, so it was good for my development. I didn’t fall behind, so it was a good move for me.”
With St. Thomas less than 20 minutes away from London and another GOJHL affiliate, the London Nationals, in town, the Knights can keep a close eye on their prospects. Those players can stay with their same billet families, practise with the Knights when their Jr. B teams aren’t on the ice, and get immersed in the Knights’ culture and video room. Bonk also got into 10 OHL games with London last season, plus all seven in the playoffs when the Knights needed him after injuries to Logan Mailloux (MTL) and Isaiah George (NYI). Bonk is now playing a top-four role in London, with the 6-foot-2, 179-pounder contributing 19 points through 26 games.
“For me, his biggest strengths are his mind and his hockey sense,” Simpson said. “He’s very intelligent on the ice. He understands body positioning, how to protect the puck, how to win battles by cutting hands or putting his hip into an area to protect the puck. And he can read the play; he can make the simple outlets, he can make the tricky center outlets – his hockey sense just shows everywhere and shines. The more you watch him, the more you notice all the little things he’s doing well.”
One of the first things you notice with Bonk live is how well he retrieves pucks and breaks them out, leading to offensive chances for the Knights. For a player who wants to be a big-minute guy, strength is something he will continue to work on, which will also take his already-accurate shot to the next level. And the teen is feeling more confident in his draft year.
“My decision-making is a lot better,” Bonk said. “Looking for passes I wouldn’t have looked for last year is something I’ve been focusing on.”
Born in Ottawa, Bonk’s childhood had several stops based on his dad’s pro career. Radek, originally taken third overall by the Senators in the 1994 draft, played a decade for the team before taking a lockout break back home in Czechia.
When the NHL returned, Bonk and his family went to Montreal for two years with the Habs, then Nashville for two years with the Predators before he returned to Czechia. Oliver went to elementary school in Koprivnice, near Ostrava (where the 2020 world juniors were held). Fully bilingual, Oliver spent the latter part of his youth in Ottawa before the Knights grabbed him in the second round of the 2021 OHL draft.
Right now, Bonk looks like he could go in a similar slot this summer in the NHL draft, but based on his skill set and potential, the first round is certainly on the radar as well. And whenever he needs some advice, his dad is on call.
“We talk a lot,” Bonk said. “He was a defensive forward so he’s able to explain a lot to me about defense, a lot about stick positioning. And he knows what sucks for forwards so he taught me a lot about what to do to piss people off.”
Source link: https://thehockeynews.com/news/oliver-bonk-breaks-out-in-london
