Mikulas Hovorka Makes NHL Debut with Panthers After Long Road from Czechia
It’s been nearly two years since the Florida Panthers spotted a big-bodied defenseman making waves in the Czech Extraliga. That player was Mikulas Hovorka - and on Thursday night, the 24-year-old finally got his shot under the NHL spotlight.
For Hovorka, the journey to this moment has been anything but conventional. He wasn’t drafted.
He didn’t come through the traditional North American junior pipeline. But the Panthers, who’ve had to get creative in building out their depth due to limited high-end draft capital, have made a habit of finding value in overlooked corners of the hockey world.
Hovorka is just the latest example - and he’s earned every bit of this opportunity.
Florida’s scouts have been busy mining talent overseas, and their efforts in Czechia have paid off before. Uvis Balinskis was another gem uncovered in the same league. When they found Hovorka, they saw more than just size - they saw a player with upside, work ethic, and a real shot at growing into an NHL role.
Hovorka’s connection to the Panthers runs deeper than just a contract. He was a fan of the team growing up, and when he signed with Florida during their 2024 Stanley Cup run, it was more than just a transaction - it was a dream realized.
Despite dealing with an ankle injury at the time, he flew to South Florida to meet with team doctors and got a taste of the locker room culture. That visit left a mark.
“It is just amazing that they gave me the opportunity to sign with them,” Hovorka said back then. “I met with Matthew Tkachuk, talked with a lot of guys.
They were kind and very welcoming. I did not expect that.
This was so good. I cannot say anything bad.”
Fast forward to Thursday night, and Hovorka was back in the building - this time not as a hopeful prospect, but as a Panther. He took the traditional rookie solo lap during warmups, then lined up alongside Tkachuk in Florida’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The moment was real, and it was earned.
“I got the call [Wednesday night] and then I couldn’t fall asleep, I was so excited to get here,’’ Hovorka said after the game. “It’s definitely a dream come true. I was thinking about all the hard work that went in to get here and I would like to thank everyone who helped me along the way.”
It wasn’t the storybook ending - the Panthers fell 6-1 to Tampa Bay in their final game before the Olympic break - but for Hovorka, the result didn’t take away from the magnitude of the moment.
“This obviously was not the result we wanted for my first game,’’ he said. “But I am still going to remember this for the rest of my life.
I can’t even explain the emotions I had during the warm up, anthem, first shift, first touch of the puck. Yeah, it’s a loss.”
With Aaron Ekblad out and Toby Bjornfot going down the night before, the Panthers needed depth on the blue line and turned to Hovorka. While it was a one-game call-up for now, Florida’s front office remains high on his potential and will continue tracking his development with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, where he’s spent the bulk of his North American career to this point.
This was just Hovorka’s second season playing professionally in North America, but the Panthers see something worth investing in. He brings size, poise, and a steady presence on the back end - and now, he has a taste of the NHL to fuel the next phase of his journey.
He’ll head back to Charlotte for now, but Thursday night was a milestone - one that suggests there could be more NHL moments ahead for Mikulas Hovorka.