Matej Tomek surprised few, if any, of his followers when he withdrew from the University of North Dakota last week. Although, that lack of surprise simply stems from the fact that his following comes heavily from his hockey endeavors.
For his own long-term purposes, the solid sophomore Slovak netminder made the sage choice. He had slid to the trunk of the depth chart at an ultracompetitive program. And there is only so much a player with NHL prospect-caliber skills can do to refine his game on a steady diet of practice, no matter how potent his own team’s strike force is.
But in the interview with The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy, Tomek verified his integrity as a student-athlete. Yes, he will be away from college for at least one year, as the USHL is his only recourse for regular game action without further delay. But odds are, barring an overwhelming opportunity to enter the professional pipeline, he will want the second half of the campus experience at a new institution.
As quoted by Kennedy, Tomek himself said, “I’m really upset at leaving everything I’ve built here.”
Based on his athletic transcript, he was not referring to his foundation as a Philadelphia Flyer in the making. Although, that was naturally what he had in mind going in.
Just for good measure, Tomek made a point of that prior to the 2015 draft when he talked about his commitment to UND. Between making that commitment in January and entering the draft in June, he told Nick Phelan of this site’s precursor, “My goal was always to play college hockey. I started getting offers from schools, and I began researching all of them, and then I saw the NHL alumni North Dakota has. It made my choice easier.”
In the same interview, he offered an early glimpse of his level approach to potentially disillusioning developments. Tomek had envisioned playing for 13-year UND coaching veteran Dave Hakstol. But in mid-May of 2015, Hakstol ceded his post to Brad Berry for an NHL opportunity with, ironically, the Flyers.
Even in the wake of that shakeup, Tomek told Phelan, “It’s (still) the University of North Dakota. No matter if it was Coach Hakstol or Coach Berry, I was going to play here.”
Well, not so much. As it happened, he mustered a mere 32 minutes and 11 seconds over two cameo appearances in the Fighting Hawks crease. He logged all of that time this past season, whereas one would have originally thought he might already have at least 32 intercollegiate games on his record going into the campaign.
An unfortunate development camp injury and an instant stalwart named Cam Johnson prevented Tomek’s expectations from panning out at UND. (Photo by Richard T. Gagnon/Getty Images)
Why didn’t that happen? You can trace that to within three weeks of when the Flyers made Tomek their third-round draft choice. An injury sustained at Philadelphia’s development camp set him back while UND found an opportunistic substitute in Cam Johnson, who proceeded to backstop a run to the national championship.
When Year Two yielded more of the same collective riches and the same negligible individual gains, Tomek made a not-the-first-and-won’t-be-the-last decision. He will go back to the junior ranks, then presumably seek a roster spot at another NCAA school. But not without offering due deference to the place that gave him 50 percent of his higher education.
And if he is harboring any resentment toward the Flyers for letting him enter the situation that precipitated his freak ailment, he is not letting it leak.
To be fair, college hockey advocates would not warrant 100 percent ridicule if they made a case against NHL summer prospect camps. The potential-for-injury factor is no different than an NHL fan, pundit or executive opposing a contracted player’s participation in the Olympics or other international tournament.
Besides, one might argue, while stepping on the ice always comes with a physical risk, why are active NCAA amateurs donning NHL crests and breaking a sweat at these NHL team-sanctioned events?
Thankfully, Tomek is not stoking those fires. He is accepting his setbacks as a part of the game and a part of life. With half of his collegiate eligibility remaining, he sees a half-full water bottle on top of his net.
Furthermore, he is implicitly mindful that another two years of intangible-laden fulfillment at a school to be named later might not advance his hockey prospects any further than UND did. His final takeaway in Kennedy’s column: “Work hard every day and stay positive. Come to the rink prepared to work the hardest – and do well in school.”
For every limitation the college system carries in the arena, Tomek is vowing to keep his head on a swivel and remember the cornucopia of opportunity the rest of a given campus bears. That does not make him unusual among NCAA veterans who dip back into the U.S. junior ranks, but his background and peak stock do.
Uncontrollable circumstances kept Tomek and UND from fulfilling each other’s original promises. But Tomek’s self-control may yet allow him to transfer that pact, along with himself, and resume his American dream on the ice or elsewhere.
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