Samuel Kňažko

Samuel Kňažko (born 7 August 2002) is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL as a prospect to the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL).
==Playing career==
Kňažko was selected 78th overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
After his selection by the Blue Jackets, Kňažko was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with Blue Jackets on June 9, 2021.
==International play==
Kňažko served as Slovakia's captain in the 2021 and 2022 editions of the IIHF World Junior Championship.
He was selected to make his full IIHF international debut, participating for Slovakia in the 2021 IIHF World Championship.
Kňažko was selected for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2015–16 	HK Dukla Trenčín 	SVK U18 		4 	1 	2 	3 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	HK Dukla Trenčín 	SVK U18 		43 	7 	16 	23 	8 		8 	0 	3 	3 	4
2017–18 	HK Dukla Trenčín 	SVK U18 		24 	4 	18 	22 	10 		5 	0 	5 	5 	6
2017–18 	HK Dukla Trenčín 	SVK U20 		21 	4 	6 	10 	8 		17 	1 	5 	6 	4
2018–19 	TPS 	FIN U18 		5 	1 	1 	2 	0 		1 	1 	0 	1 	0
2018–19 	TPS 	FIN U20 		49 	2 	15 	17 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	TPS 	FIN U20 		48 	7 	21 	28 	6 		3 	1 	0 	1 	0
2020–21 	TPS 	FIN U20 		23 	5 	10 	15 	22 		2 	0 	2 	2 	2
2021–22 	TPS 	FIN U20 		15 	4 	10 	14 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2021–22 	TPS 	Liiga 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2021–22 	Seattle Thunderbirds	WHL 		27 	5 	15 	20 	12 		25 	1 	5 	6 	2
Liiga totals	Liiga totals 	Liiga totals		1 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Event 		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2018 	Slovakia 	WJC18 		5 	2	1	3 	0
2018 	Slovakia 	HG 		4 	0	2	2 	4
2019 	Slovakia 	WJC18 		7 	0	0	0 	4
2019 	Slovakia 	HG 		4 	0	0	0 	2
2020 	Slovakia 	WJC 		5 	0	1	1 	4
2021 	Slovakia 	WJC 		4 	0	1	1 	14
2021 	Slovakia 	WC 		8 	0	0	0 	0
2021 	Slovakia 	OGQ 		3 	0	0	0 	0
2022 	Slovakia 	WJC 		2 	0	1	1 	0
2022 	Slovakia 	OG 		7 	0	1	1 	2
Junior totals	Junior totals	Junior totals		31	2	6	8 	26
Senior totals	Senior totals	Senior totals		18	0	1	1 	2
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
* 
Category:Columbus Blue Jackets draft picks
Category:HC TPS players
Category:Ice hockey players at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Category:Medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Slovakia
Category:Olympic medalists in ice hockey
Category:Seattle Thunderbirds players
Category:Slovak ice hockey defencemen