Tommy Novak‘s parents attended his graduation ceremony in 2019.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired NHL players Tommy Novak and Luke Schenn from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Michael Bunting and a draft pick.
Highlights
- Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas made the bigger deal, trading Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Nashville Predators for center Tommy Novak and defenseman Luke Schenn.
- Tommy was born to his father, John, and his mother, Pat Novak.
- John Novak recounted his son Tommy’s path to 100 NHL games in 2023.
Novak has scored 13 goals and nine assists for 22 points in 52 games this season. Over the last few seasons, he has emerged as a pivotal depth player in Nashville.
Last March, Novak signed a three-year extension with an AAV of $3.5 million.
Drafted 85th overall in 2015 while playing with the Waterloo Black Hawks, Novak had an intense four-year stretch with the NCAA’s University of Minnesota.
He helped the Golden Gophers win consecutive Big 10 regular season titles in 2016-17 and finished his tenure with 18 goals and 88 points in 129 games.
Since turning pro, Novak has 135 points in the AHL and 84 points in the NHL, showing good chops as a playmaker.
Tommy Novak’s Parents Have Always Supported Him In Achieving His NHL Dreams
Tommy Novak, 27, was born on April 28, 1997, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to his father, John Novak, and his mother, Pat Novak.
Despite being born in Minnesota, he was raised as a single child in River Falls, Wisconsin, by his parents.
Tommy and his parents hold American-white ethnicity and American nationality.
Although his parents have avoided social media and the media spotlight, they have also supported and guided him in building his career in the NHL.
He made his parents proud when he helped lead the United States national under-18 team to a bronze medal at the 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
At the time, he also recorded seven points in four games as a United States national junior team member at the 2014 World Junior Challenge.
On May 11, 2019, Tommy posted a photo from his graduation day along with his parents with the caption,
Best friends forever
Tommy Novak
During the interview in 2023, John Novak recounted his son Tommy’s path to 100 NHL games.
John called Tommy lucky as he got the opportunity to play with Nashville, and the organization has also been fantastic to him. He added,
“I’m extremely proud of him,” “To get even one game in the NHL is a huge accomplishment. To get to 100 is amazing. And Tommy has had to come through a lot of adversity to get to this point.” “He’s always loved the game,” “You have to love the game to continue to play through the amount of injuries and things he had to go through earlier in his career. He was lucky to get another opportunity with Nashville and the organization has been fantastic to him. Milwaukee was really good to him and coached him there. It all added up to getting to where he is, and maybe it’s not exactly the timeline he wanted, but it happened this way.”
John Novak
Tommy also thanked John and said his father played a more significant role in his success. He said,
“[He taught me] to believe in myself,” Tommy said. “Sometimes, whether it’s the college level, the AHL or here, it’s easy to get down on yourself. And I think he just instilled confidence in me from a young age. He’s always believed in me, so he made me believe in myself as well.”
Tommy Novak
When Tommy Novak signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract extension earlier in 2024, he quickly called his parents.
During the call, his mother remembered when Tommy tried out his first AAA team and was nervous about getting out of the car. He added,
“My mom, right away, said she just got flashbacks to when I was going to try out for my first AAA team and I was too nervous to get out of the car,”“She pushed me to go in, and the rest is history.”
Tommy Novak
John and Pat are proud to see their son, Tommy, reach new heights in the NHL.
Additional Information
- After three years of high school hockey at Saint Thomas Academy, Novak joined the Waterloo Black Hawks for the 104-15 USHL season. His outstanding play with the Black Hawks was rewarded when he was invited to skate in the 2014 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game.
- He played the 2015-16 season with the University of Minnesota. After college, he signed a one-year American Hockey League (AHL) contract with the Milwaukee Admirals in 2019 and an entry-level contract with Nashville on March 25, 2020.
- Novak was drafted with the 85th overall pick by the Nashville Predators in the third round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
