Meet Tommy Novak HJ’s New Favorite Penguin

Meet Tommy Novak HJ’s New Favorite Penguin

Thomas "Tommy" Novak, born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and raised in River Falls, Wisconsin, has established himself as a skilled center in the National Hockey League (NHL). His developmental path began in high school at Saint Thomas Academy, followed by junior hockey with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL. His standout performance led to him being drafted by the Nashville Predators in the third round, 85th overall, of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. After his draft, Novak committed to college hockey, playing for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 2015 to 2019.

Novak turned pro by signing an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO) with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) in 2019, eventually signing an entry-level contract with the Predators organization. He spent time in the AHL with the Admirals, the Chicago Wolves, and briefly the Florida Everblades (ECHL) before making his NHL debut with Nashville in October 2021. While with the Predators, Novak played in the middle-six forward group, where he was often paired with players like Mark Jankowski, Kiefer Sherwood, and Luke Evangelista, and was a contributor on the top power-play unit. Novak's tenure with the Predators organization concluded when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 5, 2025, in exchange for forward Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round draft pick.

Off the ice, Novak comes from a supportive family environment, having been raised by his parents, John and Patti Novak. His father, John Novak, is noted for playing a pivotal role in nurturing his interest in hockey from a young age, encouraging his development without imposing undue pressure. For the current 2025-2026 NHL season (as of early December 2025), playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Novak has accumulated 12 points from 3 goals and 9 assists in 26 games played.

With recent injuries to Evgeni Malkin, Tommy has a chance to take over the 2nd line. as well as a place on the power play 2nd unit. With his hockey sense and great two-way play Hockey Jesus thinks that this may be the start of something great for Tommy. Stay tuned as the Pittsburgh Penguins will need someone to step up during this time.

Professional Career Statistics

Season League Team GP G A Pts +/- PIM
2018-19 AHL Milwaukee Admirals 3 0 1 1 -1 0
2019-20 AHL Milwaukee Admirals 60 11 31 42 20 18
2020-21 AHL Chicago Wolves 27 8 24 32 12 4
2021-22 NHL Nashville Predators 27 1 6 7 -4 2
  AHL Milwaukee Admirals 42 7 27 34 4 16
2022-23 NHL Nashville Predators 51 17 26 43 5 8
  AHL Milwaukee Admirals 25 11 15 26 9 2
2023-24 NHL Nashville Predators 71 18 27 45 -3 8
2024-25 NHL Nashville Predators/Penguins 54 13 9 22 -7 4
2025-26 NHL Pittsburgh Penguins 26 3 9 12 -1 6
NHL Totals     229 52 77 129 -10 28
AHL Totals     157 37 98 135 44 40

 

Pittsburgh Penguins NHL

Steve DeFlitch

Host

I was born and raised in Western PA and have deep roots in Pittsburgh sports. I bleed black and gold.
I am the only Porch Host to have played football in high school. I remember attending college football
games while still in high school at old Pitt Stadium and a basketball games in the Fitzgerald Fieldhouse. I
went to my first Penguin game in the early 1980’s to see a young Mario Lemieux play and stuck with
them through the lean late 1990’s and early 2000’s. I can tell you exactly where I was when the Penguins
won the lottery to draft Sidney Crosby. I have attended the original Winter Classic in Buffalo, the Stanley
Cup Final in 2009, but I have never seen the cup raised live. Growing up in the 70’s I barely remember
many details of the Steelers games except Super Bowl XIV. I do remember all the players and knew of
their greatness. I attended Superbowl XL to see the Steelers win their 5 th Superbowl. I loved the Pirates
of the 1980’s with their pinstripe design and Willie Stargell stars on their hats. However, since my
trauma of the Sid Bream incident, I have never seen the Pirates do anything of true value. As Chris and
Marc can attest, I left a part of my soul on that stool at Cavanaugh’s that night. I long for the day of real
ownership that wants to Make the Pirates Great Again.

The 10 Greatest Pittsburgh Steelers of All Time

The Pittsburgh Steelers have built an unmatched dynasty in NFL history. Their six Super Bowl victories tie them with the New England Patriots, making them maybe the most successful franchise in the Super Bowl era. The Steelers' legacy speaks v…

Oneil Cruz Should Not Be Allowed Anywhere Near All-Star Game Festivities

ONeil Cruz is a bad baseball player.  He's hitting at a .212 average, but his one good quality is he can hit home runs.  And with that, MLB thinks it would be good for him to be a participant in the Home Run Derby, the All-Star Games's mai…