Bo Horvat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bo Horvat
Horvat with the New York Islanders in November 2024
Born	(1995-04-05) April 5, 1995 (age 30) London, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	New York Islanders Vancouver Canucks
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	9th overall, 2013 Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	2014–present

Bowie William Horvat (born April 5, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays as a centre and is an alternate captain for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Bo was picked ninth overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2013 NHL entry draft. He was the captain for the Canucks from 2019 until he joined the Islanders in 2023. Before playing professionally, he had a great junior career. He won the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award in 2013 as the best player in the playoffs. He also won two J. Ross Robertson Cup titles with the London Knights. Bo has also played for Team Canada in several international tournaments.

Bo Horvat's Early Life

Bo Horvat was born on April 5, 1995, in London, Ontario, Canada. His parents are Tim and Cindy Horvat. He grew up in Rodney, Ontario. As a kid, he often went to Detroit Red Wings hockey games. Bo and his younger brother Cal loved to practice hockey in their basement. When Bo was 12, he moved away to live with a host family. This allowed him to play for the Toronto Red Wings minor ice hockey team.

In 2008, Bo helped the Red Wings win a big tournament. He scored 10 goals and had 16 points in the first part of the tournament. During the 2010–11 season, Bo played for the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs. He was named the league's best player. He scored 47 goals and had 71 assists in 68 games. After his season with the Chiefs, Bo also played five games for the St. Thomas Stars. His father coached that team. Playing with the Stars helped him get ready for junior hockey.

Playing Career Highlights

Junior Hockey Success

After his time with the Chiefs and Stars, the London Knights picked Bo. They chose him ninth overall in the 2011 OHL draft. He joined the Knights for the 2011–12 season. Bo scored his first OHL goal in his very first game. It was an 8–0 win against the Saginaw Spirit. In his first year, he scored 11 goals and had 19 assists. The Knights won the J. Ross Robertson Cup that year. They beat the Niagara IceDogs to become OHL champions. They then went to the 2012 Memorial Cup finals. They lost in overtime to the Shawinigan Cataractes.

In the 2012–13 season, Bo got even better. He scored 33 goals and had 61 points in 67 games. He also had a 17-game point streak. Coaches in the OHL Western Conference named him the best face-off player. He was also named the best shot blocker. The Knights won their second OHL championship in a row. Bo led the league in playoff goals with 16. He also had 23 points in 21 playoff games. He scored the winning goal with only 0.1 seconds left in Game 7 of the OHL finals. Bo won the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the playoff's most valuable player. Even though the Knights lost in the 2013 Memorial Cup semifinals, Bo was recognized. He won the George Parsons Trophy for being the most sportsmanlike player.

Before the NHL draft, experts ranked Bo as the 15th best young player in North America. On June 30, 2013, the Vancouver Canucks traded for the ninth overall pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft. They used that pick to draft Bo Horvat. On August 6, he signed a three-year contract with Vancouver. At first, it seemed Bo might play for the Canucks right away. However, his coach wanted him to play more in the OHL. This would give him more playing time to develop his skills.

When Bo returned to London for the 2013–14 OHL season, he was named an alternate captain. He scored 30 goals and had a career-best 44 assists. He finished the regular season with 74 points. The Knights did not win the OHL championship that year. They lost to the Guelph Storm in the semifinals.

Playing for the Vancouver Canucks (2014–2023)

In his second training camp with the Canucks, Bo got a shoulder injury. After he recovered, he played five games with the Utica Comets. This was the Canucks' minor league team. Then, he returned to the Canucks.

Bo Horvat in March 2015, wearing the Canucks' Vancouver Millionaires jersey

Bo made his NHL debut on November 4, 2014. Six games later, he scored his first NHL goal. It was on November 20 against the Anaheim Ducks. In the next game, he had his first three assists. On November 25, the Canucks decided to keep Bo in the NHL. He started the season on the third line. He played with Jannik Hansen and Ronalds Ķēniņš. Later, he moved up to the second line. In 68 games, Bo scored 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points. He was ranked 11th among first-year players for the rookie of the year award. In the 2015 playoffs, he had four points in six games. The Canucks lost in the first round.

In the 2015–16 season, Bo had more responsibility. He had to score more goals and play better defense. He had a six-game point streak in January. During this streak, he scored six goals and nine points. Bo finished his second season with 16 goals and 24 assists. He played in all 82 games.

On January 10, 2017, Bo was chosen for the 2017 NHL All-Star Game. He was the youngest Canuck to be an All-Star since Trevor Linden. On March 3, 2017, Bo became one of Vancouver's alternate captains. He finished the 2016–17 season with 20 goals, 32 assists, and 52 points. These were all new career highs for him.

Bo Horvat with the Canucks taking a faceoff against Steven Stamkos in February 2018

On September 8, 2017, Bo signed a new six-year contract with the Canucks. It was worth $33 million. On December 5, 2017, Bo broke his foot during a game. He missed six weeks of playing time. Even with the injury, he scored a new career-high of 22 goals. He also had 22 assists for 44 points in 64 games.

The next season, after the Sedin brothers retired, Bo was again named an alternate captain. In the 2018–19 season, Bo had to play without the same linemates often. Still, he set new career highs. He scored 27 goals, 34 assists, and 61 points in all 82 games.

On October 9, 2019, Bo Horvat was named the 14th captain of the Canucks. This happened during a special ceremony at the team's home opener. On October 20, he scored his 100th career goal. Two days later, Bo scored his first career hat trick. He helped the Canucks win 5–2. The NHL season was paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When play resumed, the Canucks made the playoffs. This was the first time since Bo's rookie year in 2015. As captain, he scored 10 goals and two assists in 17 playoff games. The Canucks won their first-round series. They then lost in seven games in the second round. Bo's 10 playoff goals were the third-highest by a Canuck in a single playoff year.

Joining the New York Islanders (2023–present)

On January 30, 2023, Bo Horvat's nine years with the Canucks ended. He was traded to the New York Islanders. In return, the Canucks received Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty, and a draft pick. At the time of the trade, Bo was having his best goal-scoring season. He had already scored 31 goals in only 49 games. He was also named to his second All-Star Game. On February 5, Bo signed an eight-year contract extension with the Islanders. On February 7, he scored his first goal with his new team. It was in a 4–0 win against the Seattle Kraken.

International Hockey Play

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Men's ice hockey
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
Gold	2012 Slovakia
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Gold	2012 Canada

Bo Horvat played for Team Ontario's under-16 team in 2011. He led the team with nine points in six games. The next year, he was captain of Team Ontario at the 2012 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. They won a bronze medal. He scored four goals and seven points in six games. In the same year, he was an alternate captain for Team Canada's under-18 team. They won a gold medal at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

In 2014, Bo played for Canada's under-20 team. This was at the 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Sweden. He started in an offensive role. Later, he played on a defensive line. His coach praised his defensive play. He had one goal and three points in seven games. Canada finished fourth.

In 2018, Bo was named to Team Canada's senior team. He played in the 2018 IIHF World Championship.

Bo Horvat's Personal Life

Bo Horvat is second cousins with another NHL player, Travis Konecny. Travis plays for the Philadelphia Flyers. Bo's younger brother, Cal, also played hockey. He later became a police officer in Ontario. Bo chose jersey number 53 to honor Ian Jenkins. Ian was a goalie drafted by the London Knights who passed away in 2011.

Bo proposed to his girlfriend, Holly Donaldson, in 2018. Holly is a professional equestrian and curler. They met when Bo was playing junior hockey. They got married in July 2019. Many of Bo's hockey teammates were in the wedding. Their first child, Gunnar Horvat, was born on June 28, 2020.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International play

Awards and Honours