Photo Credit: Zack Hill
A young rising star, Travis Konecny was sitting in his locker stall, calm, cool, and collected this past Monday following practice. He wasn’t as vocal as he has been in the past, for instance, yelling after practice a few months ago, “Sanheim is a good guy, as it looks like he’s skating from Manitoba,” just classic Konecny. He’s usually always vibrant and chipper, for good reason, as Konecny just appears to be the life of the party.
Konency is an electrifying player. It’s like he’s doing the electric slide all night long on the ice. He was everything and then some last season, and it’s continued into this season, as well. Moreover, it’s great to see that Alain Vigneault and the rest of the coaching staff trusts Konecny, whether it be late in the games, 3-on-3 overtimes, or in shootouts as the coaching staff continues to trust him in all situations.
The young rising star in Konecny does a little bit of everything. He will chip in on the power play, lay a big hit, block shots, and most of all do anything to help the team win. Featured on the top line with Claude Giroux, and James Van Riemsdyk now, Konecny will more than likely set new career highs in every offensive category. He has blasted 17 goals, and chipped in 26 assists for a total of 47 points. Moreover, Konecny has issued out 45 hits, blocked 19 shots, and has fought at times in defense of his teammates. Simply put, Konecny does it all, as he’s learning the game the right way.
With all these career highs that he will most likely set this season, here was Konecny sitting in his stall waiting for me to ask him a question after practice this past Monday. I asked him how he got to this point in his career, a general question, he looked up, wiped his forehead, and choked up, “I mean everyone has their own little piece to the puzzle, and how we got here, but my parents, my brother, my grandparents were all there,” Konecny said wiping his forehead, “It sounds cliche, but all the rides, practices, dedication they put in. You don’t realize it till you have your own kids, but I definitely thank them.” This was a side of Konecny I’ve never seen before after interviewing and chatting with him in the past. His family truly means the world to him, and you can tell that with how serious he became.
It’s so easy for people to say how they ended up the way they did, and sometimes people forget just how important their parents were in raising them at times. Konecny is a magician on the ice, but he’s also very loved, and he hasn’t forgotten that…even today.
Konecny just has the knack of knowing where to be and when. He is lightning fast, and before a player can blink their eyes, more often than not he’s blown by them. However, one of the most underrated parts of Konecny’s game is sacrificing his body for blocking a shot. This catches the eyes of his teammates and the coaching staff alike, so it’s not crazy to see Konecny in same pain following the game, “Yea I mean you always want to take the next step and evolve,” Konecny said, “You know I did want to take the next step, and become a bigger part to the team. I wanted to become a better pro, I wanted to get out of that rookie mold that you’re stuck in for a few years. It’s exciting.“
His stats show he’s lethal, but it’s intriguing to know that Konecny will play on either wing, which really shows his versatility. Konecny has filthy hands, and has learned to play a really smart game. He wanted to shake the rust off after a coaching change, and also with a new General Manager…and boy did he ever do it. Konecny found a new attitude, and it has appeared to rub off on his teammates.
Konecny is becoming a rising star in Philadelphia. His heart and soul has won over the proud orange-clad fans of Philadelphia, and the new coaching staff. It’s great to see just how hard this young man works on a nightly basis, as he is one of the most unselfish players on the ice. One thing is for certain, he will always love his family.
TK is our favorite Flyer….he is electric and when he is on the ice you expect good things to happen for the Fltguys……..;;..it is not a surprise to see him scoring their first goal in the last # of games….;…he is the proverbial energized bunny and always fun to watch chipping away to opposing players….
Thanks a lot for your support, and read. Means a lot
Great article on a great player. TK has brought a little bit of levity back to the Flyers, and always seems to be having fun. That’s something that good teams need to keep them positive and working together. Really love the guy.
Thank you so much for the kind words. He’s amazing. Thanks for the read and support
Travie is our Great Nephew and he is everything you said he was and more. He is also a great dancer. Travie is a fun and positive kid to be around.
It is so much fun watching him and his cousin Bo Horvat who plays for the Vancouver Canucks. We try and get to all the games that are close in our area.
Go Travie – Go Bo
Hope to be watching you in the playoffs.
Love Aunt Liz & Uncle Carl❤️
I’m blown away by your comment. Thank you so much for the kind words hi. I’m happy I did Justice oh, Travis and of course the family deserve it. He’s a great young man, and everyone did well in raising him. I like Horvat.
Great photo of him with his parents. Even better he recognizes their importance in his answer to your question. Go, go, Travis!
Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate the support. That photo was amazing
Great article Travis. I always enjoyed listening to your Grandma’s account of what you were up to on and off the ice. As you know, she was one of your biggest fans. I’m very happy for you; you worked very hard getting to where you are and your family are amazing people. I have always felt welcomed in their homes as we all cheered you on!!
Debbie,
Thanks a lot for the read and nice comment. Hope you have a great week.
Thank you for sharing this side of TK! He has quickly become our favorite Flyer- his great attitude, enthusiasm and energy brings something that we feel we’ve needed for our Flyers for a long time- and TK and Oskar (#OskarStrong) have brought it…and TK stepped up even more to try and fill Oskar’s skates for a while- pretty sure he’d drop the gloves versus Ewing’s Sarcoma if he could!
Rebecca,
Thanks for your kind comment. He’s amazing.
Thanks for the read . I grew up with Travis dad as kid they lived 6 house down the street from us .The street block was full of kids that played all kinds of sports .So from dents in the garage doors to breaking windows in the house from puck ,hardballs to soccer balls or play hand hockey in are houses .Are parents never missed a step with us .We where some lucky kids growning up .They would take us in for dinner or for anything that we needed or just nice hot chocolate after a long game of road hockey .So for Travis moms family i was lucky to meet them in my teens .Where i play sports with her brothers and alot of unlces, cousins hockey and ball was in their jeans. Two great familys and they come by it naturel with the Grand parents. “Trav” keep working hard .The fans from back home love to watch you play. Good luck “Trav”
Thank so much for the read. Wow what a story. I thank you for sharing. He’s amazing. His parents did a great job raising him.