It's been a long journey for goaltender Tomáš Suchánek, who tore his ACL a little under a year ago during a summer workout.

"The injury happened a week after I returned to the Czech Republic from the Anaheim development camp," Suchánek said in an interview with Czech media outlet iSport (translated from Czech). "I had a midday phase when I went outside to jump and run, and when I ran and jumped to the side, my knee felt a slight crunch. I didn't worry too much about it, I felt a slight pressure. I tried to jump again, it crunched again. And then again. And again...

"I did it like this about five times until my leg was in extreme pain, I couldn't even step on it. I said 'enough is enough'. I went home (and) in two hours my knee was three times bigger, completely swollen. I came to the hospital a day later, the round of doctors and x-rays began. Everyone argued about what it was, because at first they were not clear. In the end they agreed that it was a torn ACL."

Suchánek underwent surgery in September 2024 to repair the ruptured ACL and was expected to be out for 6-8 months. The first time he got back on the ice was the last week of April.

"It went better than I thought," Suchánek said. "I thought (that) I'm going to have to learn how to skate again, but it went pretty good, so I was pretty happy."

Development camp this past week was Suchánek's first opportunity to practice in a team setting since he'd gotten back on the ice. Reacting to the pace of the game has been the biggest adjustment for him so far, he says.

"The biggest focus is to go step-by-step right now. You can have some goals, but I need to come back to the camp and prove to everyone and show everyone I'm still able to play hockey, as I did before the injuries. So, my main goal right now is to just show everyone that I can still play."

For Suchánek, he says the toughest part about his recovery was realizing that the opportunity to make an impact during the 2024-25 season was no longer there. After having a terrific rookie season in the AHL in 2023-24, he signed an entry-level contract (ELC) in March 2024. It was an indication to Suchánek, who went undrafted, that he was on the right path.

"The toughest (part), I would say: When you work hard, you have some goals for the season and it just disappears in one moment. You get back here after the surgery and you see how close you can be to NHL for the call-up when someone gets injured. So, it's been hard mentally, but there's nothing you can do, so you just take it as it is. It's the reality. And then you're just trying to find positives to keep your mind in a good (place). So then I was just trying to focus on the next steps, and that was the most important thing."

With Lukáš Dostál and now Petr Mrázek in the mix alongside Suchánek in the goaltending department for the Ducks, Suchánek joked that they have a Czech colony now.

"It's pretty exciting. I talked to Petr before (and) met him, so it's going to be exciting to see him and watch both of them here. It's going to be fun."

Suchánek and Dostál have been friends for eight years, dating back to when both of them were still playing hockey in Czechia. They shared the same goaltending coach and Dostál got to know Suchánek when the Czech national team played in Suchánek's hometown of Přerov. Dostál was also partially responsible for Suchánek being invited to previous development and rookie camps after he told Ducks management to keep an eye on Suchánek while he was playing in the WHL.

"In my phone, I have a picture (of us from) when I was like 16 and he was, I think, 13 at the time," Dostál said. "So I've known him for some time already and he's been doing great down there in San Diego, so I'm happy for him and I always cheer for him.

"(The contract) is a huge milestone for him. He wasn't drafted and he had two unbelievable World Juniors and he wasn't able to get drafted by somebody. I'm just so happy for him because I've known him since he was like 14 or 15.

"It wasn't given. He played very good games in San Diego. He got an opportunity to start in the ECHL, got a chance to play for the Gulls and he (worked his way) up and deserved the contract. I'm just so happy for him."

"We know each other pretty well, so it's great when you have someone like that (in the organization)," Suchánek said. "He went through the same steps like me, he's been in the same situation, so it's great that you have someone to talk to about it and even better when he's in the same organization. You can take so much from him, he's a great goalie."

During the 2024-25 season, he and Dostál would talk about every two weeks on FaceTime, discussing Dostál's performances. Suchánek said that it helped keep his mind sharp, despite being unable to play.

"It's been very long," Suchánek said of his rehab and recovery. "Took a lot (longer) than I thought it was gonna take. It's been pretty hard, but I'm super excited to be back and anxious to play hockey again."

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Featured image caption: Jul 1, 2025; Irvine, California, USA; Tomas Suchanek gets ready to stop a puck during a drill at Ducks development camp at Great Park Ice. Mandatory Credit: Derek Lee-The Hockey News