Forward Alex Misiak joins the Black Hawks and could make his USHL debut this Friday.
Forward Alex Misiak joins the Black Hawks and could make his USHL debut this Friday.
The Waterloo Black Hawks have been looking for some additional offensive firepower. They may have found it with Slovak forward Alex Misiak.
The club announced the addition of Misiak, who could make his USHL debut as early as the Hawks’ home game against the Omaha lancers on Friday.
“We felt bringing Alex over would give us an offensive spark for our second half,” Hawks general manager Bryn Chyzyk said in a statement. “We are excited to welcome him to Waterloo.”
The 17-year-old Misiak is by no means the first European prospect to join the Hawks. Czechia’s Jakub Altrichter joined the team during the early part of last season, finishing fourth among Waterloo skaters with 46 points. Chyzyk also traded for Miko Matikka (Finland) and Ray Fust (Switzerland) the previous two seasons. Both players joined the Hawks at around the midway point of the season.
North American scouts are always looking for top European talent, and they should get a good look at Misiak over the next several months. Last October, NHL Central Scouting has projected Misiak as a potential fourth- or fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Misiak has played at various levels for HKM Zvolen in his native Slovakia. He has also represented his country in international competition, including the Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournament last August. Current Hawks Chase Jette, Jesse Orlowsky and Matthew Lansing each represented the United States during that event.
Misiak isn’t the only one in his family with USHL ties. In 2022-23, his older brother, Martin Misiak, joined the Youngstown Phantoms, where he skated in 27 regular-season games and collected six goals and 11 assists. He added 10 points (2-8-10) in nine post-season appearances with the Phantoms, helping the team to a Clark Cup Championship.
Martin was eventually drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round (55th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Waterloo fell 1-0 in overtime to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders on Saturday. Puck drop for this Friday’s home date with the Lancers is 7:05 Pm.