Bo Horvat
Bo Horvat | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bowie William Horvat April 5, 1995 London, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Ice hockey centre |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Alternate captain for the New York Islanders in the NHL |
Bowie William Horvat (born April 5, 1995) is a Canadian ice hockey centre who currently serves as an alternate captain for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Chosen ninth overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Horvat captained the team from 2019 until his trade to the Islanders in 2023. During his junior career, he was awarded the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as playoff MVP in 2013 and secured two J. Ross Robertson Cups with the London Knights. On the international stage, he has represented Canada at multiple events, including the 2018 IIHF World Championship.
Early life
Horvat was born in London, Ontario, to parents Tim and Cindy, and was raised in Rodney, Ontario, close to Detroit. As a child, he often attended Detroit Red Wings games and practiced hockey alongside his younger brother Cal. At age 12, he relocated to live with a billet family to compete for the Toronto Red Wings minor hockey team. In 2008, he led his team to triumph in the All-Toronto Peewee AAA tournament by tallying 10 goals and totaling 16 points during the round-robin stage.
In the 2010–11 season, Horvat played with the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs of Alliance Hockey and earned league player of the year honors after recording 47 goals and 71 assists (118 points) over 68 games. His coach praised his offensive contributions despite some intermittent defensive shortcomings. Subsequently, Horvat appeared in five contests for the St. Thomas Stars of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League—coached by his father—helping them clinch their league championship. This period was instrumental in preparing him for advancing from minor to junior hockey.
Junior
Following his time with Elgin-Middlesex and St. Thomas, Horvat was selected ninth overall by the London Knights in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection during the 2010–11 OHL season. He debuted with the Knights in the 2011–12 season, scoring his first OHL goal in an 8–0 victory over the Saginaw Spirit. In his inaugural season, he amassed 11 goals and 19 assists with a +27 plus–minus rating across 64 games. The Knights captured the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions by defeating the Niagara IceDogs, advancing to the 2012 Memorial Cup finals where they were defeated in overtime by the Shawinigan Cataractes.
During the 2012–13 season, Horvat elevated his performance to 33 goals and 61 points over 67 games, including a notable 17-game point streak. He received team awards recognizing him as best face-off specialist and top shot blocker. Leading London to a consecutive OHL title, Horvat topped postseason scoring charts with 16 goals and 23 points in 21 playoff games, notably scoring a game-winning goal with just 0.1 seconds remaining in Game 7 of the finals versus the Barrie Colts. His efforts earned him the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award for playoff MVP. Although London was eliminated by the Portland Winterhawks in the semifinals of the 2013 Memorial Cup, Horvat was honored with the George Parsons Trophy for sportsmanship.
Prior to his professional draft year, Horvat was ranked as North America’s 15th best prospect by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. On June 30, 2013, the Vancouver Canucks obtained the ninth overall pick from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for goaltender Cory Schneider, using it to select Horvat. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with Vancouver on August 6. Although there were initial expectations for him to join Vancouver’s NHL roster immediately, coach John Tortorella decided that further development in junior hockey would be beneficial for more ice time. The Canucks’ acquisition of Zac Dalpe and Jeremy Welsh provided roster depth that allowed both Horvat and fellow draftee Hunter Shinkaruk to return to junior competition.
Horvat rejoined London for the 2013–14 season, entering as one of four alternate captains rather than team captain despite being considered for that role. He recorded another season with over 30 goals along with personal bests of 44 assists and a total of 74 points during regular play. However, London’s pursuit of a third consecutive OHL championship ended when they were defeated by the Guelph Storm in the semifinals.
Vancouver Canucks (2014–2023)
During his second training camp with Vancouver, Horvat sustained a shoulder injury after a hit from Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Pitlick in a pre-season matchup. Once recovered, he was sent to the Canucks' AHL team, the Utica Comets, for conditioning purposes. After five games without points, Horvat was recalled to the Canucks.
Horvat's NHL debut occurred on November 4, 2014, facing the Colorado Avalanche. Within six games, he netted his first NHL goal against Frederik Andersen of the Anaheim Ducks and added three assists in the following game against the Chicago Blackhawks. The organization chose to retain Horvat at the NHL level despite his eligibility to return to junior hockey. Starting on the third line, he was promoted to the second line midway through the season, averaging 12:15 minutes per contest. Over 68 games, Horvat tallied 13 goals and 12 assists for a total of 25 points and received two fifth-place votes for the Calder Memorial Trophy, placing him 11th among rookies. In the 2015 postseason, he led Vancouver with four points in six games as they were eliminated by Calgary in the first round.
In the 2015–16 campaign, Horvat managed heightened offensive responsibilities alongside defensive tasks following injuries to key players Brandon Sutter and Henrik Sedin. Despite experiencing two extended goal droughts, he recorded a six-game point streak in January 2016, contributing six goals and nine points. He attributed his progress to guidance from his father and improved synergy with left winger Sven Bärtschi. Horvat concluded the season with personal bests of 16 goals, 24 assists, and 40 points while appearing in all 82 games.
On January 10, 2017, Horvat earned selection to the 2017 NHL All-Star Game, becoming the youngest Canuck chosen since Trevor Linden. On March 3 of that year, he was appointed one of Vancouver’s alternate captains, succeeding Alexandre Burrows. He finished that season with career highs of 20 goals, 32 assists, and 52 points across all 82 contests.
After his entry-level contract expired, Horvat agreed to a six-year extension worth $33 million on September 8, 2017. Although sidelined for six weeks due to a broken foot sustained in December against the Carolina Hurricanes, he set new personal records with 22 goals and matched that with 22 assists for a total of 44 points in 64 games. Frequently centering a second line alongside Bärtschi and rookie Brock Boeser, he demonstrated strong leadership on ice.
Following the retirement of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Horvat was named one of four alternate captains for the Canucks’ 2018–19 season. Despite frequently changing linemates due to injuries and roster challenges, he achieved career-high totals of 27 goals, 34 assists, and 61 points over a full slate of 82 games.
On October 9, 2019, Horvat was appointed as Vancouver’s 14th captain during their home opener commemorating the franchise’s 50th season. He reached his milestone of 100 career goals on October 20 against the New York Rangers and recorded his inaugural hat trick two days later versus the Detroit Red Wings after rallying from a two-goal deficit. Following the NHL’s suspension amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Horvat led Vancouver back into playoff action on August 1, 2020—their first appearance since his rookie year in 2015. As team captain, he contributed ten goals and two assists over seventeen playoff games; Vancouver advanced past St. Louis Blues in Round One before falling in seven games to the Vegas Golden Knights in Round Two. His ten playoff goals ranked third all-time in franchise history behind Pavel Bure and Trevor Linden during their memorable Stanley Cup Finals runs.
New York Islanders (2023–present)
On January 30, 2023, Horvat concluded his nine-year stint with the Canucks after being traded to the New York Islanders in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty, and a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 draft. At that point, he was enjoying a career-high goal tally, having equaled his personal best of 31 goals in only 49 games. Prior to the trade, he earned his second All-Star Game selection as a Canuck, representing the Pacific Division despite moving to an Eastern Conference franchise. Upon joining the Islanders, Horvat changed his jersey number from 53 to 14, since 53 was already taken by Casey Cizikas. On February 5, he secured an eight-year contract extension worth $68 million with New York. Horvat netted his inaugural goal for the Islanders on February 7 during a 4–0 victory against the Seattle Kraken.
International play
Horvat played a key role for Team Ontario's under-16 squad at the 2011 Canada Winter Games, leading the team with nine points over six matches and helping them finish fourth. In 2012, he captained Team Ontario to a bronze medal at the 2012 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, contributing four goals and seven points. That year, as an alternate captain for Canada's under-18 team at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, he helped capture gold by scoring two goals and totaling four points across five games.
In his third season in the OHL, Horvat represented Canada's under-20 team at the 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships held in Malmö, Sweden. Initially centering a line alongside Connor McDavid and Sam Reinhart, he transitioned into a more defensive role that received commendation from coach Brent Sutter. Over seven games, he scored one goal and added three points as Canada ended the tournament in fourth place.
In 2015, Vancouver opted not to release Horvat to participate with Team Canada at the World Juniors, keeping him active in the NHL. On April 12, 2018, Horvat was named to Canada's senior roster for the 2018 IIHF World Championship. He was also selected to represent Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.
Personal life
Horvat is second cousins with NHL player Travis Konecny of the Philadelphia Flyers. Although Konecny is slightly older, they often faced each other in both junior and professional competitions. Horvat’s younger brother Cal played for the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs and London Knights before embarking on a career as a police officer in Ontario. Horvat wears number 53 as a tribute to London Knights goaltender Ian Jenkins, who tragically passed away in a car accident in 2011.
On September 3, 2018, Horvat proposed to his longtime partner, professional equestrian and curler Holly Donaldson. The couple met during his junior hockey days while Donaldson was attending the University of Western Ontario. They married in July 2019, with Canucks teammate Sven Bärtschi and former OHL teammates Max Domi, Josh Anderson, and Chris Tierney serving as groomsmen. Their first child, Gunnar Horvat, was born on June 28, 2020, shortly before Horvat joined Vancouver’s playoff training camp.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2011–12 | London Knights | OHL | 64 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 8 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | London Knights | OHL | 67 | 33 | 28 | 61 | 29 | 21 | 16 | 7 | 23 | 10 | ||
| 2013–14 | London Knights | OHL | 54 | 30 | 44 | 74 | 36 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | Utica Comets | AHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 68 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 82 | 16 | 24 | 40 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 81 | 20 | 32 | 52 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 64 | 22 | 22 | 44 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 82 | 27 | 34 | 61 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 69 | 22 | 31 | 53 | 21 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 2020–21 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 56 | 19 | 20 | 39 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 70 | 31 | 21 | 52 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 49 | 31 | 23 | 54 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | New York Islanders | NHL | 30 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | New York Islanders | NHL | 81 | 33 | 35 | 68 | 39 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | New York Islanders | NHL | 81 | 28 | 29 | 57 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 813 | 269 | 292 | 561 | 261 | 34 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 6 | ||||
International play
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Ontario | CWG | 6 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 6 | |
| 2012 | Ontario | U17 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | |
| 2012 | Canada | Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament (IH18) | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | |
| 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (WJC) | Canada men's national junior ice hockey team (Canada) | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2018 IIHF World Championship (WC) | Canada men's national ice hockey team (Canada) | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2025 IIHF World Championship (WC) | Canada | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | ||
| Junior totals | 18 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 18 | |||
| Senior totals | 16 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 2 | |||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| OHL | |
| J. Ross Robertson Cup winner | 2012, 2013 |
| Wayne Gretzky 99 Award | 2013 |
| CHL | |
| George Parsons Trophy | 2013 |
| NHL | |
| NHL All-Star Game | 2017, 2023 |
| Vancouver Canucks | |
| Pavel Bure Most Exciting Player Award | 2016, 2017 |
| Cyrus H. McLean Trophy | 2017 |
| Cyclone Taylor Trophy | 2017, 2021 |