Tommy Novak
Thomas Novak is an American professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. He was drafted with the 85th overall pick by the Nashville Predators in the third round of the 2015 NHL entry draft.
Early life
Novak was born on April 28, 1997, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to John and Patti Novak. Although he was born in Minnesota, Novak was raised in River Falls, Wisconsin.Playing career
After three years of high school hockey at Saint Thomas Academy, Novak joined the Waterloo Black Hawks for the 2014–15 USHL season. Novak's outstanding play with the Black Hawks was rewarded when he was invited to skate in the 2014 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. In June 2015, Novak was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the third round of the 2015 NHL entry draft.Novak played college hockey for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 2015 to 2019.
After his college career, he signed with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League on March 20, 2019.
He signed an entry-level contract with Nashville on March 25, 2020, and played in his first NHL game on October 19, 2021. On December 17, 2021, Novak scored his first NHL goal, against Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Marc-André Fleury in a 3–2 Nashville win.
In July 2022, Novak re-signed with Nashville on a one-year contract. On February 8, 2023, he signed a new one-year contract with Nashville. Novak finished the 2022–23 NHL season with 17 goals.
On November 14, 2023, Novak was placed on injured reserve with an upperbody injury. He returned to the line-up on December 7 after missing 11 games. On March 4, 2024, the Predators re-signed Novak to a three-year, $10.5 million contract.
On March 5, 2025, Novak was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, alongside Luke Schenn, for Michael Bunting and a fourth round draft pick.