Adam Novotný couldn’t keep the smile off his face when he spoke to reporters ahead of his NHL preseason debut on Saturday — and the same was true when we caught up with him this morning at Rogers Arena ahead of his second NHL preseason game, which comes tonight against the Calgary Flames.

Novotný, the Vancouver Canucks‘ 24th overall selection at the 2026 NHL Draft, suited up for the first time on NHL ice on Saturday night as the Canucks took on the Seattle Kraken.

“It was great. Great game, awesome experience,” Novotný told Daily Faceoff Vancouver. “Obviously didn’t win, the final score was not what we wanted, but overall it was just a great experience, and I’m even more excited for today because obviously I know how it felt, how it feels, and now I’m even more ready for the second game, so I can’t wait.”

Novotný said there was no shortage of lessons from game one, and he has a few points that he’ll look to apply in game two of his NHL preseason career tonight.

“Maybe just sometimes play more simple and work down low, maybe handle the puck a little bit more, don’t force anything, just handle the puck. When you’re going to the offensive zone, handle the puck and don’t force any shot or any stupid pass. I’ll probably take that, and I’ll try to be more with the puck in the offensive zone, and don’t be scared to do something for sure.”

Novotny finished Saturday evening tied with two other Canucks — Ilya Safonov and Chase Wouters — for the team lead in hits with four. It was a relatively quiet preseason debut, but that’s not a bad thing — it also means that Novotný wasn’t noticeable for the wrong reasons, either. Novotný added that the hits were no mistake on his part, and that physicality is certainly an important part of his game, even as a skilled winger best known for his shooting ability.

“You have to play physical at this level, right? So yeah, I’m a pretty good size, so I think hitting should be a little part of my game. So yeah, for sure. I mean, hitting helps the team and, helps me to win the pucks, and it’s good to do that.”

Novotny survived the first round of roster cuts that the Canucks made on Monday, when they decreased their roster by 11 players.

“It feels amazing. You know, happy that I made it through this cut, and I’ll do anything to stay here as long as I can. So yeah, super happy about that and excited for this game.”

Tonight, Novotný will skate on a line with game one standout Braeden Cootes and AHL veteran Trey Fix-Wolansky. You can read more from today’s morning skate in our pregame Scenes from Morning Skate courtesy of Jeff Paterson by clicking here!