Brandon Svoboda’s summer plans won’t offer an abundance of free time.
The Level Green native is getting a head start on schoolwork at Boston University next month.
And there was a little matter of winning the Clark Cup for the second consecutive season.
After winning the United States Hockey League championship last season as a member of the Youngstown Phantoms, Svoboda was traded to the Fargo Force in February.
Just over three months later, Svoboda lifted the Clark Cup over his head again May 18, helping the Force win the title for the second time in franchise history.
“Obviously, being traded was hard at first,” Svoboda said by phone. “I won a championship with Youngstown, and it was only an hour away from my family. Being in Fargo was unbelievable, though. Everything we had there was first class, and they brought me in as if I started there in September. It really felt like home to me. Winning the Clark Cup again was just so surreal. Our team was so bought in and had each other’s backs no matter what.”
A third-round draft pick (No. 71 overall) of the San Jose Sharks last year, Svoboda primarily was deployed as a center with Youngstown. With Fargo, he found more time on the right wing of the second line.
“We didn’t really lose a lot through the year, but we did have a couple of kids that moved on for a couple of different reasons,” Force coach Brett Skinner said. “We thought adding his experience … when there was the option to go ahead and get him, it was a no-brainer as far as our needs throughout our lineup. He played predominantly center in the past, which is always a good asset to have, but we did have a spot high up our lineup for a good right-shot forward to play on the wing. He fit that bill really well and ended up settling on the wing with us.”
At 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds, the 19-year-old Svoboda offers a blend of size and speed uncommon at the junior level.
“There are times where a college or a pro team might be excited about a big kid, but he’s got to get his feet under him, maybe get a little bit stronger,” said Skinner, a former NHL defenseman. “But Brandon, to be at the age that he’s at and to be able to skate the way he does and his size, it’s a little bit unique. He’s a big boy. He’s all of (6-foot-3), and he’s a thick kid. So you can see why San Jose invested the draft capital that they did in him. For us at this level, to back (defensemen) off and hold onto pucks down low and have the skillset on top of his size and skating was something that we were very fortunate to get.”
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In nine postseason games, Svoboda had five points (four goals, one assist), including two winning goals.
????TIP DRILL????@SanJoseSharks draft pick, Brandon Svoboda, puts the Force up 2-0 midway through the first period in Game #1 of the Clark Cup Finals! pic.twitter.com/OTwZBziIsc
— xy - Fargo Force (@FargoForce) May 11, 2024
“Obviously, a player coming off a year where he won the Clark Cup (in 2023), so he already had that experience,” Skinner said. “Really valuable coming into our group with his leadership ability. Hockey-wise, I thought his size and skating were huge for our lineup as far as not only his talent level but his ability to wear teams down with his size and strength. He was able to provide some offense and some points, but his overall game was really influential in our run to the championship.”
Throughout the postseason, Svoboda’s time on the second line was with center Zam Plante, a fifth-round pick (No. 150 overall) of the Penguins in 2022.
The two were linemates with the United States during the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior A Challenge tournament in December.
“It was awesome,” Svoboda said. “We got to play a little bit together at the World Junior A challenge. I feel like chemistry filtered in when I got to Fargo. Me and him played really well together. We were good linemates, I felt like.”
Before Svoboda engages in his studies with Boston University, he will participate in the Sharks’ prospect camp later this month.
He participated in the same camp last year after being drafted.
“It was my first time in California,” Svoboda said. “Playing in the prospect camp in San Jose, it was a blast. Competing against the best of the best for five days on and off the ice was awesome. I learned how to become more of a professional athlete.”
In the meantime, Svoboda will work out while he is at home with skills coach Anthony Ciocca and trainer Tim Cortazzo.
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Summer hasn’t started yet, but it’s almost over for Svoboda as he chases the NHL.
He wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Being drafted by San Jose was the best moment of my life, and I’ll never forget that,” Svoboda said. “I try to take life and hockey day by day. That is what brings me the most success.”
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.