Photo credit: NHL.com
By Alexandra Evans
SAN JOSE—Adam Helewka was born and raised in Burnaby, British Columbia, just outside of Vancouver. He spent his youth hockey years in both cities (mostly the former), up until grade 10 where he played for a boarding school in Saskatchewan called Notre Dame. When he reached grade 12, Helewka left home for the first time to play for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, with whom he would spend four years.
In his third season with Spokane, Helewka notched 40 goals and 43 assists for a total of 87 points. This has been his greatest accomplishment to date.
During Helewka’s final season in the WHL, he was drafted by San Jose in the 4th round (106th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft.
One of the most significant things Helewka has learned since joining the professional hockey leagues has been, he says, accountability. He discovered the importance of self care and maintaining good overall health.
Helewka, 22, devoted is summer to getting healthier. He focused on cardiovascular training while making substantial dietary changes, emphasizing real food and the consumption of carbohydrates only as needed (post-workout). At the beginning of the season, Helewka noted that these lifestyle shifts yielded great results; he felt far more energized and much stronger than before.
“I feel like I am a completely different player,” Helewka said in a post-game interview on October 18. “It helped me get in better shape and become a lot faster.”
So far this season, Helewka has demonstrated said speed both physically and mentally. The latter is mostly represented by his solid hand-eye coordination and quick decision making skills on the ice. Physically, he is great at making smooth passes which lead to goals (or, simply put, providing assists) and taking care of the defensive zone, exemplifying a two-way playing style.
“Right from when I got drafted, [it has been] a dream come true. [San Jose] is a great franchise, all the way from the general manager down to the equipment trainers. Great people, great staff, it’s been very fun so far.”
Helewka was a staunch follower of the Detroit Red Wings growing up and garnered much of his inspiration from center Pavel Datsyuk, a 14-year NHL veteran.
Another random fact: Helewka’s favorite movie is Stepbrothers. Back home, he and his friends enjoy quoting humorous movies.
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