Milwaukee, WI— Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/GM David Poile announced today that the team has loaned forward Tommy Novak to the ECHL’s Florida Everblades until the start of the 2020-21 training camps for Nashville or Milwaukee.

Novak was third on the Admirals in points with 42 (11g-31a) in 60 games in 2019-20, his rookie professional season. The 6-foot-1, 191-pound center ranked among the AHL’s rookie leaders in multiple categories – he was second in plus-minus (+20), third in assists (31) and seventh in points (42). His 42 points were also the most by a first-year Milwaukee skater since the 2015-16 season. Novak posted two separate four-point outings in 2019-20, and four of his 11 multi-point games came in consecutive contests from Jan. 24-Feb. 1, a stretch that saw him record a goal and nine assists. In November 2019, Novak became the first Admirals player since 2015 to earn AHL Rookie of the Month honors after tallying 13 points (3g-10a) in 12 games to help Milwaukee post a franchise-best 13-game win streak.

Originally drafted by the Predators in the third round (85th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Novak spent four years at the University of Minnesota from 2015-19, tallying 88 points (18g-70a) in 129 games. The River Falls, Wis., native reached the 20-point mark in three of his four seasons with the Golden Gophers and helped lead his team to two consecutive Big Ten regular-season titles in 2016 and 2017. Prior to enrolling at Minnesota, Novak skated with the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks in 2014-15 and was second on his team in scoring with 48 points (14g-34a) in 46 games.

The Everblades begin their 23rd ECHL season – and second as a Nashville affiliate – on Friday against the Jacksonville IceMen.