Bo Horvat Bio
Bowie William Horvat, known professionally as Bo Horvat, is a Canadian professional ice hockey player born on April 5, 1995, in London, Ontario. He plays the centre position and currently serves as an alternate captain for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Horvat is recognized for his two-way play, face-off skill, and leadership on the ice. Over the course of his career, he has become one of the notable Canadian players of his generation.
Selected ninth overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Horvat spent nine seasons with the organization before being traded to the Islanders in January 2023. He has represented Team Canada at multiple international tournaments and continues to be a steady contributor at the NHL level.
Early Life and Background
Bo Horvat was born on April 5, 1995, in London, Ontario, to Tim and Cindy Horvat. He grew up in Rodney, Ontario, a small community located roughly 90 minutes from Detroit, Michigan. Because of the proximity to Detroit, Horvat attended numerous Detroit Red Wings games during his childhood, which helped foster his love for the game. Together with his younger brother Cal, Horvat spent hours practising hockey in the family basement.
At the age of 12, Horvat moved away from home to live with a billet family so he could play with the Toronto Red Wings minor hockey team. In 2008, he helped lead the Red Wings to a title in the All-Toronto Peewee AAA hockey tournament, scoring 10 goals and 16 points in the round-robin portion of the event. During the 2010–11 minor hockey season, he played for the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs of the Alliance Hockey organization and was named the league’s player of the year after recording 47 goals and 71 assists for 118 points in 68 games.
After the Elgin-Middlesex season ended, Horvat also suited up for five games with the St. Thomas Stars of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, a team coached by his father Tim. He helped the Stars win their league championship and used the experience as preparation for the transition from minor to junior hockey.
Path to Hockey
Following his development with the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs and St. Thomas Stars, the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) selected Horvat ninth overall in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection draft. He joined the Knights for the 2011–12 season and scored his first OHL goal in his league debut, an 8–0 win over the Saginaw Spirit on September 23, 2011. As a rookie, he posted 11 goals and 19 assists with a plus-27 rating in 64 regular-season games, helping the Knights win the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions.
Horvat’s junior career continued to flourish during the 2012–13 season, when he improved to 33 goals and 61 points in 67 games and recorded a 17-game point streak in the middle of the year. On the Knights’ run to their second consecutive OHL title, he led the league with 16 goals and 23 points in 21 postseason games, scoring the championship-winning goal with 0.1 seconds remaining in Game 7 of the OHL finals against the Barrie Colts. He was awarded the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as playoff MVP. The Knights also competed at the 2013 Memorial Cup, where Horvat received the George Parsons Trophy as the most sportsmanlike player.
Heading into his draft year, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Horvat as the 15th-best North American prospect. On June 30, 2013, the Vancouver Canucks traded goaltender Cory Schneider to the New Jersey Devils for the ninth overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, which they used to select Horvat. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Canucks on August 6, 2013, before returning to London for one more OHL season in 2013–14, when he was named an alternate captain and recorded 30 goals and 74 points.
Bo Horvat Career
Early Career (2014–2017)
Bo Horvat made his NHL debut on November 4, 2014, against the Colorado Avalanche. Six games later, on November 20, 2014, he scored his first NHL goal against Frederik Andersen of the Anaheim Ducks and added his first three assists the following game in a win over the Chicago Blackhawks. He played 68 games in his rookie season, recording 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points, and earned two fifth-place votes for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year.
In his sophomore season, Horvat endured two extended goal-scoring droughts before erupting for a six-game point streak in January 2016. He finished the 2015–16 campaign with 16 goals and 24 assists in 82 games. On January 10, 2017, Horvat was named an All-Star for the 2017 NHL All-Star Game, becoming the youngest Canuck selected for the event since Trevor Linden. He set new career highs with 20 goals, 32 assists, and 52 points that season, and on March 3, 2017, he was named one of Vancouver’s alternate captains.
Vancouver Canucks Breakthrough (2017–2023)
On September 8, 2017, Horvat signed a six-year, $33 million contract extension with the Canucks worth $5.5 million annually. He set a new career high with 22 goals despite missing 18 games due to a broken foot suffered on December 5, 2017. During the 2018–19 season, after the retirement of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, he was again named an alternate captain and posted new career highs of 27 goals, 34 assists, and 61 points.
On October 9, 2019, Horvat was named the 14th captain in Vancouver Canucks history during the home opener of the team’s 50th season. He scored his 100th career goal on October 20, 2019, and recorded his first NHL hat trick two days later against the Detroit Red Wings. During the 2020 playoff run, Horvat scored 10 goals in 17 games, the third-highest playoff goal total in Canucks history behind Pavel Bure and Trevor Linden.
New York Islanders Era (2023–Present)
On January 30, 2023, Bo Horvat’s nine-season tenure with the Vancouver Canucks ended when he was traded to the New York Islanders in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty, and a conditional first-round pick. At the time of the trade, he had matched his career high of 31 goals in just 49 games and had been named to his second NHL All-Star Game. He switched from jersey number 53 to 14 upon joining the Islanders, as 53 was already worn by Casey Cizikas.
On February 5, 2023, Horvat signed an eight-year, $68 million contract extension with the Islanders. Two days later, he scored his first goal with New York in a 4–0 win over the Seattle Kraken. He has since continued to serve as a top-six centre and alternate captain for the club.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bo Horvat is widely regarded as a reliable two-way centre with strong face-off skills and a relentless work ethic. He is known for his shot-blocking ability, defensive responsibility, and leadership in high-pressure moments. His consistent performance in all situations has made him a trusted presence on both the power play and penalty kill.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Horvat’s signature moments are his Wayne Gretzky 99 Award performance in 2013, his first NHL hat trick against the Detroit Red Wings, and his 10-goal playoff run in 2020. He has appeared in two NHL All-Star Games and was a key contributor to the Canucks’ return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2020 after a five-year absence.
Bo Horvat Career Wins
Bo Horvat has compiled an impressive resume across junior and professional hockey, highlighted by two J. Ross Robertson Cup titles, the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award, and multiple NHL All-Star Game selections. His career has been marked by consistent scoring and steady leadership at every level.
Junior Highlights
Horvat won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions with the London Knights in both 2012 and 2013. In 2013, he led the OHL playoffs with 16 goals and 23 points in 21 games and received the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as playoff MVP. He also captured the George Parsons Trophy at the 2013 Memorial Cup as the most sportsmanlike player of the tournament.
Other Wins and Performances
Earlier in his development, Horvat helped the Toronto Red Wings win the All-Toronto Peewee AAA hockey tournament in 2008 and contributed to a St. Thomas Stars league championship in 2011. Internationally, he helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and captained Team Ontario to a bronze medal at the 2012 World U-17 Hockey Challenge.
Bo Horvat Family
Family Background and Hockey Lineage
Bo Horvat is the son of Tim and Cindy Horvat. His father Tim coached the St. Thomas Stars of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, providing Bo with an early mentor in the sport. His younger brother Cal also played for the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs and London Knights before deciding to pursue a career as a police officer in Ontario.
Horvat is second cousins with fellow NHL player Travis Konecny of the Philadelphia Flyers. Although they did not play minor hockey together, the two have regularly faced each other throughout their junior and professional careers.
Personal Life
Bo Horvat married his longtime girlfriend, professional equestrian and curler Holly Donaldson, in July 2019. The couple met during Horvat’s junior career, when Donaldson was attending the University of Western Ontario. Their first child, a son named Gunnar, was born on June 28, 2020, shortly before Horvat reported to Vancouver’s playoff training camp.
Horvat chose jersey number 53 as a tribute to former London Knights draftee and goaltender Ian Jenkins, who wore number 35 and tragically died in an automobile accident in May 2011.
2025 Season Performance
Bo Horvat is expected to enter the 2025 NHL season as one of the established centres for the New York Islanders. With his eight-year, $68 million contract extension running through 2031, he remains a cornerstone of the franchise’s long-term plans and is counted on to provide offensive production and defensive reliability. His role as alternate captain reflects his standing in the locker room.
Horvat was named to Team Canada for the 2025 IIHF World Championship, continuing his strong international presence. He also remains a candidate for Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, having been named to the team on December 31, 2025.
As the Islanders look to build momentum around their veteran core, Horvat’s face-off ability, two-way play, and playoff experience are expected to be central to the team’s ambitions. His steady production and leadership will be key factors in the Islanders’ push for a deeper postseason run.
