Exit Interviews 2024-25: #24 Jan Jenik

With the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs well underway and the Belleville Senators wading into the offseason, David Foot sat down with the players to reflect on a year filled with challenges, growth, and standout moments. In this exclusive series of year-in-review interviews, players open up about their personal journeys, team milestones, and what it meant to represent Belleville and the Bay of Quinte this season. From locker room highlights to on-ice battles, these conversations offer a behind-the-scenes look at the season that was — and a glimpse at what’s ahead.

Today, we catch up with forward Jan Jenik, who was an offensive and emotional catalyst for the Senators in his first year with the organization, after being acquired in a trade for Egor Sokolov in 2024:

DF: You were a bit of a spark plug for this team, and I know you pride yourself on that. Acquired in a trade from Tucson to join the Senators, how did you feel bout your first season in the organization?

JJ: I was definitely excited. Obviously, I would have loved to make it to the playoffs, so that’s kind of tough. But other than that, it was a positive year. We had a great group of guys, we always had fun, we played with passion, and we played hard. Overall, it was a good year, so hopefully next year can be better.

DF: You missed the playoffs by just a couple of points, which I think is a testament to the way this team competed all season. How proud are you of that effort?

JJ: Yeah, we’ve been through some adversity, and every guy stood up and did their little bit to add in. We had many players grow and mature over the year, and I think that was great.

DF: You were in the Coyotes organization in Arizona for the last few years, and it’s quite the switch to come up here. How did you find the change of scenery, change of climate and playing in Canada?

JJ: You know, it was a little tough because I enjoyed the 20-degree weather in January, and I hadn’t been through an actual winter in a long time. But I liked it, it has a really nice place on the water, so it’s been good.

DF: How about playing in the Eastern Conference? You’ve spent all of your time in the West, so was there a difference in the style of play or just visiting less exotic locations and how did it impact your game?

JJ: I don’t think much difference in play, but it’s less exotic, and the travel schedule is a bit different. We were more on the road in Tucson, where we were back-and-forth. I like being home more. It’s tough when you have to travel and then take a bus right after and play the next day.

DF: Anywhere in your game did you feel you made some strides?

JJ: I think my defensive game got much better. I’m pretty happy with that.

DF: What does your offseason look like?

JJ: I’m not really sure right now. We have to drive back to Arizona, so that should be a fun drive, but after that we’ll see. We might go back to Czechia or stay in Arizona.

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