Tomas Vomacka’s development has been steady and impressive, through college, and now with the Florida Everblades.

Vomacka, who grew up in the Czech Republic, was drafted by the Nashville Predators organization, who selected him in the fifth round of the NHL Draft back in 2017.

Later this month, he’ll graduate from the University of Connecticut with a degree in sport management.

“I think the thing that I’m most proud of is that I’m graduating in December,” Vomacka,  told FloHockey via cell phone.

“I won’t just be able to say I played hockey, but that I also did something off the ice. To be able to have that degree in my back pocket in case anything happens, I feel like that’s a huge advantage. I’m so happy I was able to take care of that. My family pushed me a little bit, and my parents stayed on top of me with school, but I’m so grateful that they did. After three college years, being able to get that degree, now I can focus on hockey and see where it takes me.”

After one year of junior hockey in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars, Vomacka headed to the NCAA, and was a standout in all three years with the Huskies. He was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team in 2019 after posting a .922 save percentage and 2.32 goals against average in his freshman season.

While things were smooth on the ice, adjusting to life on an American college campus was often difficult for Vomacka, who credits playing alongside Jachym Kondelik—a fellow Czech and Predators draft pick—on the Huskies for making the process a smoother one.

“It was hard at the beginning, but I got very lucky that one of my best friends went with me and it made that transition a little easier,” he said. “You get to talk Czech every day, and if you have problems, you don’t have to speak English to someone, you can use your language and talk to him about it and maybe vent a little bit if you’re stressed. Having him there was so helpful, and hopefully he signs with Nashville and we’ll meet again.”

Vomacka says there isn’t a day that goes by that he doesn’t miss the college experience, but he’s certainly adjusted well to the pro game, sharing a crowded net with the Everblades and posting a 3.05 goals against average and .903 save percentage in his first six pro games in the ECHL, as seen exclusively on FloHockey.

“It’s been good,” he said. “The transition to pro hockey has been a little different than college, but it’s been fun and I’m very fortunate to be on this team. [The biggest adjustment] has really just been the everyday life. College, people are kind of taking care of you, but here you have to take care of yourself. It’s your job to play hockey now. The everyday things, the preparation, the stuff you do off the ice, that’s been the biggest adjustment.”

On the ice, Vomacka says he’s had to get a bit faster to catch up with the pace of the pro game, all while calming his game down, not panicking and making smarter decisions. He’s also not been thrown into the fire like many first-year goaltenders, instead sharing a net with veterans Cam Johnson and Parker Gahagen at times as he eases into those adjustments.

“That’s definitely been a big challenge, they’re both really good goalies,” Vomacka said. “We’re all just trying to work super hard and show the coaches that we can play.”

So far, so good for Vomacka, who hopes to figure prominently in the Predators plans in the future.

“It’s been great, the organization has taken really good care of me, and I’m super happy that I get to talk to David Rook, their goalie [development] coach, a lot, and their goalie coach, Ben Vanderklok, who came to see me play a couple weeks ago,” he said. “I’m in everyday contact with them, and they’re watching every game. Nothing comes for free, but I’ve got to put the work in, and hopefully they like my progress and I can move up.”