Things looked different to Mike Matheson on Tuesday.

Like 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds of different.

During the Penguins’ practice in Cranberry, the veteran defenseman worked the point on the team’s second power-play unit with an imposing net-front presence above the crease in the form of rookie forward Radim Zohorna.

“I’ve definitely noticed him on the ice and through camp and a few practices here,” Matheson said via video conference. “It’s hard to miss him with that size.”

With dimensions that mimic a small forward — in the NBA — Zohorna isn’t easy to overlook. But what is easy to gloss over is he is much more than a big body. He has some offensive skills, too.

That has been evident this season as the Czech Republic native has taken his first steps in North America.

Zohorna was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on March 18. At that time, he was Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s leading scorer with nine points (three goals, six assists) in 11 games while primarily centering the team’s second line in his first season on this continent.

His success in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton carried over from the production he enjoyed during the late summer and early fall in his native country.

While most leagues in North America were on hiatus because of the pandemic, European leagues forged on this past autumn, including the ELH in the Czech Republic.

The Penguins, who initially signed the 24-year-old to a one-year entry-level contract April 29, 2020, loaned Zohorna to BK Mlada Boleslav of that league Aug. 10 to get him some much-needed playing time. Primarily serving as that team’s top center, Zohorna was just north of a point per game with 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in 21 contests before the loan was terminated Dec. 21 as the NHL began to prepare for its 2020-21 season.

Zohorna’s offense this season — in either the AHL or ELH — comes at a steep increase compared to his previous professional experience.

In 2019-20, also with BK Mlada Boleslav, Zohorna established a career-high with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 46 games, a steady but hardly eye-catching figure.

What led to his increased production?

“I’m one year older now,” Zohorna said. “I had some very good teammates in (the Czech Republic). That’s why I think. And I think I worked very hard in the summer. I wanted to be prepared for the USA and for the NHL.”

It’s not precisely clear what prompted the Penguins — under former general manager Jim Rutherford and ex-director of player personnel Derek Clancey — to extend a contract last spring to Zohorna. At that point in his career, he never generated more than half a point per game in a fairly low-level league on a larger rink than what is used in North America.

But clearly, they found an intriguing prospect.

“He’s played extremely well in (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton),” coach Mike Sullivan said. “That’s one of the main reasons why he’s here. He’s also a guy that’s been given some time here to adapt to the North American game, the smaller ice surface. He’s a little bit older, so he brings a certain level of maturity to his game because of that. So he’s a guy that’s a real interesting player for us because we really like his skill level. He has good hands. He’s got real good hockey sense, he sees the ice pretty well. And for a guy that’s as big as he is, he has a real good skill set.”

Zohorna feels he has made most of the required adjustments — on and off the ice — in a fairly short period of time.

“I’ve been here like three months,” Zohorna said. “I had more games in Wilkes-Barre. Right now, I think it’s pretty good. Still not good like I want, but still pretty good.”

By simply being on the NHL roster, Zohorna has extended a streak for the franchise of having at least one native of the Czech Republic or the former Czechoslovakia on the NHL roster to 30 consecutive seasons.

That streak was initiated by former Penguins star forward Jaromir Jagr, who joined the Penguins as a rookie in 1990-91.

Even if he was born almost six years after Jagr made his NHL debut, Zohorna is well aware of his impact on the game.

“I (met) him last year because he played in the (ELH),” Zohorna said. “He’s legend for everyone from the Czech Republic.”

Zohorna’s story probably won’t become a tall tale like those associated with Jagr — even if Zohorna is 6-foot-6 — but he’s hoping his next chapter involves playing in some actual games for the Penguins at the NHL level.

“For me, it’s so huge,” Zohorna said. “Every practice, every game, I’m very glad to be here. But I want to play, I want to make the team.”

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