New Vancouver Canucks player has a baby on the way
It’s been an eventful past few weeks for David Kämpf.
The eight-year NHL veteran did not make the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 23-man roster out of training camp. He was then banished to the minors, where he played four games before the team suspended him for refusing to travel on the road with the Leafs’ AHL affiliate.
That led Toronto to terminate Kämpf’s contract, where he quickly signed a one-year deal with the Canucks worth $1.1 million.
He debuted with the team on the road against the Florida Panthers, the city furthest away from Vancouver in the entire league, before travelling back to the West Coast for his first home game on Thursday night.
Oh, and on top of that, he’s expecting his second child.
Kämpf and his wife, Eliška, announced on Wednesday on Instagram that they are expecting their second child in March 2026.
The Kämpfs posted a photo of their son Michael and dog Dobby to announce that they’re having a second child. (@kampfdavid/Instagram)
The photo that David and Eliška posted to Instagram had their son Michael wearing a knitted sweater that said “velký brácha,” which is Czech for big brother.
Their first son, Michael, was born back in 2022.
Kämpf mentioned after practice on Wednesday that he was excited to have some of his countrymen on the Canucks roster, something he didn’t have recently in Toronto.
“I know [Filip Hronek] a little bit from the past, so it’s nice to have some Czech guys on the team,” he said. “Last couple years, I had nobody, so it’s always, always good to have some, some Czech guys on the team.”
Aside from Hronek, the Canucks have two other Czech players: Filip Chytil and recently recalled goaltender Jiri Patera.
The 30-year-old centre also shed some light on what he went through this season before joining Vancouver.
“Last couple of weeks was a little bit harder, but I’m happy I’m here and I can play again,” Kämpf said. “It’s been a busy last couple days. I joined the team on the road, so it was good to spend some time with the boys, and I’m ready to play.”
Kämpf skated with wingers Conor Garland and Brock Boeser at Canucks practice on Wednesday.
During his four seasons with the Leafs, he averaged eight goals and 23 points per 82 games.