Two Vancouver Canucks named to Czech Olympic team with one puzzling omission
Filip Hronek has been the Vancouver Canucks best player ever since Quinn Hughes was traded.
And on Saturday, the man of many words said what it would mean to him to make Czechia’s Olympic team.
“It’s a huge honour, for sure.”
Hronek’s inclusion on the team was a foregone conclusion. When Czechia announced its team on Tuesday, the 28-year-old was one of only two NHL defencemen on the roster, with Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas being the other.
However, the Canucks had a couple of other Czech players who had a shot of making the team. When the roster was revealed, one was named to the squad, and one wasn’t.
David KƤmpf was named to the roster, succeeding in his goal of making the team after signing with the Canucks back on Nov. 15. The 30-year-old centre has two goals and three points in 20 games with Vancouver.
While Hronek and KƤmpf will represent their country at the Olympics, arguably the most talented Czech player on the Canucks wasn’t named to the squad.
Filip Chytil was a notable omission for Czechia. Yes, he hasn’t played since Oct. 19 after suffering yet another concussion, but he has been back on the ice skating and travelled with the Canucks on their six-game road trip.
Chytil made it back onto the ice before Teddy Blueger, who just returned to practice for the Canucks on Tuesday morning. Both players were in non-contact sweaters.
And on Tuesday, Blueger was officially named to Latvia’s Olympic team. Like Chytil, he also hasn’t played a game since Oct. 19.
Based on Adam Foote’s comments about Chytil earlier this week, it sounded like he was on track to play before the Olympic break.
“Heās been great for three or four weeks,” Foote told the media on Jan. 4. “For him to go, I think heāll road trip with us, which I donāt see him playing at the end of it, but you never know. But itās great for him and our team. He was really playing well for us.ā
Foote also implied that Chytil was roughly 2-4 weeks away from returning. The first men’s Olympic ice hockey game takes place on Feb. 11, with Czechia kicking off their tournament against Canada on Feb. 12.
The other strange part about Chytil being left off the squad was that only seven of Czechia’s 14 forwards were NHL players.
Two of them, Ondrej Palat and Radek Faksa, have a combined three goals in 83 games this season. Chytil has three goals in six games.
Even if Czechia was worried about Chytil’s health, they could have replaced him closer to the Olympics if he hadn’t been cleared to play.
Regardless, it’s another tough break for Chytil in what’s been a trying season for him and the Canucks.