Ex-Rangers star returns, annoyed by injury speculation: ‘people just don’t know’
For the first time in three months, Filip Chytil played in an NHL game Friday night. The former New York Rangers center was happy to be back, but clearly annoyed with the all the speculation about his latest injury.
Chytil centered a top-six line with Brock Boeser and Drew O’Connor on the wings, when the Vancouver Canucks lost 5-4 to the New Jersey Devils on Friday. The 26-year-old didn’t land on the score sheet for the Canucks in his return from an upper-body injury, but did log 18:29 TOI, recorded two shots on goal, and, most importantly, emerged healthy.
“It wasn’t too bad” Chytil explained postgame. “Yeah, I have to look around more now. Of course the last moment from the last game that I played was a big hit, so the first couple shifts were getting my head back to the game and look around more. I think when the game went on, I felt better, even with the puck. But there’s still so much to work on because even if you practice for two months, that’s not a game. I need to feel better with each game.”
Chytil had three goals in the first six games this season, before he was on the receiving end of a massive open-ice hit by Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson on Oct. 19. Not only was Chytil knocked out of the game, he landed on long-term injury reserve and missed the next 44 games.
Neither Chytil nor the Canucks disclosed the exact nature of the injury. But it was feared to be another concussion, of which Chytil’s had more than one during his nine NHL seasons. But before the game Friday, Chytil pushed back on speculation about exactly how many concussions he sustained in his hockey career.
“I’d read all these things in the media or whatever about how many concussions I’d had, like eight, and it’s just not true,” Chytil said Friday morning. “People who don’t know what I’m doing, trying to say what’s going on.
“I’m not gonna say how many concussions I had in my life, but yeah, the number, what people say on internet, is crazy. It’s just I know what kind of injuries those are. And I know what I’m going through, and my closest people here as well knows, so I’m not bothered about anything. And I just want to come back and play.”
Former Rangers center Filip Chytil downplays injury speculation: ‘they think I’m about to die’
There’s no arguing that Chytil’s missed quite a bit of playing time in his career due to injury. It’s widely reported that he’s had concussions, as well as other head and neck issues.
Recently, Chytil played only 10 games with the Rangers in the 2023-24 season after sustaining a head injury in November and then a setback in January. After the Rangers traded him to the Canucks on Jan. 31 a year ago, Chytil didn’t finish the season after he was hit from behind by Jason Dickinson in a March 15 game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
To date, Chytil missed 169 regular-season games with the Rangers and Canucks due to injury.
“People just don’t know,” Chytil said about the specifics of his health issues. “It’s like they think I’m about to die.”
What’s not debatable is that it sure was great to see No. 72 back in game action Friday. Not just because the woeful Canucks, who are 17-29-5 and last in the NHL, sorely missed him. But because he’s finally healthy again.
