Filip Chytil Returns to NHL Ice After Three-Month Absence: “I Just Want to Come Back and Play”
For the first time in three months, Filip Chytil laced up the skates and hit NHL ice again. And while he didn’t find the scoresheet, his return to the Vancouver Canucks lineup Friday night was a significant step forward-for both the player and the team.
Chytil centered a top-six line alongside Brock Boeser and Drew O’Connor in the Canucks’ 5-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils. He logged 18:29 of ice time, registered a pair of shots on goal, and most importantly, came out of the game healthy. That alone is a win.
“It wasn’t too bad,” Chytil said after the game. “The first couple shifts, I was just trying to get my head back into it. You’ve got to look around more-especially after what happened last time.”
That “last time” was Oct. 19, when Chytil was on the receiving end of a thunderous open-ice hit from Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson. It was a scary moment that sidelined the 26-year-old for 44 games and raised immediate concerns about another possible concussion-something Chytil has unfortunately become all too familiar with over his nine-year NHL career.
Before the hit, Chytil had been off to a promising start, scoring three goals in the Canucks’ first six games. Then came the collision, the long-term injured reserve designation, and weeks of silence around the specifics of the injury.
Neither Chytil nor the Canucks have confirmed the exact nature of what kept him out. But speculation swirled, particularly around the idea that this was yet another concussion in a growing list. Chytil, for his part, made it clear Friday morning that he’s had enough of the guessing game.
“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,” he said. “People who don’t know what I’m doing, trying to say what’s going on.”
Chytil didn’t offer a number-nor does he feel he needs to. What he did offer was a glimpse into the mental grind of recovery, and the frustration of watching others speculate from the outside.
“I know what kind of injuries those are. I know what I’m going through.
And my closest people here know as well. So I’m not bothered about anything.
I just want to come back and play.”
That desire to play has never been in question. The challenge has always been staying healthy enough to do it.
Chytil has missed significant time throughout his career due to head and neck injuries. Just last season, he played in only 10 games with the New York Rangers before suffering a head injury in November and then a setback in January.
After being traded to Vancouver on Jan. 31, he didn’t finish the year either-another hit, this one from Jason Dickinson of the Blackhawks on March 15, ended his season prematurely.
In total, Chytil has missed 169 regular-season games with the Rangers and Canucks. That’s not a stat any player wants to be known for.
But Friday night was about more than just numbers. It was about progress.
It was about resilience. And it was about a player who’s been through the wringer, stepping back onto the ice and beginning the climb again.
At one point during the game, Chytil and O’Connor linked up on a slick give-and-go that nearly resulted in a goal. It was a flash of what this line could become with more time-and a healthy No. 72 in the middle.
The Canucks, sitting at the bottom of the NHL standings with a 17-29-5 record, could certainly use a spark. But for now, just having Chytil back in the mix is a lift.
“People just don’t know,” Chytil said. “It’s like they think I’m about to die.”
He’s not. He’s skating again, battling again, and doing what he loves. And for a player who's had to fight for every shift over the past few seasons, that’s a victory worth celebrating.