Here's an inside look at Filip Chytil's childhood in Czechia and how it transformed him into the player he is today.
Everyone knows Filip Chytil as the speedy New York Rangers center, but before he transformed into that, Chytil was just a young boy from Czechia with a dream to play professional hockey.
Chytil was born and raised in Kroměříž, Czechia and he had a close relationship with his family.
Growing up, Chytil was extremely competitive with his brother, which helped transform him into the hockey player he is today while it was the values taught to him by his parents that Chytil credits for shaping him into a mature young man.
“I lived a great childhood,” Chytil said. “I was competing with my brother a lot. He was pushing me and I was pushing him. It was great to grow up in a fantastic family. I’m so happy for my family that they are the people they are. They built the person who I am right now.”
At a young age, Chytil was always playing sports whether it was soccer, tennis, ping pong, or hockey.
Chytil’s parents always pushed the Rangers forward to not only work hard, but to be committed to anything he does, which ultimately translated to hockey.
“My parents were great with us, they were patient, but if we did something, they wanted us to put 100 percent and try to be the best version of yourself,” Chytil said. “That has stuck in my head since my childhood and now I am where I am right now. I keep all of these all that advice in my head right now.”
In Czechia, soccer is the most popular sport among kids with hockey being much more niche.
Chytil always wanted to be different and actually loved the fact that he was one of the few kids playing hockey compared to most who would stick to soccer.
“Because it was a little bit different,” Chytil said on why he chose to focus on hockey. “Soccer fields are in every village in Czechia and we were going there every day to kick the ball and have fun, but hockey was different.
“I felt at my age when I was a kid when I saw the other kids they were like ‘oh he is playing hockey.’ It’s different, but I felt like that sport was the best for me and I had the most fun there.”
Hard work and determination were always in Chytil’s DNA. He used all of the lessons taught from his parents on top of a relentless work ethic to reach his ultimate goal.
After multiple years of playing in a variety of different leagues in Czechia, Chytil realized the hope of playing in the NHL was not just a dream, it could actually become a reality.
“I was always dreaming about it,” Chytil said about his goals of reaching the NHL. “We are coming back to what my parents taught me as a kid, I had hard work in me as well. At some age I just realized that if I put the talent and hard work together, I can go as far as I can. I was always dreaming about playing in the NHL. It was just a dream at first, but when I was getting older and older I saw that opportunity.”
That opportunity came when the Rangers selected Chytil with the 17th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Upon being drafted though, Chytil faced a whole new challenge. Coming from Czechia to New York, the young forward entered a totally different culture where he did not really know the native language and was forced to adapt to a new way of life.
It was difficult at first, but he used these challenges as an excuse to spend almost every waking second on the ice training to transform into an NHL-caliber player.
“That was tough, I spoke English just a little bit, just the basics,” Chytil said. “In my first year I was just quiet in the room. I didn’t speak too much. I decided my apartment is right by the rink, so I can be here as long as I want.
“That was what I’ve been doing since I was a child, staying an hour, two hours after everyone on the ice and working on my game. First of all, I loved it and I had nothing else to do… I was spending so much time in the gym and on the ice, that year gave me a lot.”
Now, the 25-year-old has been with the Rangers organization for practically eight years as he can officially call himself a true New Yorker.
Both the city of New York and the Rangers community mean everything to the European native.
“It’s been nice for these 7-8 years,” Chytil said fondly of his time in New York. “I feel like home here. It’s a very good city and the people are very nice to us, which is good.”
Chytil has been through a lot since being drafted in 2017. He’s dealt with multiple concussions, something that has held him back from reaching his ultimate potential.
Through all the highs and lows though, Chytil’s mindset has stayed the same since he was a young boy in Czechia and that will never change.
“With every day you want to win,” Chytil said. “I’m working hard to be the best player I can be. I know what player I can be. I need to stay healthy. Everything else is to work hard and win, win, win.”
