Rychlovsky Nearly Left Red Wings Organization at Midseason

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Unhappy with his playing time, both in and out of the Grand Rapids Griffins lineup, forward Jakub Rychlovsky had his agent contact the Detroit Red Wings to seek his release.

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As November was creeping toward December, Rychlovsky was realizing that his NHL dream of playing for the Red Wings wasn’t going to come true.

“It didn’t look good for me,” Rychlovsky told Czech website iSport. “I thought that playing maybe 30 games a season on the fourth line didn’t make sense for me.

“I told my agent that I wanted to deal with it and that I was thinking about Europe.”

Red Wings Vetoed Early Exit

There was an offer on the table from Sparta Prague of the Czech Extraliga. They sought to add Rychlovsky to bolster the club heading into the playoffs.

“I can probably confirm that I was in contact with them,” Rychlovsky said. “It’s nothing secret.”

It looked like a done deal.

And then it wasn’t.

“As soon as I was almost decided, my agent spoke to the people from the [Red Wings] again, and they suddenly said that it was out of the question and that they needed me.

“That’s when the turning point came, I started playing more.”

During the AHL Calder Cup playoffs, Griffins teammates were commending the unsung effort Rychlovsky was supplying the team. He was skating on the third line with Eduards Tralmaks and Wojciech Stakowiak.

“He’s the motor of our line,” Tralmaks said. “He is this underdog, this dark horse that maybe you’re not going to see him as much on the score sheet. But he’s just working his butt off, and every time he’s F1 on forecheck, he’s making the plays happen. And because of him, we’re working out well.”

By that time, Rychlovsky had already made up his mind. When the season was over, he was going home. And he wasn’t coming back.

It wouldn’t be Sparta that was his destination. Rychlovsky instead chose to sign with his old club, the Liberec Tigers.

“I was thinking about what to do next when I returned from overseas,” Rychlovsky said. “Sometime in February, I really thought about everything, and finally I clearly felt that I would return to Liberec.

“I wrote down all the possible important points, and the Tigers came out pretty clear to me.”

Rychlovsky Thankful For Detroit Opportunity

Even though he never got the chance to play for the Red Wings in the NHL, Rychlovsky doesn’t look upon his two seasons with the Griffins as wasted years. He believes the chance to play pro in North America has enabled him to grow as a player.

“First of all, it made me a more mentally resilient person and player,” Rychlovsky said. “I went through some pretty tough times in both seasons. It pushed me a lot.

“I didn’t play much in the first year, and when I did get some ice time, it wasn’t much. It wasn’t until the second season that things picked up, and I felt that it was helping me in terms of my hockey future.”

On the ice, there were also developments that Rychlovsky feels have made him a better player.

“The ability to think quickly and make decisions,” he said. “On a small rink, it’s absolutely essential. It teaches you to play simpler, more straightforward hockey.

“I improved in that, and in the end, I think a lot.”

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