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Jaroslav Chmelar earned his position with the New York Rangers through hard work and exceptional play in the American Hockey League for the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Despite not necessarily being on anybody’s radar to play for the Rangers going into the 2025-26 campaign, that quickly changed.
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The 22-year-old forward was called up early in November by the Rangers, as Mike Sullivan said he was told that Chmelar was the Wolf Pack’s best player through the early stages of the season.
He played in two games before being sent down to the AHL, headlined by a fight in his NHL debut against Travis Hamonic.
Chmelar was recently called back up and has carved out a fourth-line role.
Chmelar’s rise to the NHL is a lesson that if you perform well at the AHL level, no matter how highly touted you may be, it’s always possible to earn a spot in the big leagues.
“It feels great. I try to put everything on the line every game, and to be rewarded for it feels amazing,” Chmelar said. “I don’t want to get it into my head that someone rewarded me for something. Just keep doing it consistently, that’s the key.”
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While Chmelar hasn’t recorded any points through four games, his play has been noticeable and impactful.
Standing at 6-foot-4, the 2021 fifth-round pick plays a physical brand of hockey and is surprisingly quick for someone of his size.
It’s not about flash for Chmelar. It’s all about the basics and doing the little things right.
“I have felt pretty good out there,” Chmelar said of playing in the NHL. “I just need to stick to my game, the basics that I do, hit people. Be hard on the forecheck. As the game develops, they know I’m coming. That’s what I want to do, take pucks to the net and be hard to play against.”
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More importantly than just his game on the ice, Chmelar seems to bring a positive and joyous spirit to the Blueshirts. He’s always smiling in the locker room, and his wide-eyed, happy energy is infectious.
“He’s a great kid, first and foremost. He’s a really likable kid. I think his energy is so great,” Sullivan said of Chmelar in November.
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It’s really a feel-good story to see someone work their way up from being drafted with the 144th overall pick to playing in the NHL.
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Chmelar has enjoyed every moment of it and certainly does not take this opportunity for granted.
“It’s amazing. It’s everyone’s goal to get up here,” Chmelar said. “Getting my first game and the couple of games afterwards, it feels amazing. I’m super pumped to be around these guys, to see how they perform in practice, how they think about the game, and trying to see like in the details, what they do, so I can pick up something. I want to learn from them and aspire to be like them.”
