Danny Wild-Imagn ImagesYou won’t see Jaroslav Chmelař without Adam Sýkora, and you won’t see Adam Sýkora without Jaroslav Chmelař.
The two forwards have been inseparable since both arrived to play for the New York Rangers.
They do everything together, whether that entails participating in the same practice drills, getting off the ice at the same time, or even doing interviews together, which is exactly what they did after Tuesday’s optional skate.
When Chmelař and Sýkora met as strangers at Rangers’ development camp, they could never have expected the kind of friendship that would eventually form.
Over the past two seasons playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, Chmelař and Sýkora have become roommates and best friends.
How did these two Rangers’ prospects become so close? Chmelař, standing at 6-foot-4, and Sýkora, standing at 5-foot-11, may seem like an unlikely duo, but they share the same joyful energy that is on full display whenever talking with them.
“From the beginning, we started talking and I think we had the same mindset, same energy, everything like together,” Sýkora said. “We just have the same energy.”
Becoming roommates has only strengthened their friendship to a level that Chmelař had trouble putting into words.
“We are similar people in a way,” Chmelař said. “Living together, I can’t explain, was so easy. There would be no bad days, no arguments. We would be connected together.”
While Chmelař and Sýkora blossomed into real impact players and leaders for the Wolf Pack, their aspirations were to play for the Rangers.
In their spare time in Hartford, they stayed at home and watched every Rangers game they could, showing their determination to study the Blueshirts’ style of play in preparation for a potential call-up.
“We would just go to the couch and watch every Rangers game,” Sýkora revealed.
Chmelař played his first handful of NHL games between November and December, but it was early in March when he was recalled from the Wolf Pack, and he’s been with the Rangers ever since.
After playing in the AHL for three seasons waiting for his opportunity, Sýkora was called up by the Rangers on March 24, reuniting with his partner in crime.
Upon being called up, Sýkora played a middle-six role on a line alongside Will Cuylle and Vincent Trocheck, but he eventually found himself on a line with Noah Laba and Chmelař.
This newly established trio has caught the eye of Mike Sullivan, who believes that they provide a lot more than the average fourth line.
“They're a high-energy line. They bring a lot of juice,” Sullivan said. “They're a disruptive line as far as playing a straight-ahead game. They've got speed, they get in on the forecheck. They're pesky, they're hard to play against because they're on the puck and they're relentless with their work ethic. That's something that we think is good for our group.”
From watching the Rangers together on TV to actually hitting the ice together in a Blueshirts sweater, things have really come full circle for Chmelař and Sýkora.
“I mean, it’s super special,” Chmelař said of being able to play with Sýkora in the NHL. “It’s another dream we had, being on a line together, connecting on a goal potentially. It’s been so much fun. We're enjoying every moment together. We're just trying to soak it all in and try our best out there.”