Steady by Design as Filip Hronek’s Leadership Role Grows

Filip Hronek isn’t the loudest player in the Vancouver Canucks locker room, but his impact on the team is impossible to miss.

Night after night, the 28-year-old defenceman is handed difficult matchups and heavy minutes. Whether it’s through puck movement, reliable defensive reads, or leading by example in all situations, Hronek has quietly evolved into a foundational presence and one of Canucks’ most trusted blueliners.

He had a career season in 2023-24, tallying 48 points (5-43-48), and not having the comeback he wanted after missing 20 games last season with an injury, he didn’t sulk. He dug in and turned it around in a handful of games.

This season, he’s on pace to best his 2023-24 season stats. He currently has 26 points (3-23-26) through 43 games and is third on the team in blocks with 57 and fourth in hits (71). He leads Vancouver in assists with 23 this season and his 59.7% control of the goal share (34GF-23GA) also leads the team.

Head Coach Adam Foote has seen Hronek’s leadership develop over the last couple of years and says the Hradec Kralove, Czechia native understands that he needs to step up and play a big role for the team.

“Fil is always a guy that would compete, and he’d show up every night. He plays with emotions, and he’s in control of them big time right now. To be able to be an emotional player and use that to your advantage.You get up for games, a heavy schedule with back-to-backs, and he can bring that emotion in and get it early in a game and be engaged early, but then he’s not allowing the emotions to take over his game either, which is nice,” Foote said.

Hronek has been a stabilizing force for the Canucks since his first season with the club, and he’s taken on alternate captain duties as he’s someone the group can look to when they need calm under pressure. He’sbeen an anchor for the young defencemen, and is a trusted blueliner that the coaching staff has leaned on in all situations.

“I think he really grew this summer; matured a lot. You’ve seen how he’s playing,” Foote said, after the game against the Bruins. “His leadership off the ice and on the ice is really good, and he’s playing big minutes for us against top lines, and he’s doing a great job."

Logging an elite workload alongside his production this season, Hronek is averaging 24:42 of ice time per game, and is a contributor on both the penalty kill and power play units. In Vancouver’s last home against the Boston Bruins that went into overtime, Hronek notched a career-high 30:01 minutes – 20:45 at five-on-five, 3:33 on the power play, 1:58 on the penalty kill, and played a whopping 3:45 of OT.

The numbers have been impressive, but Hronek’s evolution into a stabilizing presence for the team has been important. His ability to maintain composure and someone his teammates can call on shows how he’sable to balance the responsibility with thoughtful poise.

Hronek’s teammates have also noticed the shift in his leadership and shared how they’ve seen him grow.

Fellow blueliner Marcus Pettersson talked about what he’s seen from Hronek and how important he has been in their success.

“He’s really stepped up. He’s the heart and soul – the steadiness that he brings on the back end. He never has a bad shift, or bad game, or anything. So, it’s a lot of fun to see him get rewarded like that, and we rely upon him a lot, and we’ll continue to do that,” Pettersson said.

The expectations Hronek puts on himself and his teammates are high, and Kevin Lankinen appreciates how Hronek leads by example.

“He shows up every single night. He plays hard; he plays the right way. He’s demanding a lot from himself, but a lot from the teammates as well. He’s doing a lot of winning things, and it’s good to see him step up and he’s a good role model on the ice for the younger players,” Lankinen said.

When the Vancouver Canucks signed Filip Hronek to an eight-year contract in June 2024, it was an investment in his talent and potential of what he could become as a leader.

Hronek has proven that in addition to being a top-pair defenceman, he is dependable in every facet: his puck movement, strong possession metrics, and consistently driving positive results at five-on-five.