Former Red Wings Player Injured in World Championship Prep

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Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesBob Frid-Imagn Images

Plenty of Detroit Red Wings fans still wish that the club hadn’t traded defenseman Filip Hronek. He skated in the top defense pairing with the Vancouver Canucks again this season.

Hronek was anticipating doing the same for Czechia in the upcoming IIHF World Championship, but now that opportunity is looking to be tenuous at best.

During a pre-tournament game against Finland on Thursday, Hronek tangled behind the Czech net with Finnish forward Mikael Seppälä. Hronek fell to the ice with Seppälä on top of him. Seppälä then proceeded to use his right hand to slam Hronek’s head down into the ice.

Hronek was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Friday. As the team awaited results, there were conflicting reports on Hronek’s status.

“I’m afraid it could be something more serious,” said Czech coach Radim Rulík, according to reporting by Swedish website Hockey Sverige.

Assistant coach Jiri Kalous offered a more optimistic tone to the Czech website iSport.

“We are always positive,” Kalous said. “We believe that everything will be fine.”

Hronek played all 82 games for the Canucks this season, accumulating 49 points.. He was with the Red Wings from 2018 to 2023. During the COVID-shortened 2020-21 NHL season, Hronek led Detroit in scoring with 26 points. He and Paul Coffey (1994-95) are the only defensemen to lead the Red Wings in scoring during a single season.