For these two Czechs, it’s nice to have someone who paved the way
Rookie Vrana showing new D-men the ropes
Jakub Vrana’s stall in the very back corner of the Capitals’ practice facility dressing room has been more popular since late February. After a morning skate two weeks ago, there was fellow player Michal Kempny standing in front of Vrana and asking a question in their native language. Vrana stood and clapped Kempny on the shoulder, the two walking out of the dressing room continuing the conversation.
Jakub Jerabek watched the exchange from his seat in the room. “Czech mafia,” he said with a shrug.
“Everywhere, if there is more than one Czech, there is always Czech mafia,” Vrana said later.
Before the arrival of the NHL trade deadline, Vrana was the Capitals’ only Czech player. But then Washington traded a thirdround pick to Chicago for Kempny, and two days later, the team acquired Jerabek from Montreal. There are just six Czech defencemen in the NHL and now two of them play for the Capitals. Though Vrana, a rookie winger, is the youngest player on the team, he’s felt a responsibility in helping his countrymen get adjusted to their new home in Washington.
“Somebody has to take care of the new guys, you know?” Vrana said. “When they’re from the Czech Republic, I’m going to do that.”
It wasn’t too long ago that Vrana was the one new in Washington and in need of a guide. The 2014 13th-overall pick was recalled to the Capitals in December last season, playing in 21 games, and 23-year-old forward Tom Wilson drove Vrana to Capital One Arena when he first arrived. This season, Vrana’s been with the Capitals all year, but if he’s had questions about where to get a haircut or groceries, Wilson was still the first person he texted. When it came time to helping Kempny and Jerabek, Vrana also went to Wilson initially.
“He had to grow up a little bit, I think,” Wilson said. “He had to become a leader. V (Vrana) asked me to do something for them and I said, ‘Hey, maybe you can do it. You’re not the new guy anymore, you can help out.’ ... Maybe he had to wake up from his nap a couple minutes early to help them out a little bit because I know they like to go earlier (to the game). I think V is still learning. He’s obviously a young guy, but it’s cool when you see a guy kind of coming out of his shell and helping.”
Wilson was happy to be a resource for his new teammates as well — he spent a whole afternoon suggesting various restaurants to which Kempny could take his girlfriend for dinner — but Vrana has now stepped into his role as the Czech ambassador. He’s regularly driven Jerabek and Kempny to the arena, like Wilson once did for him. Vrana joked that he’s the most “international” of the Capitals; he’s able to understand the Russians (the language is similar to Czech), he speaks and understands Swedish (he played in Sweden’s professional league for four years), and his English is also impressive.
Just as Vrana was speaking with a reporter about his new Czech teammates, he looked over at the stall next to his and realized Jerabek was there, waiting to ask Vrana what time they’d be leaving for the airport together. Veteran defenceman Brooks Orpik mused that he thought the 26-year-old Jerabek was actually much younger because he’s seen him spending so much time with Vrana.
“It’s not just hockey, but everywhere in the world,” Jerabek said. “If you have somebody from your country, it’s nice to meet new guys and speak your home language . ... It’s nice that even if he’s young, he can help us with a lot of things.”
Comfort both on and off the ice has developed in the nearly three weeks since Jerabek and Kempny came to Washington. Kempny said he visited the White House this weekend, and he plans to move out of his hotel room and into an apartment next week. He’s gone from being a frequent healthy scratch in Chicago to a top-four defenceman with the Capitals, averaging 17:09 time on ice per game on a pair with John Carlson.