Michal Teply- Part of the Blackhawks Youth Movement

Fourth-round pick, Michal Teply, could be an important piece in the Blackhawks youth movement.

During the offseason, Stan Bowman, General Manager and President of Hockey Operations, announced that the Chicago Blackhawks would start focusing on the youth in the organization. Fan favorites Corey Crawford and Brandon Saad were gone.

A hot free agency period came and went without any big moves. Bowman made the rounds on Blackhawks podcasts reiterating the need to develop young players under head coach Jeremy Colliton.

Potentially, Kirby Dach, Adam Boqvist, Alex DeBrincat will lead the charge as Toews, Kane, and Keith enter the latter parts of their careers. They will need help; players like Ian Mitchell, Pius Suter, and Nicolas Beaudin are contenders to join the movement. Michal Teply is another name that Blackhawks fans better get used to.

Michal Teply is a 6’3″, 195 lb. 19 year old (20 in January) right-handed winger from Knyk, a small village near Havlíčkův Brod in the Czech Republic. Like most kids his age, Michal spends most of his time with his good friends and family having bar-b-ques and being active.

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He likes riding his bike and taking bicycle trips. He plays a lot of different sports with friends-  foot tennis, tennis, and soccer, but hockey is his love. Michal was raised in a hockey family. His father is one of the leaders in the top management of BK Havlíčkův Brod- the hockey club on which Michal and his younger brother play.

According to BK Havlíčkův Brod team manager Ladislav Vacha, Michal was so good as a youngster that he played up on teams above his age level. In fact, despite being younger than all of the other members on the team, he was a team leader. As the Blackhawks age out, they will need young talent to step up and be leaders. Captain Jonathan Toews won’t be there forever. Kirby Dach looks like he is the heir apparent, but heady players like Teply will go a long way to supporting a winning environment.

While playing for his U-18 team, Michal tallied 58 points (35+23) in 41 games. According to Vacha, Michal is capable of taking the puck behind his own net, skating through the entire opposing team, and scoring. He added that Michal’s shot is so hard and accurate that he scored many goals from bad shooting angles and situations. He has good vision on the ice too, which allowed him to collect a lot of assists. Finally, Vacha adds that Michal is a strong skater and playmaker too.

He moved from BK Havlíčkův Brod to Bílí Tygři Liberec. Liberec has fantastic facilities and coaches; they helped Michal grow and develop his skills. Michal played for U-18 and U-20 teams of Bílí Tygři Liberec. While there he gained useful experience in men’s hockey playing for Benátky nad Jizerou. Michal also played for the Czech National U-17 and U-18 teams.

Those who are cynical may point out that while Michal tallied a lot of points in a U-18 Czech league, the European game is much different than the game played in the West. NHL, AHL, WHL, OHL, and QMJHL play a much more physical game on smaller rinks. Michal got his chance to show off his game for the Winnipeg Ice of the Western Hockey League. During the 2019-2020 campaign, Teply notched a team-leading 63 points, 29 goals, and 34 assists, in 53 games.

He had 210 shots-on-goal and eight game-winning goals. During his time in Winnipeg, Teply improved his communication skills by learning English in a very short time. Michal also changed his attitude. While there he became more humble and worked very hard to improve his game to adapt to a new style. He was able to adjust his play and be successful, something that will pay off for him and the Blackhawks in the future.

https://www.facebook.com/TheWHL/videos/219071829370631

Because of Covid 19, the WHL, like the NHL and AHL, moved its start date back. During that time, Michal is playing for the Czech Republic in the World Juniors Tournament. So far in two games, Michal has tallied an assist. Last year in the WJ, in five games, Michal added five assists. At every level of competition, Michal Teply has averaged at least a point per game.

It’s likely that Michal Teply won’t see the ice in the United Center for at least another year. Until then, I look to see him continue improving in Winnipeg and potentially, see some time in Rockford by the end of the season. His large frame, scoring ability, and drive to improve will force management to give him a try sooner than later.