Rangers rule out center Filip Chytil for rest of season

New York Rangers center Filip Chytil will miss the remainder of the season, the team announced Sunday.

Chytil, who has not played since Nov. 2, had previously been ruled out with what the Rangers described as an upper-body injury, with sources telling ESPN late last week that it was related to head injuries he had previously suffered.

“Following a thorough evaluation of Filip Chytil after his recent setback from an upper body injury, it has been confirmed he will be out for the remainder of this season,” the Rangers said in a statement. “The organization’s top priority throughout this process has been Filip’s health and we will continue to fully support him in his recovery with an aim to return for the 2024-25 season.”

Chytil said in a social media post that it has been the hardest three months of his life, a stretch that has not been easy for his family, those closest to him and the team.

“We gotta stay positive even in these tough moments and just think what is ahead of us,” Chytil said on Instagram. “Thanks to you all for nice messages! I’ll come back stronger than ever!”

The 24-year-old returned to the Rangers on Monday after spending three weeks in his native Czechia. There had been some optimism that Chytil would return at some point this season, given the progress he had made in his recovery.

On Friday, however, Chytil fell while he was skating at Madison Square Garden. While it was unclear what led to him falling, Chytil was down on the ice for several minutes before he was helped off by two teammates.

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette told reporters after the team’s 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday that Chytil had “suffered a setback with regard to the injury he was dealing with.”

Losing Chytil, who had six points in 10 games, means the Rangers will continue to be without another member of their young core. Chytil broke through last season to finish with a career-high 22 goals and 45 points in 74 games and parlayed that campaign into a four-year extension worth $4.437 million annually.

Even without Chytil, the Rangers (30-16-3) have remained one of the favorites to challenge for the Stanley Cup this season. They entered Sunday atop the Metropolitan Division by two points over the Carolina Hurricanes despite having lost six of their past 10 games.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.