Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan had already played 160 NHL games when teammate Jakob Chychrun was born in the spring of 1998.
At 18 years 266 days, Chychrun is the youngest defenceman in the NHL and third-youngest player in the league behind Finnish teenagers Jesse Puljujarvi and Patrik Laine.
"It’s cool and all, but I think I don’t really look at myself as a young kid," said Chychrun, a six-foot-three, 200-pound defender from Boca Raton, Fla. "I kind of approach the game just as a pro would and I feel I’m mature beyond my years."
A first-round pick of Arizona at this year’s draft, Chychrun still has his "kid" moments though, like when he went into Chicago for the first time and faced Patrick Kane or when the Coyotes visited Sidney Crosby and the Penguins in Pittsburgh. Because the Florida Panthers were so mediocre when Chychrun was growing up — they made the playoffs once in his 13 years there — he became a part-time fan of the Penguins, idolizing Crosby in particular.
"I’ll probably take a glimpse or something in warmups and see how cool that is, but once the game starts I think I’m more focused on just shutting them down and doing my best to play with them and play against them and be hard on them," Chychrun said of facing his childhood heroes. "I try not to get too overwhelmed with it during the game and just play and focus on what I have to do."
Chychrun, whose surname is pronounced CHICK-run, has fared OK despite his age in a depth role for the Coyotes. Underlying numbers suggest that Arizona keeps the puck more with him out there, albeit in limited minutes (almost 17 minutes per game) and against lighter competition. His primary defensive partner this season has been Luke Schenn, another player who stepped right into the NHL as a teenager for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Some of the youngest players in the league this year have found success right away, including Winnipeg’s Laine (29 points), the Flames’ Matthew Tkachuk (18 points), and the Leafs’ Auston Matthews (24 points).
It’s rare, however, for a teen defencemen to make an immediate impact. Columbus’ 19-year-old Zach Werenski is a notable exception this season.
It’s generally acknowledged in NHL circles that defenders need about 300 games to truly learn the position. There are many more intricacies to master on the blue line, such as how to properly defend a rush or moving the puck effectively when under pressure. Mistakes are more likely to be exposed.
Earlier this week against Calgary, Chychrun failed to control a puck just inside his own blue line. He reached out and held veteran winger Troy Brouwer, eliciting a two-minute penalty. Two nights later, Chychrun got a taste of how hard they hit in the NHL when he was slammed into the boards by Oilers grinder Matt Hendricks. Later that same night, he was sandwiched by the combination of six-foot-three Zack Kassian and 6-4 Eric Gryba, his head ultimately crunched into the ice by Gryba’s right leg.
Chychrun left the game and did not return.
He’s cracked the NHL primarily because he can skate, a skill learned while playing forward up until his last year of minor hockey in Florida. Chychrun’s father Jeff, a former NHL defenceman who played almost 300 games, often had him slide to the back end. He switched to defence full-time when he moved to Detroit, the Sarnia Sting eventually making him the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 OHL draft.
Chychrun says defending in the NHL is different from anything he’s experienced because of the "unbelievable talent". Still, he’s confident in his ability to handle it right now, even as the league’s youngest at the position.
"I feel I’ve done well to this point and I want to continue to get better," Chychrun said. "It’s crazy to be thrown in at 18 years old, but it’s something you have to take in stride, enjoy it.
"It’s been fun so far."
