Some are touting him as the next potential captain of the Vancouver Canucks.
Heck, even president Jim Rutherford admitted that Filip Hronek would be on a short list of candidates once the Canucks are ready to name their 15th captain in team history.
While it’s unclear when Vancouver will name another captain, it’s clear that Hronek is one of the primary leaders in the Canucks dressing room.
He’s certainly been more front and centre in the media of late, especially since the departure of Quinn Hughes.
But what is he actually like in the dressing room?
His current defence partner, Elias Pettersson, shed some insight into that after practice on Wednesday.
“He’s one of those guys that really wants everyone to get better,” Pettersson said.
“He wants everyone to be focused. He wants to hold the group accountable. He’s a guy that takes the job seriously every day, and he expects a lot of everyone.”
One word came to Adam Foote’s mind when asked about what Hronek is like as a leader in the locker room: “Accountability.”
He also mentioned that Hronek has played a role in helping fix the locker room in Vancouver.
“Everyone leads different, and we trust [Hronek] with that.”
“For me, it’s nice to see a room starting to take care of things themselves, which I think, for years, was missing here, and Fil’s a big part of that,” Foote added.
There you go, all the Canucks locker room needed during their past animosity was a little more Hronek.
Leadership often takes two forms in sports. Some guys are clear vocal leaders, while others primarily lead by example.
So, which one is Hronek behind closed doors?
“I would say he leads by example,” Pettersson admitted. “But he also does talk in here, so it is a mix.”
Pettersson added that Hronek is part of a leadership team that has taken on a bigger role for the Canucks.
“Those guys that have been here the whole season have always been leaders, but especially when we lose guys like [Conor Garland] and those guys, like, I feel like these guys [who are still here] have taken an extra responsibility now,” he said.
“But they have always been there, and they’ve always been leaders.”
Pettersson himself has started to trend upwards after a difficult start to the season.
“The second half of the season has been much better for me,” he said. “I’ve been picking up my game more and more lately, and I’m trying to build and finish strong here with the 18 games.”
The young defenceman has also garnered attention with his physical play. Even other NHL players seem to be letting up in the neutral zone when they see D-Petey closing in on them.
Does Pettersson think he’s starting to get a reputation as guys shy away from his contact?
“I don’t know… I mean, I’m trying to step up, and I’m trying to be physical. So, yeah, maybe.”
The 22-year-old defenceman has seen his role increase of late, as he’s largely played alongside Hronek.
Over his first 44 games, Pettersson averaged just 14 minutes of ice time per game. During his last 10 contests, however, the young defenceman has averaged 19:01 per game, cresting the 20-minute mark in five of those games.
Pettersson also leads the Canucks in hits since the Kiefer Sherwood trade, slightly ahead of Teddy Blueger and Hronek.