Home / News / Jakub Vrana scores first AHL goal for Griffins and gives stick away to fan: ‘Vrana is hero for my son’

Jakub Vrana scores first AHL goal for Griffins and gives stick away to fan: ‘Vrana is hero for my son’

By Ian Oland

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January 19, 2023 3:45 pm

Jakub Vrana’s last month has been eventful. He returned to the Detroit Red Wings from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, but was eventually sent down to the AHL for a conditioning stint and outright put on waivers by GM Steve Yzerman. After registering only one assist in his first six games for the Grand Rapids Griffins, Vrana was a healthy scratch in two consecutive games as the team was two players over the veteran limit. Wednesday, however, the Red Wings dealt veteran foward Kyle Criscuolo, opening up more room on the roster for Vrana to play.

Two days after putting five shots on goal against the Iowa Wild, Vrana finally broke through with his first goal of the 2022-23 AHL season and his first AHL tally since April 15, 2017, with the Hershey Bears.

Vrana, wearing number 15, made a steal along the boards and skated down the left wing where he sniped a shot past Rockford Icehogs goaltender Mitchell Weeks. The goal came 3:58 into the period. Weeks had just replaced Dylan Wells 11 seconds earlier after he gave up three goals on six shots.

The goal came in Vrana’s 500th professional game. The Grand Rapids Griffins would win 5-2.

Vrana also recently made time for a Red Wings fan, giving away his stick during warmups of the team’s January 14 game against the Chicago Wolves.

The kid’s father, Daisuke Ohto, reached out to RMNB and explained that this wasn’t the first time his family has interacted with the Czech star and 2018 Stanley Cup champion.

I am currently living in Michigan for a limited time from a place called Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan. We will only be here for one more year. So we were very happy to see Vrana’s response. By the way, Tomakomai, where I lived, is famous for hockey in Japan.

I started playing hockey when I was 7 years old and still play hockey in Michigan. My two sons came to the US and started playing hockey last season. It came naturally to us. My sons started playing hockey after watching a U20 U.S. national team game.

Our family became fans of Vrana after first coming to the USA in 2021. In the 2021-22 season, Vrana returned from injury and went to the Little Caesars Arena to support on Vrana and the Red Wings. At that time, we made a wish list sign and took it to the arena.

Practice started and Vrana noticed.

And my son’s first wish was granted: to have his picture taken.

Vrana was very accommodating with a smile. The next time we went to the game, Vrana looked at my son wish list with a smile and responded with a smile.

His last wish, “get a stick,” came true on January 14th at the Grand Radpids Griffins match. Vrana hadn’t played in the previous two games that day, so I wasn’t sure if he was going to play, but when practice started, we quickly realized Vrana was in the rink.

As soon as my son showed him wish list, Vrana recognized my son, smiled, talked to him, and took a picture with him. Then Vrana threw his stick at my son just before finishing practice. And my son wish came true. We, the family, have become fans of his even more because of his kindness and wonderful response. My eldest son plays hockey wearing number 15 and my youngest playing number 13. In the future, they say they wants to be a good hockey player and a gentle person like Vrana. We will continue to support Vrana. My sons and I, we love Vrana. Vrana is hero for my son.

Vrana is a good person after all. I felt that Vrana is a really good and professional player, being able to respond wonderfully even when he is concentrating on his practice before a game.

My son’s next wish is to get an autograph on the stick he received.

This is the best.

Photos: Daisuke Ohto

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