Jaroslav Chmelař

Jaroslav Chmelař (born 20 July 2003) is a Czech professional ice hockey forward who plays for the New York Rangers of the NHL. He was drafted by the Rangers in the 5th round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft with the 144th overall selection.

Playing career

After playing for junior teams in the Czech Republic, Chmelař came to the United States for the 2022–23 season to attend Providence College and play for the Providence Friars, where he was a teammate of fellow Rangers prospect Brett Berard. At the end of Providence's 2023-24 season he joined the Rangers AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack, playing in 7 games and scoring 2 goals. He spent the entire 2024-25 season with Hartford, scoring 12 goals and 17 assists in 71 games. He started the 2025-26 season with Hartford and was called up to the Rangers in November after scoring 2 goals and 3 assists in 9 games for Hartford. Ranger coach Mike Sullivan said of Chmelař upon his joining the Rangers that:

The conversations I had with Chris Drury and Ryan Martin told me that he's been the best forward. He’s played extremely well, and he’s deserving of getting the call-up, and that’s why he’s here. I think it's a great message for everybody; Performance matters. It matters, it matters in practice, it matters in the games. Whether you're in New York or you're in Hartford, performance matters.

Of the possibility of making his NHL debut, Chmelař said "I can't describe the feeling, it would be a dream come true. If it happens, I’m going to be enjoying every bit of it."

He made his NHL debut on 7 November 2025 against the Detroit Red Wings. He did not score but had a fight with Red Wings defenseman Travis Hamonic. He was returned to Hartford on 9 November after playing in two games for the Rangers. After a subsequent recall, he scored his first NHL goal in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on 5 March 2026.

International play

Chmelař represented the Czech Republic at the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. At the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships he only played 3 games and was primarily valued for his defensive ability. At the 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships he scored 3 goals and had 2 assists in 7 games as the Czech Republic earned the silver medal. Partially based on this performance, sportswriter Vincent Z. Mercogliano rated him as the Rangers' 10th best prospect in 2023.

Playing style

Chmelař is a large forward who plays physically and is responsible defensively. He said "I want to be around the net and make the defense fear going into the corner with me."

Career statistics

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from , or , or