I have been meaning to write an appreciation piece about Jakub Voracek for months now, as I very quickly in the season developed a warm, glowing admiration for this man as I watched him interact with teammates, coaches, and his family. It’s abundantly clear that he is a hockey player everyone enjoys playing with and being around.
I loved some of the anecdotes shared by teammates during his 1000th game celebration - it’s so evident that everyone deeply respects him while simultaneously getting a big kick out of him. That my favorite NHL mascot (Gritty) was modeled after Voracek only makes perfect sense.