“Kryštof wanted to end up in America, so we got into negotiations. Based on joint talks, it is clear what role we will want him – to bring emphasis to our game and manage the pre-goal area,” said sports manager Tomáš Vlasák on the club’s website.
Hrabík went overseas in 2018, spending two seasons among juniors in the WHL. At the beginning of 2020/21, he played for the extra-league Liberec and the first-league Benátky nad Jizerou, but then he returned to the USA and worked in the AHL and ECHL.
He competed in the same competitions last season. In the San Jose Barracuda jersey in the AHL, he drew attention to himself in January due to inappropriate behavior towards the dark-skinned striker Boku Imam. According to the overseas media, the movement pretended to be a monkey and was subsequently sentenced to 30 matches for a racist gesture. “Of course we knew about it, but we take it that he has it behind him and has served his sentence. We believe that this episode is already behind him and for us it will only be about hockey,” Vlasák said.
The Kladno offspring chose Pilsen because the team has high ambitions every year. “I like the organization. I want to help the team meet these goals,” said Hrabík. He wants to present himself with physical hockey. “I would like to transfer to the Czech extra league the habits that I have acquired recently. I do not want to relax in that. I am convinced that I play the best hockey when I play physically,” he added.
