{"id":81100,"date":"2025-07-21T16:55:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T16:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/81100\/"},"modified":"2025-07-21T16:55:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T16:55:11","slug":"henrik-rybinski-on-his-first-nhl-call-up-what-it-was-like-practicing-with-alex-ovechkin-and-how-he-became-such-a-talented-two-way-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/81100\/","title":{"rendered":"Henrik Rybinski on his first NHL call-up, what it was like practicing with Alex Ovechkin, and how he became such a talented two-way center"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Washington Capitals have several open roster spots heading into the 2025-26 season, and one of the players that could force their way into the conversation with another great training camp<\/a> is prospect centerman Henrik Rybinski<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Selected by the Florida Panthers in the fifth-round of the 2019 NHL Draft and then signed by the Capitals as an unrestricted free agent on March 1, 2022<\/a>, Rybinski has flown under the radar since his rookie season with the Hershey Bears in 2022-23. But he\u2019s quickly developed into the best two-way center not yet playing on the NHL team.<\/p>\n

After serving as a black ace during the Bears\u2019 2023 Calder Cup championship role, Rybinski played a big role as Hershey repeated as champions in 2024, suiting up as the team\u2019s fourth-line center and skating with Bogdan Trineyev and Matt Strome for a majority of the postseason. The Vancouver, Canada native posted nine points in 19 games including five goals, which tied for sixth-most on the Bears. But the fourth-line trio, most importantly, was tasked with shutting down other teams\u2019 top lines, and was a difference-maker in that regard.<\/p>\n

Two months after lifting the Calder Cup, Rybinski returned for Capitals\u2019 2024 Training Camp and found a believer in head coach Spencer Carbery<\/a>. Rybinski was one of the final cuts and Carbery hinted the pivot could see time someday with the Caps.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s been one of the big surprises of someone that wasn\u2019t necessarily on our radar to make the Washington Capitals,\u201d Carbery said. \u201cWe\u2019ve followed him and what he\u2019s done in Hershey, becoming a bigger part of their Calder Cup-winning team last year. So, coming into camp, you know, you\u2019ve watched him a little bit in the American League, seen him, and now he really impressed our staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know management feels the same way. That\u2019s why he\u2019s earned the opportunity\u2026 I thought he\u2019s done a tremendous job of excelling in the games that he\u2019s played in, and he\u2019s been good in the practices. Feels like he\u2019s trending [up] in our organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite ultimately not making the team, Rybinski achieved a career-first last season in December: his first call-up to the NHL after Lars Eller suffered an injury<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rybinkski was emotional when he learned of his promotion from former Bears head coach Todd Nelson. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been playing since I was six, and you dream of coming up here and just being around here,\u201d Rybinski said. \u201cAll the hard work, and then you think of all the doubts you had of would you ever get this opportunity. That\u2019s kind of what made it feel really special.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Rybinski didn\u2019t end up making his NHL debut and his stint with the Caps lasted only three days,<\/a> the experience was eye-opening and gave him confidence headed into the second half of the AHL season. Used all throughout the lineup, Rybinski posted career highs in goals (10), assists (25), points (35), plus-minus (+11), shots (61), and shooting percentage (16.4 percent). <\/p>\n

Over the offseason, Rybinski signed a one-year, two-way extension worth $775k at the NHL level and $130k in the AHL<\/a>. Now, the 24-year-old prospect is looking to take another step in 2025-26 and play in his first NHL game.<\/p>\n

Below is my full interview with Henrik Rybinski during Hershey Bears\u2019 Breakdown Day in May.<\/p>\n

RMNB Q&A with Henrik Rybinski<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> First, I wanted to ask you \u2013 you had career highs in everything this season. Tell me about your season. What did you think of it?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> Yeah, I was just really happy with how it went. I think the reason why I had success is I felt like I put in the work. But I think just playing that playoff run last year, doing well, kind of gave me the confidence going into the year. And then I just started off strong in training camp, and it just kind of continued throughout the whole year. Yeah, I still had ups and downs, I\u2019d say, throughout the year, but overall, it was a really successful year for me, and I\u2019m pretty proud of that.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Over the last year or two, has there been something that you personally overcame during that stretch of time that you\u2019re particularly proud of, big or small?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> I think just like when things aren\u2019t going well, it\u2019s just like it sucks, and then just when you get out of it, it just feels that much better because you know how hard it was and then you kind of find your game again. And I think, yeah, that was probably the biggest thing for me. Just when it got down, I didn\u2019t just give in, let it affect me. Yeah, it did, and it did take time, but I think I did a good job of not letting it linger as long and getting out of it sooner.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> What was the Calder Cup championship run like last year for you? Because you did have a huge role in the victory.<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> Yeah, it was just special. I didn\u2019t play the first year. And I\u2019ve said this to other guys, but for me, it was just kind of the whole mindset was proving to myself and my teammates that I could help a team win a championship. And so that was motivation.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Sitting out that one year, like, guys like Matt Strome have done it, what is the value of that, too, though? Like, I know it\u2019s tough, but \u2013<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> Yeah, I think you\u2019re just around the room. You see how playoff hockey is, how to play in those tight moments. Like, you watch. I think one thing I notice is sometimes when teams have leads, they kind of tighten up and they stop playing, and usually they get scored on. But you just got to keep playing. You can\u2019t think about what happens if I do this. You have to just play hockey. And I think from watching, that\u2019s one thing I kind of gathered.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Where did you get your two-way game? You really managed to become somebody that a lot of people respect in the organization, with how you play defensively. Where did you get that from?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> I just think over the years, I\u2019ve kind of always, yeah, I just think my parents and stuff always told me, you\u2019ve got to play as hard on the defensive side as the offensive side. It\u2019s just kind of been my identity. Like, in junior, I felt like I was a good two-way player. And then, I kind of started off here as a defensive role. I\u2019m trying to work on my offensive game, but not trying to cheat the game. I\u2019m trying to still be solid defensively. So, yeah, I think it\u2019s just over the years and just kind of my identity as a player.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know if you were still rooming with Hendrix, but he\u2019s obviously a close friend, right?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> Yeah.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> What have you picked up from him, just as such a super-talented offensive center?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> Yeah, I mean, like, obviously, he\u2019s an incredible player, and I\u2019m happy that he\u2019s one of my best buddies, but, yeah, like, I don\u2019t know. I think from watching him, I just realized that you\u2019ve got to always be skating with the puck offensively. Like, if you stop skating, that\u2019s when guys close in. And he\u2019s so good at weaving through guys or moving his feet, or they dump it in, and he\u2019ll break guys\u2019 ankles and stuff. So, obviously, I\u2019m not as fast as him. I wish I was. But just always moving your feet, not making it easy for the other team to check you.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> I\u2019ll even ask you this too, like, is he one of the best players you\u2019ve seen in small ice?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> Yeah, I mean, like, his edge work, it\u2019s just not only the edge work, like, some guys are really fast, but he can carry the puck head up while, using all his edge work, and he\u2019s incredible to watch, and he\u2019s a really special player.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> When he came back down from the Capitals midseason, how difficult was that on him? How proud of him were you, just on how he persevered and still found more levels to his game?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> Yeah, in my eyes, he\u2019s an everyday NHL player. Obviously, Washington was an incredible team this year, first in the league. I think it\u2019s just like what I was talking about earlier with adversity. You can kind of let it affect you. I think he just came in with the right mentality. I think it\u2019s so easy to be in the NHL, and then you get sent down, you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, like, what am I doing here? Screw this.\u2019 But he had a great attitude, and he came to the rink every day and had a smile on his face. And that can be really hard to do, honestly. So he was just really positive. And, yeah, I\u2019m just really proud of him for that.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> One of the things I wanted to ask you is that you got your call-up this year to the Capitals. What did that mean to you that, during the preseason, I recall, Spencer Carbery bringing you up a lot because of your two-way play and how dependable of a center you are. What does that mean to you that you\u2019re hearing that from a guy who may end up winning the Jack Adams?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> I mean, yeah, it just feels \u2013 it\u2019s so rewarding and it makes you feel really good about yourself. But, yeah, I mean, he\u2019s an incredible coach. But, yeah, just for him to say stuff like that, it means a lot.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> What was the stint like with Washington even though you didn\u2019t play?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> Yeah, I mean, it was just super cool. It\u2019s just the NHL, you kind of work your whole way to get up there. Obviously, I didn\u2019t play, so I would have loved to play, but it was still unbelievable to go there and just see what the lifestyle was like. The guys were really nice and stuff, so it was just really cool. It was just a really cool moment.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Is there anything that sticks out during that time period that was like, \u2018Oh, man, that\u2019s what I\u2019m going to tell my friends.\u2019<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> I just remember the hotel. It was like a DoubleTree, and it was five-star. I got my own room. It was sick. Instead of the plastic water bottles, they had glass ones. I was like, \u2018Wow.\u2019 It\u2019s not really anything, but it was just different. It was really cool. Just the NHL.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Yeah, like people have talked about the Capitals this year, about the power of friendship. Did you feel that when you were there? You know what I mean by that? Like, they always found ways to win. It just felt like the group was so close.<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> Yeah, it just seemed like they were always having fun. They were always making jokes or playing cards. It just seemed like they were really having fun. I wasn\u2019t there long, but I could definitely see that.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> I think I found out earlier today that you guys were playing while Ovi broke the NHL goals record, but what was kind of your reaction when you first found out?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> I mean, it\u2019s the greatest goal scorer of all time. Like, it\u2019s just truly incredible that, I mean, I would have thought Wayne\u2019s record was, I guess it\u2019s not his record anymore, but it was untouchable. And the fact he did it in this modern era is truly incredible. It\u2019s just so cool.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Did you have any moments with him, like either in training camp or anything? I\u2019ve always heard, and seen myself, he\u2019s such a normal guy despite how historic of a hockey player he is.<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> I just think it\u2019s like you\u2019re there and you\u2019re skating and then you look down the bench and you see him like, \u2018Holy crap.\u2019 You\u2019re out there with him: \u2018This is the best goal scorer ever.\u2019 So it\u2019s just little moments like that. You grew up watching him on TV. I remember him and (Sidney) Crosby, playoffs. I\u2019d watch it and stuff. I think it\u2019s just those little moments when you\u2019re just around him, and it\u2019s like, \u2018Wow, this is a super normal dude.\u2019 Yeah, and you\u2019re skating with him.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> What are you going to focus on this offseason?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> Obviously, I think I need to get stronger and faster. I mean, that\u2019s pretty cliche with everyone. That\u2019s what they say. But, yeah, like stronger and faster. Maybe work on protecting the puck down low. I think just sometimes, for me at least, against a physical team, maybe I get pushed off too easy. So I feel like working on protecting the puck would be huge. So, yeah, that would be kind of a main thing.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> So, for me, like other writers, I look up at other people and try to take things from them that I think are successful. Are there other NHL players that you look up to that you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, I need to find a way to integrate that into my two-way game,\u2019 or something like that?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> Yeah, I mean, I feel like for me it\u2019s not just one player. You look at different skills and guys. So you look at how smart Nick Suzuki is, like obviously Ovi\u2019s shot and stuff, or like the Matthews release, whatever release he does. So there\u2019s just like a lot of guys to look at, and it\u2019s always changing, too. Last offseason, I looked at [Zach] Hyman and how he protects the puck. Obviously, I still need to work on that, but just how he hounds pucks and uses his stick in a certain way, and his body. So, yeah, there\u2019s a lot of guys, and I\u2019m sure during the offseason, I\u2019ll look at some more video on what other guys do.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> For me, you\u2019re part of this young core that is kind of bubbling up to the Caps, and I think it\u2019s the reason why they\u2019re always so successful through injury and stuff like that. But there\u2019s another level of guys coming too, like Andrew Cristall and Ilya Protas. What did you see from them? I don\u2019t know how much you practice with them, but what have you seen from them that might make them successful in the future?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> I think, obviously, they\u2019re super talented, great players, but I think every time I step on the ice with them, I just see them improving. I think that\u2019s the best thing you can always do is just keep getting better. I think every time I\u2019m like, \u2018Okay, maybe this didn\u2019t work last time for them,\u2019 and then now they\u2019re able to do it, so I think just for them, they\u2019re always improving. Obviously, Pro, I think he\u2019s still growing. I think he got bigger somehow. They\u2019re always improving, and they\u2019re students of the game. I think that\u2019s why they\u2019re getting better.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Let\u2019s say that you don\u2019t make the Capitals next year and you end up here. You will likely be in a bigger role. I think there might be some turnover here. If you do end up starting in Hershey, what do you want to do here? What do you want to accomplish next season? Where do you want to be in the lines? Stuff like that.<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> I think I just want to be more of a leader. I\u2019m not like a vocal guy really in the locker room, but I think I just want to be a leader in terms of how I play every single night. Just being consistent. I want to try to be a rock for the team. And that\u2019s hard to do every night. And I think that would be my goal.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Is there anyone in this locker room that you kind of look up to as like, \u2018That guy\u2019s a leader, that\u2019s who I want to be as I continue to mature as a player.\u2019?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> I think there\u2019s a lot of guys like, obviously, Nesser (Aaron Ness), he\u2019s been doing it for so long. I\u2019ll say Sgarbossa also, like just the way he attacks every day in practice. He\u2019s always on the ice before goalie ice and stuff, but he\u2019s always working on his craft. But, no, there\u2019s a lot of guys, and we have a veteran-heavy team. You can always pick up something from someone and just try to keep getting better every day.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> Who do you usually work out with over the summer?<\/p>\n

Henrik Rybinski:<\/strong> I\u2019m from Vancouver, so I\u2019m pretty close to Vinny (Vincent Iorio). So, I\u2019ve trained with Ian Gallagher, so that\u2019s Brendan Gallagher\u2019s dad. It\u2019s in Delta, so I think Beck Malenstyn was there and stuff, so I\u2019ve trained with them like the past four or five years, so I\u2019ll probably go back there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Washington Capitals have several open roster spots heading into the 2025-26 season, and one of the players…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":81101,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[293,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-81100","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-nhl","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114892278319081013","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81100\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}