I have not seen it anywhere here, so I am going to post it: there has been an article in czech media about Rittich. Below you can find the link and my effort to translate it better than google translate does, lol. Flames reportedly approached Rittich's agent already and wanted to negotiate an extension but were dismissed.
"We are not in a hurry. We want to wait for the end of the season and make a most of David's great performances, stats and contribution to his team's success." - Rittich's agent Robert Spalenka.
Here is a link for the article:
https://www.idnes.cz/hokej/nhl/david...211136_nhl_ten
And translation:
It was year 2015 and Czech Extraliga rookie David Rittich had to listen to harsh words of his captain David Vyborny (543 NHL games) in the Mlada Boleslav dressing room. "He was lazy, it was for a couple of days, so I screamed at him a few times. He was letting goals in in the last minute, he did not look very good, he was not consistent. "
The annoyance of the famous hockey forward was legit, Boleslav had goaltending issues and was losing points because of it. Hard lesson worked. Rittich understood that he would not make it very far without the hard work. Next year, he was one of the main reasons Boleslav made it to the historic semifinals.
The change of attitude has shown Rittich where the path of success is leading. He is still benefiting from it today. Safe to say that he broke through in Calgary and then pushed Mike Smith from the crease. And rightfully so.
He performs great in the NHL and is regulary included in the match star selections. Last time against the dangerous Colorado, he stopped 32 of 35 shots and earned the 16th win in his 23rd start.
These results of Calgary, currently topping the Western Conference, are largely on him. His average number of goals against ranks seventh in the NHL, and his save percentage is well over 92 percent.
"Yeah, he's in a position where the team's performance stands and falls with his play," Vyborny agrees.
This is a unique accomplishment in times when Czech goalies abandon their positions in the league. "I always knew he was extraordinary. He confirmed that during his junior years, but he was overlooked by the national team and did not get into selections, "recalls goaltending coach Petr Jaros, who was coaching Rittich in Jihlava.
According to him, Rittich's biggest advantage is that he does not play the same way as other goaltenders. "He's hard to read because he does not always do the same thing. He is also very fast and flexible. He can reach far for pucks and can deal with difficult situations. And most of it all he has a head for goaltending: he does not make a rocket science of it when he is out there and simply has fun. No stress. If he makes a mistake, he shakes it off quickly. What helped him a lot was the fact he was always a deft stick handler, which is a necessity in the NHL. "
Rittich himself says he is hot tempered however, according to Marian Jelinek, who led him in Boleslav, but he can use his emotions the right way. He does not allow them to irritate him, instead they make him aroused and concentrated.
"Nerves do not hurt athletes, they push them to maximum performance. It's not good to be a complete stoic if you ask me. David is not stressed out, but emotions are floating through him. He can work with them. He is not going to #### the bed. "
Rittich's ability to cohere with the team also helps him. He likes to be fun, can take jokes and cues. It's no coincidence that he has repeatedly above-average relationships with his goalie partners. As with Lukas Sablik or Martin Ruzicka, he also get along well with Mike Smith. "Rivalry? I don't know that word, we are friends, we spend a lot of time together and appreciate each other, "he told the MF DNES at the end of the year.
Of course, Rittich benefits from his height, he takes away a lot of space in the net, but there are more factors that lift him up. One is his sense for detail. It is natural to him to stay longer in the arena and discuss with goalie coaches every little thing he can work on.
"Many times I thought it's nonsense. For example, how to position the glove, how to cover the post, where to put a foot or how to slide a pad over the ice faster, but not too fast either, to be able stop in the right time ... This is the behavior that suggests that he could be a great goaltender one day, "says Jelinek.
Every year Rittich takes a few steps forward. He improves with experience, but also with his relentless devotion to work on his body strenght. According to coach Jaros, he has improved in the past few years especially in this area. "He definitely has much stronger legs, making him quicker and improves his stamina as well. And maturing makes him smarter. He tries to be a step ahead of the forward. Sometimes due to this he allows a soft goal, but one has to go through such situations to learn and get better. "
It is clear that Rittich is going to sign a new contract after the season and will become officially the number one. The Flames front office has already made a call. "We are not in a hurry. We want to wait for the end of the season and make a most of David's great performances, stats and contribution to his team's success." says his agent Robert Spalenka.
Rittich's price rises. It is safe to say that he is currently the best Czech goalie.
