Jakob Chychrun

Jakob Chychrun (born March 31, 1998) is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently  playing for the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Chychrun was drafted by the Coyotes with the 16th pick at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Minor hockey
Chychrun started playing hockey in his home state of Florida with the Junior Everblades and the Florida Jr. Panthers organizations. When Chychrun was thirteen, he joined the Little Caesars hockey organization in Detroit, Michigan where he played very well during his major bantam season. At the time, he continued living and practicing in Florida, travelling to Michigan on the weekends to play. The following season he remained with Little Caesars, playing for their U16 team.

In 2013, Chychrun was drafted by the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL draft. USA Hockey had implemented a rule requiring fifteen-year-old players to receive a special exemption to play junior hockey. Chychrun applied for one but was denied. Instead, Chychrun moved to Toronto and played his minor midget season for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens in the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

Major junior
Chychrun was selected first overall by the Sarnia Sting in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection. He had a strong rookie season for the Sting and at the end of the season was nominated for the Emms Family Award for outstanding rookie; the Max Kaminsky Trophy for defenseman of the year; and the Red Tilson Trophy for OHL Player of the Year.

Leading up to the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Chychrun was highly regarded by scouts and was considered one of the top defensemen available. He was drafted by Arizona in the first round, sixteenth overall, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. This was far lower than expected; prior to the start of the 2015–16 NHL season, Chychrun was regarded as a top three selection.

Professional
On July 30, 2016 Chychrun signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Coyotes. He scored his first goal on October 20, 2016 against Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens. After a month with the Coyotes, it was announced that Chychrun would remain with the team for the rest of the season.

International play
Chychrun competed with Team Ontario at the 2014 World U-17 Hockey Challenge where he scored four points in five games. He was the first minor midget player to have played for Team Ontario at the tournament.

Personal life
He is the son of Jeff Chychrun and nephew of Luke Richardson, both of whom are former National Hockey League defensemen. He is of Ukrainian descent.