Karel Vejmelka
Czech ice hockey player (born 1996)
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Karel Vejmelka (born 25 May 1996) is a Czech professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Utah Mammoth of the National Hockey League (NHL). Vejmelka, who started his career in the Czech Extraliga, was selected by the Nashville Predators in the fifth round (145th overall) of the 2015 NHL entry draft.
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| Karel Vejmelka | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Vejmelka with the Arizona Coyotes in 2022 | |||
| Born |
25 May 1996 Třebíč, Czech Republic | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 203 lb (92 kg; 14 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Catches | Right | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Utah Mammoth HC Dynamo Pardubice HC Kometa Brno HC Dukla Jihlava Arizona Coyotes | ||
| National team |
 Czech Republic | ||
| NHL draft |
145th overall, 2015 Nashville Predators | ||
| Playing career | 2014–present | ||
Playing career
Vejmelka made his Czech Extraliga (ELH) debut playing with HC Pardubice (later Dynamo Pardubice) during the 2014–15 Czech Extraliga season.[1] He was selected by the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the fifth round, 145th overall, of the 2015 NHL entry draft.[2]
During the 2015–16 season, after making just a solitary appearance for Dynamo, Vejmelka transferred his contract to fellow ELH club, HC Kometa Brno, on 28 November 2015.[3]
With a shortened loan to HC Dukla Jihlava, Vejmelka, un-signed by the Predators, played the next five seasons with HC Kometa Brno before he was signed as a free agent to a one-year entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes of the NHL on 5 May 2021.[4]
In his debut North American season, Vejmelka earned a roster spot with the Coyotes to begin the 2021–22 season. He made his NHL debut with the Coyotes, stopping 32 of 33 shot attempts in a 2–1 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres on 17 October 2021.[5] With injury to initial starting goaltender Carter Hutton, Vejmelka assumed a larger role and established himself in the league. On 21 March 2022, the Coyotes signed Vejmelka to a three-year, $8.175 million contract extension that carries a $2.725 million cap hit.[6] Vejmelka holds the NHL record for the shortest time that a starting goaltender has spent on the ice before being pulled to the bench - 59 seconds against the Seattle Kraken on 6 November 2021.[7][failed verification]
Shortly after the end of the 2023–24 regular season, the Coyotes' franchise was suspended and team assets were subsequently transferred to the expansion Utah Mammoth; as a result, Vejmelka became a member of the Utah team.[8]
Vejmelka established himself as the starting goaltender in his first season in Utah, leading him to earn a five-year, $23.75 million extension on 6 March 2025.[9]
During the 2025–26 Utah Mammoth season, Vejmelka was the first goalie to reach 30 wins and recorded more time on ice than any other player.[10] He also finished the season with the second most wins, shots against, and saves.[11]
International play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Czech Republic | ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
 | 2024 Czech Republic | |
 | 2022 Finland | |
Vejmelka represented Czechia at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and won a gold medal.[12]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | OT | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 2013–14 | HC Dynamo Pardubice | Czech.20 | 36 | 16 | 20 | 0 | 2053 | 88 | 1 | 2.57 | .930 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | HC Dynamo Pardubice | Czech.20 | 37 | 21 | 16 | 0 | 2222 | 94 | 2 | 2.54 | .928 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | HC Dynamo Pardubice | ELH | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 419 | 20 | 0 | 2.86 | .923 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 338 | 17 | 1 | 3.02 | .916 | ||
| 2014–15 | SK Horácká Slavia Třebíč | Czech.1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 176 | 4 | 0 | 1.36 | .953 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | HC Dynamo Pardubice | ELH | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 1 | 0 | 1.36 | .933 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | HC Kometa Brno | ELH | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 163 | 4 | 1 | 1.47 | .941 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | SK Horácká Slavia Třebíč | Czech.1 | 42 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 2425 | 106 | 0 | 2.62 | .920 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | HC Kometa Brno | ELH | 31 | 14 | 17 | 0 | 1729 | 72 | 3 | 2.50 | .905 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | SK Horácká Slavia Třebíč | Czech.1 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 595 | 23 | 1 | 2.32 | .929 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | HC Kometa Brno | ELH | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 364 | 11 | 2 | 1.81 | .937 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | HC Dukla Jihlava | ELH | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 240 | 10 | 0 | 2.50 | .901 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | SK Horácká Slavia Třebíč | Czech.1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 803 | 31 | 2 | 2.32 | .908 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | HC Kometa Brno | ELH | 31 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 1762 | 70 | 1 | 2.38 | .915 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | SK Horácká Slavia Třebíč | Czech.1 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 616 | 21 | 1 | 2.05 | .925 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | HC Kometa Brno | ELH | 43 | 22 | 19 | 0 | 2414 | 109 | 3 | 2.71 | .911 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | HC Kometa Brno | ELH | 35 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 2020 | 94 | 3 | 2.79 | .911 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 451 | 18 | 0 | 2.39 | .910 | ||
| 2021–22 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 52 | 13 | 32 | 3 | 2773 | 170 | 1 | 3.68 | .898 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 50 | 18 | 24 | 6 | 2941 | 168 | 3 | 3.43 | .900 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 38 | 13 | 19 | 2 | 2040 | 112 | 1 | 3.29 | .897 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Utah Hockey Club | NHL | 58 | 26 | 22 | 8 | 3368 | 145 | 1 | 2.58 | .904 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2025–26 | Utah Mammoth | NHL | 64 | 38 | 20 | 3 | 3693 | 169 | 2 | 2.75 | .897 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 402 | 21 | 0 | 3.13 | .885 | ||
| ELH totals | 163 | 77 | 84 | 0 | 9,155 | 391 | 13 | 2.56 | .913 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 789 | 35 | 1 | 2.66 | .913 | ||||
| NHL totals | 262 | 108 | 117 | 22 | 14,815 | 764 | 8 | 3.10 | .899 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 402 | 21 | 0 | 3.13 | .885 | ||||
