SALT LAKE CITY- The Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season is nearing an end with only four games left on the schedule, but there are still some members of the roster who fans should get to know.
Today, we’ll take a deep dive into the career of Utah’s starting goaltender, Karel Vejmelka.
That win feeling ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/U0iHTFBt7u
— Karel Vejmelka (@vejmelkarl) November 26, 2024
Karel Vejmelka is a 28-year-old goalie out of the Czech Republic. Vejmelka brings both international and NHL experience to the table and is currently having the best year of his career in front of the net.
Fans call him “Veggie”, a nickname that Utah Hockey Club faithful affectionately use to express their appreciation with chants that can be heard throughout Delta Center on game days.
For his exceptional play, Vejmelka was rewarded with a five-year contract extension worth $23 million in March, meaning fans can expect to be chanting for Veggie for years to come.
Karel Vejmelka has not had the most conventional path to the NHL.
He made his professional debut back in 2014 as a member of HC Dynamo Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga, the Czech Republic’s top-flight league.
Following his first professional season, the young netminder was selected 145th overall to the Nashville Predators in the 2015 NHL Entry Level Draft but would go unsigned by the club prior to the season.
As a result, Vejmelka returned to his native Czech Republic, where his contract with HC Dynamo Pardubice was transferred to HC Kometa Brno, where he would play his next five seasons with stints on load to other clubs mixed throughout. During those five seasons, Vejmelka consistently maintained a save percentage north of .900.
In 2021, Karel’s hard work in his native country finally paid off when he signed an entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes. In his NHL debut, Vejmelka made a splash, saving 32 of 33 shots against the Buffalo Sabers.
Later that year, injuries provided Vejmelka with the opportunity to play in more games, solidifying his role and showcasing his talent.
In 2024, Vejmelka also won a gold medal for the Czech Republic at the IIHF World Championship.
Since the club has made the move to Utah, there has been no doubt that Karel Vejmelka would be the starting goaltender. He is posting a career-best.907 save percentage in a stellar year.
Karel’s busiest night of the year was all the way back in November when he stopped a whopping 49 shots in a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Vejmelka posted a shutout against the Minnesota Wild back in January, and so far in April, he has allowed only one goal in three of four games.
Karel Vejmelka made an ABSURD 49 saves in tonight's @utahhockeyclub 4-1 victory 🤯 pic.twitter.com/xSr5Gb1plO
— NHL (@NHL) November 14, 2024
For fans wanting to connect with Karel Vejmelka on social media, you can follow him on Instagram and X.
The Utah Hockey Club will play its last game in Delta Center this season tomorrow, Thursday, April 10, against the Nashville Predators, with puck drop at 7:00 p.m. MT.
Utah will then hit the road for their final three games. They’ll play the Dallas Stars on April 12, the Nashville Predators again on April 14, and then they will close out the regular season against the St. Louis Blues on April 15. Click here for the full schedule.
