Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Bounces back with win
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Vejmelka stopped 25 of 27 shots in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Sabres.
Vejmelka rebounded from his poor start Tuesday versus the Oilers, turning in a strong effort to get back in the win column. He allowed a power-play goal to JJ Peterka in the first period and a shorthanded tally to Ryan McLeod in the third, but Utah pulled away late for the win. Vejmelka has alternated wins and losses over his last six outings. He's a 20-win goalie for the first time in four NHL campaigns, and he's added a 2.49 GAA and a .908 save percentage over 46 appearances. A tough matchup awaits Saturday when Utah hosts the Lightning.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Starting against Buffalo
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Vejmelka will be between the pipes at home against the Sabres on Thursday, Belle Fraser of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Vejmelka was pulled from Tuesday's game against the Oilers at the end of the first period after he allowed three goals on 14 shots. However, he'll have a chance to bounce back in his 12th consecutive start Thursday. Over his 11 starts since the 4 Nations break, he's gone 6-3-2 with a 2.31 GAA and .904 save percentage.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Pulled after one period
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Vejmelka stopped 11 of 14 shots in the first period of Tuesday's 7-1 loss to the Oilers.
Head coach Andre Tourigny pulled Vejmelka for Jaxson Stauber at the start of the second, and Stauber was tagged for four goals on 28 shots to close out the contest. Utah was flat across the board in this contest, so it's not all Vejmelka's fault, and he'll likely benefit from getting some rest given his heavy workload -- this was his 11th start in a row. For the season, the 28-year-old has been more good than bad with a 19-18-6 record, a 2.50 GAA and a .907 save percentage through 45 appearances. Utah's next game is at home versus Buffalo, a team with a strong offense but one that should be an easier matchup than Edmonton.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Slated starter in Edmonton
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Vejmelka was the first netminder off at Tuesday's morning skate, per Belle Fraser of The Salt Lake Tribune, indicating that he'll defend the road crease against the Oilers.
Vejmelka has been a workhorse for a Utah squad that is battling to make the postseason -- this will mark his 11th consecutive start. The 28-year-old has alternated wins and losses over his last four contests, with his last outing being an 18-save effort in a 3-1 victory over Vancouver on Sunday. The Oilers have won back-to-back games and will have Zach Hyman and Mattias Ekholm back in the lineup Tuesday. Vejmelka is 1-3-1 with a 4.50 GAA and an .875 save percentage across five career appearances against Edmonton.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Secures key win over Canucks
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Vejmelka stopped 18 of 19 shots in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Canucks.
This was a game Utah absolutely needed to have, especially when the Blues beat the Ducks 7-2. Vejmelka delivered a strong performance, allowing just a power-play goal to Quinn Hughes early in the second period before Utah scored the next three goals to stay within two points of the last wild-card spot. While this was Vejmelka's third win in his last seven outings, this was one of his best games in that span. The 28-year-old netminder is up to 19-17-6 with a 2.45 GAA and a .909 save percentage over 44 appearances. Utah wraps up its three-game road trip with a tough matchup in Edmonton on Tuesday.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Slated starter for Sunday
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Vejmelka is expected to start on the road against Vancouver on Sunday, per Belle Fraser of The Salt Lake Tribune on Saturday.
Vejmelka has an 18-17-6 record, 2.49 GAA and .908 save percentage in 43 outings in 2024-25. While those are decent overall numbers, he's going through a rough patch in which he's won just one of his past four starts (1-1-2) and has allowed 12 goals on 93 shots (.871 save percentage). He's found success against Vancouver this season, posting a 1.44 GAA and a .929 save percentage across two victories over the Canucks, so perhaps his third meeting against them will snap his cold spell.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Yields three goals in loss
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Vejmelka allowed three goals on 21 shots in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Kraken. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.
Vejmelka allowed a goal in each period, squandering the 2-1 lead Utah took early in the middle frame. Over six contests in March, Vejmelka has gone 2-2-2 with 17 goals allowed on 162 shots. He's now 18-17-6 with a 2.49 GAA and a .908 save percentage through 43 appearances this season. Utah is likely to keep turning to Vejmelka, though Jaxson Stauber could get a spot start on occasion while Connor Ingram is away from the team in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Utah's road trip continues in Vancouver on Sunday.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Gets starting nod Friday
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Vejmelka will defend the road goal in Seattle on Friday, according to Cole Bagley of KSL Sports.
Vejmelka has been sharp of late, going 6-1-2 with a 2.12 GAA and a .916 save percentage in his last nine starts. The 28-year-old is the undisputed No. 1 goaltender with Utah as Connor Ingram (personal) is sidelined in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The Kraken are generating 2.97 goals per game this season, 15th in the NHL.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Holds on late for win
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Vejmelka stopped 19 of 21 shots in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Ducks.
The Ducks tied the game at 2-2 early in the third period, but Dylan Guenther responded to put Utah ahead. Vejmelka made that goal stand as the game-winner, earning just his second win in five outings in the process (2-1-2). The 28-year-old netminder is now 18-16-6 with a 2.47 GAA and a .909 save percentage across 42 appearances. Vejmelka is likely to handle a starter's workload for two reasons -- one, Utah is battling for a playoff spot, and two, Connor Ingram is in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Look for Vejmelka to get the nod again in Friday's road game in Seattle.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Slated to start Wednesday
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Vejmelka is expected to start at home against Anaheim on Wednesday, according to Cole Bagley of KSL Sports.
Vejmelka is gearing up for his eighth straight start after going 4-1-2 with a 2.11 GAA and a .914 save percentage over his previous seven outings. The 28-year-old netminder has a 17-16-6 record, 2.49 GAA and .909 save percentage across 41 appearances overall in 2024-25. Anaheim ranks 29th in goals per game with 2.66.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Tagged with shootout loss
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Vejmelka stopped 23 of 26 shots in Monday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs.
Vejmelka was beaten twice in the first period and once more in the second, though two of those goals came when the Maple Leafs had the man advantage. The 28-year-old settled down afterward, but he ended up being tagged with an OT loss for the second game in a row. Vejmelka has started seven games in a row for Utah, going 4-1-2 with a 2.11 GAA and a .914 save percentage over that stretch.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Tagged with OT loss Friday
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Vejmelka stopped 21 of 25 shots in Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Blackhawks.
Vejmelka was beaten three times in the second period, including once via a penalty shot, before Connor Bedard scored the game-winning goal. Despite the loss, Vejmelka has posted solid numbers in recent weeks, going 4-1-1 with a 2.00 GAA and a .919 save percentage in his six outings since the league resumed following the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Set to start Friday
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Vejmelka is expected to start on the road against Chicago on Friday, per Cole Bagley of KSL Sports.
Vejmelka has gone 5-1-0 while saving 145 of 155 shots (.935 save percentage) over his past six outings. He's 17-16-4 with a 2.44 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 39 appearances this season. Vejmelka did start Thursday, stopping 38 of 40 shots en route to a 4-2 victory over Detroit, so fatigue might be an issue for him against Chicago, which ranks 25th in the NHL with 2.76 goals per game.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Busy in Thursday's win
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Vejmelka made 38 saves in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Red Wings.
The 40 shots on net represented the biggest volume Vejmelka had faced since he got barraged with 50 in a win over Carolina on Nov. 13. The 28-year-old netminder has won five of his last six starts, posting a stellar 1.71 GAA and .935 save percentage over that stretch while seizing the top job in the Utah crease in the process. Vejmelka could be leaned on heavily over the final weeks as the team tries to stay in the playoff picture in the Western Conference.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Earns five-year contract extension
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Vejmelka signed a five-year, $23.75 million contract extension with Utah on Wednesday, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.
Vejmelka's name has dangled in trade rumors for a couple of years, but that will now come to an end. Utah will secure its top goalie at a cap hit of $4.75 million, keeping him in the fold for a playoff push this year as well as in future years as the team integrates more prospects. Vejmelka has been well worth the money this year, earning a 16-16-4 record with a 2.45 GAA and a .910 save percentage over 38 contests. The 28-year-old may not ever work as a true No. 1, but he can handle a majority of the workload over Connor Ingram, who is signed through next season.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Takes loss against Devils
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Vejmelka allowed three goals on 29 shots in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Devils.
Vejmelka's four-game winning streak ended after the Devils scored twice in the third period, which was the difference in the contest. It was still a decent performance for the 28-year-old netminder -- chalk it up to a bit of misfortune with Utah's offense going cold. Vejmelka is 16-16-4 with a 2.45 GAA and a .910 save percentage across 38 appearances this season. He is having the best of his four NHL campaigns, and if he continues to keep Utah competitive, he should be able to hang onto the No. 1 job as the team competes for a wild-card spot. Utah will have a little time off before a road back-to-back with games in Detroit on Thursday and Chicago on Friday.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Starting Saturday
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Vejmelka will defend the home crease versus New Jersey on Saturday, according to Cole Bagley of KSL Sports.
Vejmelka is on a four-game winning streak heading into action Saturday. He has allowed only five goals on 86 shots (.942 save percentage) and has seen only 54 shots over his last three games. Vejmelka is 16-15-4 with a 2.44 GAA and a .910 save percentage across 37 contests this season. The Devils are generating 3.03 goals per game, 14th in the NHL this season.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Gets plenty of help in win
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Vejmelka stopped 15 of 16 shots in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Wild.
The Utah offense was in good form Thursday. The power play cashed in twice early, and Clayton Keller led the charge with a five-point game to give Vejmelka more than enough support. This was Vejmelka's fourth straight win, and he's allowed just five goals on 86 shots in that span. For the season, the Czech netminder is up to 16-15-4 with a 2.44 GAA and a .910 save percentage over 37 contests. His strong play coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break is giving Vejmelka a strong case to be Utah's No. 1 goalie as the team pursues a playoff spot. Utah hosts New Jersey on Saturday.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Set to start versus Chicago
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Vejmelka will guard the home crease against the Blackhawks on Tuesday, per Belle Fraser of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Vejmelka has a favorable matchup against a Blackhawks club that's generated 2.65 goals per game in 2024-25, the fifth-worst mark in the league. The 28-year-old netminder has generally been solid through four appearances in February, posting a 3-1-0 record, .895 save percentage and 2.79 GAA. Vejmelka's numbers during that stretch don't look as good due to a rough performance against the Hurricanes on Feb. 8 -- he conceded six goals on 37 shots in that contest. He allowed two goals or less in the other three matchups.
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Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka: Lightly tested in win
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Vejmelka stopped 14 of 15 shots in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Canucks.
The lone goal against was a Jake DeBrusk power-play tally early in the second period. Vejmelka has won three of his last four outings, and while he's given up 11 goals in that span, six of them came in one game. He's now 14-15-4 with a 2.52 GAA and a .909 save percentage over 35 appearances this season. Vejmelka and Connor Ingram are likely to split the playing time going forward unless one of them gets on a significant hot streak. Utah hosts Chicago on Tuesday.
