Utah's goaltender will represent his home country for the fourth straight year after winning gold in 2024
Utah Hockey Club announced today that goaltender Karel Vejmelka was selected by the Czech Ice Hockey Association to represent Team Czechia at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark, from May 9-25.
Vejmelka, 28, appeared in 58 games for Utah this season, earning a 26-22-8 record with a 2.58 goals-against average (GAA), .904 save percentage (SV%) and one shutout. He set new career highs in games played, starts (55), wins, GAA and SV%, and his 58 appearances were tied for the sixth-most by any NHL netminder in 2024-25. Selected by his teammates as Utah’s first-ever team MVP, Vejmelka started 24 of Utah’s final 25 games from Feb. 23 to April 15, registering a 13-7-4 record over that stretch.
A native of Trebic, Czechia, Vejmelka has appeared in 198 career NHL games with Utah and the Arizona Coyotes, posting a 70-97-19 record, 3.22 GAA, .900 SV% and six shutouts. He was originally selected by the Nashville Predators in the fifth round (145th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft.
Vejmelka is set to represent Czechia at the IIHF World Championship for the fourth straight year, after helping his country to a gold medal in Prague in 2024. He also played for Team Czechia at the 2014 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, winning a silver medal.
