Karel Vejmelka has had a tough time feeling completely positive about his performances so far this season. But the truth is, it's not really his fault.
The Utah Hockey Club goaltender has been thrust into three starts and has stepped in as a relief for his partner, Connor Ingram, in another. Unfortunately, during the 11 periods that Vejmelka has been in net this season, the offense has only managed to score once. What's more, the team has been shut out three times while he's been between the pipes. In a tough match-up on Tuesday night at the Canada Life Centre, Vejmelka played solidly despite his team’s 3-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. He finished the game with 25 saves.
"It's tough on him," Utah's head coach, André Tourigny, said after the game. "He played well, but we just couldn't support him offensively. It's really unfortunate, because he played really solid."
The game was still tied at 0-0 at the end of the first period after the Utah squad weathered the Jets’ offensive pushes and countered with a few of their own chances. Utah had some strong defensive moments, but in the end, the Jets' experience and skill won out.
The first breakthrough came in the second period when Gabriel Vilardi gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead. It happened with just a few seconds left on the clock as Dylan Guenther sat in the penalty box for a hooking infraction. Josh Morrissey took a hard shot from the point that tipped off Vilardi's stick at 17:57, giving the Jets their league-leading 16th power-play goal of the season.
But Winnipeg wasn’t done yet. In the third period, Nino Niederreiter padded the lead for the Jets. He rushed up the left side, expertly shifting the puck to his backhand and slipping it past Vejmelka to make it 2-0 at 7:30. Niederreiter sealed the win later with an empty-net goal at 17:01, putting the game away at 3-0.
Despite their best efforts, Utah couldn’t capitalize on the four power-play opportunities they were granted during the game. They went 0-for-4, including a power play in the first period where they didn’t even register a shot on goal. Forward Lawson Crouse, who contributed three shots, four hits, and one block, summed up the struggle: “I think we need to be more selfish and shoot the puck more. At the end of the day, it was a special teams battle, and we lost that one. They capitalized on theirs, and we didn’t.”
While Utah’s offensive struggles were apparent again in Winnipeg, their defense was much more solid against a Jets team that had been averaging a staggering 4.92 goals per game heading into the contest.
“We did a lot of good things defensively against a really strong team,” Coach Tourigny noted after the game. "That’s something we can build on."
Vejmelka played a crucial role in that defensive effort. He made 12 saves in the first period alone, keeping the game tied and setting a calm, steady tone from the net. His presence in the crease was exactly what Utah needed, and despite the loss, he showed that he can perform against top-tier opponents.
With Ingram starting the majority of the games this season, Vejmelka’s appearances have been somewhat limited. But when his number is called, he’s been determined to deliver his best.
“I started off well with a couple of good saves in the first period, and after that, I just felt like I was getting better as the game went on,” Vejmelka said. “Of course, I wanted to get some points from the game, but we’ll just have to look forward to the next one.”
Vejmelka's path to the NHL has been anything but conventional. After being drafted by the Nashville Predators in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, he chose not to sign and instead became a free agent. He spent five seasons with HC Kometa Brno in the Czech Extraliga before joining the Arizona Coyotes for the 2021-2022 season. Now, after two seasons in the NHL, Vejmelka is focused on making the most of his opportunity.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing in the NHL, like everyone else,” he said. “I want to enjoy every minute of it and play as long as I can. I’m really lucky to be here, and I have great teammates around me.”
The love of hockey runs deep in Vejmelka’s family. His father and grandfather both played the sport, and growing up, it was almost inevitable that he’d follow in their footsteps. But Vejmelka didn’t just play hockey. He was also involved in soccer and tennis, which he said was hard to leave behind. However, he credits his experiences in those sports for improving his agility as a goaltender.
“It’s all about footwork and reflexes,” Vejmelka explained. "Soccer and tennis helped me develop that, which has translated really well to the goalie position."
Tourigny, who has seen Vejmelka’s growth firsthand, believes the young goalie has what it takes to be a consistent contributor for the team. “I think he’s capable of playing every night,” Tourigny said. “With the way our schedule is set up, we’ve been able to ride Ingram, but we’ll need both of our goalies as the season progresses.”
Vejmelka, for his part, is focused on being ready whenever he’s called upon. “It’s up to the coaches who plays, so my job is to just stay prepared and make sure I’m ready every time,” he said.
While Utah isn’t interested in moral victories, their growth has been evident this season, especially as they’ve played against top teams like the Jets. For players like Vejmelka, it’s a chance to build and get better, even if the results don’t always show it on the scoreboard.
“We just have to learn from games like this, move on, and get ready for the next one,” said Crouse, keeping things in perspective.
Next up for Utah is another divisional showdown, this time against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. The team will be looking to secure its first win of this four-game road trip and build on the defensive improvements they showed in Winnipeg.
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