#70
#70 Karel Vejmelka
- Position Goaltender
- Height 6’4”
- Weight 221
- Shoots Right
- Born May 25, 1996 (29)
- Birthplace Třebíč, Czechia
- Acquired Transferred from Arizona, June 13, 2024
- Drafted 2015, Nashville’s 5th choice (5th round, 145th overall)
CAREER STATISTICS
- First NHL Game 10/16/21 at BUF (2-1 SOL)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2024-25
- Set new career-best marks in games played (58), starts (55), wins (26), GAA (2.58) and SV% (.904), earning selection by his teammates as Utah’s first-ever Team MVP
- Tied for the sixth-most games played by any NHL netminder
- Posted a 1.83 GAA and .928 SV% in the opening frame, allowing just 35 first-period goals in 58 games
- Made a career-high and franchise-record 49 saves on 50 shots faced to register his first win of the season vs. CAR (11/13), tied for the second-most saves by any NHL goaltender in a single game in 2024-25
- Stopped all 26 shots faced to record his first Utah Hockey Club shutout at MIN (1/23)
- Started 24 of Utah’s final 25 games (2/23-4/15), including a career-long, 23-game streak of starts from 2/23-4/12, and earned a 13-7-4 record over that stretch
- His streak of starts marked the longest run by any NHL netminder since 2014-15
2023-24
- Earned a 13-19-2 record and .897 save percentage in 38 appearances for Arizona
- Made 33 saves at NJD (10/13) to earn the Coyotes’ first Opening Night win in eight years
- Recorded his first career NHL point with an assist at LAK (10/27)
- Won three straight starts from 12/16-12/27, with a 28-save shutout vs. BUF (12/16)
- Extended his career-best shutout sequence to 156:55, spanning from 12/11-12/21
2022-23
- Registered a .900 save percentage and three shutouts in 50 games with the Coyotes
- Made a season-high 47 saves on Opening Night at PIT (10/13)
- Earned a 2.15 goals-against average, .936 save percentage and two shutouts in nine November appearances
- Posted the first four-game win streak of his NHL career from 11/1-11/10, with a 24-save shutout at NYI (11/10)
2021-22
- Played 52 NHL games with Arizona as a rookie, registering an .898 save percentage and one shutout
- Ranked second among rookie netminders in appearances, minutes played (2,773) and saves (1,499) and fifth in wins (13)
- Made 32 saves in his NHL debut at BUF (10/16)
- Stopped 37 of 38 shots faced to record his first career win at LAK (11/21)
- Posted a 46-save shutout at WPG (11/29), tied for the most saves by any goaltender in his first career shutout in NHL history
- Became the fourth netminder since 1955-56 to record at least 45 saves in his first career shutout
2020-21
- Registered a 2.79 goals-against average and .911 save percentage over 35 appearances for HC Kometa Brno in his final Extraliga season
- Finished eighth in minutes played (2,020), sixth in saves (966) and tied for third in shutouts (3) among all Extraliga goaltenders
- Posted three straight shutouts at HC Vítkovice (12/30), vs. HC Karlovy Vary (1/3) and at PSG Zlín (1/5), stopping all 90 shots faced
- Made eight postseason appearances, earning a 2.39 goals-against average and .910 save percentage
2019-20
- Set Extraliga highs in games played (43) and wins (22) while matching his career high in shutouts (3) with HC Kometa Brno
- Ranked tied for third in wins (22), tied for fifth in shutouts and sixth in saves (1,114) among Extraliga netminders
- Posted back-to-back shutouts in September, with 23 saves vs. HC Sparta Praha (9/22) and 41 saves at HC Vítkovice (9/27)
2018-19
- Earned a 17-14-0 record in 31 games for HC Kometa Brno, setting Extraliga highs (min. 15 GP) in goals-against average (2.38) and save percentage (.915)
- Finished eighth in wins and goals-against average and ninth in save percentage in Extraliga netminders
- Made 28 saves in his lone shutout vs. HC Pardubice
2017-18
- Split the Extraliga season between HC Dukla Jihlava and HC Kometa Brno, registering a 2.09 goals-against average, .924 save percentage and two shutouts in 10 total appearances
- Posted a 1.81 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in his six games with Brno, with a 31-save shutout at BK Mladá Boleslav
- Won the Extraliga championship with Brno for the second straight season
2016-17
- Posted a 2.50 goals-against average, .905 save percentage and three shutouts in 31 Extraliga appearances for HC Kometa Brno
- Finished tied for eighth in shutouts among Extraliga netminders, with a 24-save shutout in a 1-0 shootout win vs. HC Vítkovice
- Helped Brno win their first Extraliga championship
2015-16
- Earned a 3-3-0 record in six total Extraliga appearances with HC Dynamo Pardubice and HC Kometa Brno
- Registered a 1.47 goals-against average, .941 save percentage and one shutout in five games for Brno
- Posted his first Extraliga regular-season shutout at HC Vítkovice (12/13), stopping all 28 shots faced in net
2014-15
- Played his first Extraliga season with HC Pardubice, posting a 4-3-0 record, 2.86 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in seven regular-season games
- Made 26 saves to record a win in his Extraliga debut vs. HC Litvínov
- Appeared in six Extraliga playoff games, earning a 3-3 record and .916 save percentage
- Posted a 35-save shutout in Game 4 of the play-in round vs. HC Vítkovice (3/8), clinching Pardubice’s 3-1 series victory
INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Won silver with Czechia at the 2014 IIHF Under-18 World Championship
- Represented Czechia at four consecutive IIHF World Championships (2022-25), winning a gold medal in 2024
- Won a bronze medal in 2022, posting a 5-3-0 record, 2.46 goals-against average and one shutout
TRANSACTIONS
- Jun 27, 2015 – Selected by Nashville in the fifth round (145th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft
- May 4, 2021 – Signed with Arizona to a one-year, entry-level contract as a free agent
- Mar 21, 2022 – Signed with Arizona to a three-year contract extension
- Jun 13, 2024 – Transferred to Utah from Arizona
- Mar 5, 2025 – Signed with Utah to a five-year contract extension
PERSONAL
Karel’s nickname is “Veggie”… He played six seasons in the Czech Extraliga between his draft season and first NHL campaign… He chose to wear number 70 because his parents were born in the 1970s … Karel says Henrik Lundqvist was his hockey idol growing up.
CAREER vs. NHL
| Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Ducks | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 176 |
| Boston Bruins | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 159 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 255 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 281 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50 |
| Calgary Flames | 10 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 263 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 207 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 311 |
| Dallas Stars | 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 195 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 117 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 206 |
| Florida Panthers | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 250 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 8 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 226 |
| Minnesota Wild | 12 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 341 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 171 |
| New Jersey Devils | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 235 |
| Nashville Predators | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 144 |
| New York Islanders | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 137 |
| New York Rangers | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 96 |
| Ottawa Senators | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 172 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 195 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 144 |
| Seattle Kraken | 9 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 236 |
| San Jose Sharks | 9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 237 |
| St. Louis Blues | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 236 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 131 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 203 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 200 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 10 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 327 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 11 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 365 |
| Washington Capitals | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 197 |
| Totals | 220 | 82 | 104 | 21 | 6463 |
