On Friday (March 27), the Edmonton Oilers announced the signing of defenceman Tomas Cibulka to a two-year entry-level contract that will begin next season. This prompted fans to ask, “Who?”
Cibulka is not a name familiar in Oil Country. He’s probably not too well known anywhere, to be brutally honest. While the 21-year-old spent three seasons in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), he was never drafted by an NHL franchise and has since been playing pro in his native Czechia.
So, who exactly is Cibulka? Here are five things to know about the 6-foot, 176-pound, left-shot blueliner from Ceske Budejovice.
He Was a First-Round Pick in the CHL Import Draft
The Val-d’Or Foreurs used their pick in the first round of the 2021 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft to select Cibulka 49th overall. The 2004-born blueliner was the eighth-highest-drafted player from Czechia.
Cibulka joined the Foreurs for the 2021-22 season and spent two and a half years in Val-d’Or before being dealt to the Cape Breton Eagles on Jan. 6, 2024, midway through his final CHL campaign.
He Was an Offensive Force in the QMJHL
In 2023-24, Cibulka became one of the QMJHL’s top offensive blueliners, totalling 10 goals and 39 assists over 55 games between Val d’Or and Cape Breton. For the season, he ranked third in both points per game (0.89) and power-play points per game (0.42) among all defencemen in the league.
He continued his elite offensive play in the 2024 QMJHL Playoffs, as he racked up 11 points in 14 games while helping Cape Breton advance to the third round for the first time in 17 years. He tied for second in assists (10) and power-play points (7) among all blueliners in the 2024 QMJHL postseason.
He’s a World Juniors Medalist
Cibulka might have led all QMJHL defencemen in total points for the 2023-24 season had he not missed a chunk of games to represent his country at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Related: 2024 World Junior Championship Team Czechia Final Roster
Over seven games at the annual tournament, Cibulka scored twice, including a huge goal in Czechia’s quarter-final victory over Canada. Czechia went on to capture bronze, giving Cibulka his first medal in a major international competition. He had previously suited up for Team Czechia at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
He Attended Bruins Rookie Camp
While he went unselected all three years he was eligible for the NHL Draft, 2022 to 2024, Cibulka caught the eye of the Boston Bruins, who brought the then-20-year-old to their rookie camp in September 2024.
Cibulka played for the Bruins rookies at the 2024 Prospects Challenge in Buffalo. The annual event featured exhibition contests between rookie squads representing the Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins. At the conclusion of rookie camp, Cibulka did not receive an invite to Boston’s main camp.
He Played for His Hometown Team
After three years of major junior hockey in Canada, he returned to Czechia, where he joined his hometown team, HC Banes Motor České Budějovice, of the Czech Extraliga, the top league in Czech pro hockey.
Cibulka was named the top rookie in the Extraliga for the 2024-25 season after scoring six goals and chipping in 14 assists over 43 games with České Budějovice HC. The blueliner put up similar numbers this season, totalling seven goals and 15 assists in 47 games. České Budějovice was recently eliminated from the 2026 postseason, freeing Cibulka to sign with the Oilers.
There has been no announcement about whether Cibulka will join Edmonton’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, for the remainder of the 2025-26 season and Calder Cup Playoffs. But Oilers fans can look forward to seeing him at Rogers Place during the 2026-27 NHL preseason.
