Karel Vejmelka’s career has been filled with a lot of questions and challenges. He was drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2015, only to not appear in an NHL game until six years later, when he suited up for the Arizona Coyotes. The goaltender signed a three-year deal after his first NHL season and played well during the 2022-23 season, only to run into injuries that handicapped his second season with the Coyotes.
A move up to Utah coincided with his best NHL season to date and his final season under contract. After receiving a big five-year contract from the now Utah Mammoth, people wondered if Vejmelka could continue his success from his first season as a bona fide starting goaltender. The answer so far has been yes, as he is tied for wins in the entire NHL.
Yet, two games into the Olympics, Vejmelka is being treated as Czechia’s third-string goaltender despite his fantastic season so far. Nevertheless, the goaltender is excited for the opportunity to play in his first Olympics and try to show his country that he can be the best goaltender for them on the biggest stage.
Czechia Knows a Thing or Two About Veggies
Vejmelka is no stranger to playing for his country. In fact, he’s no stranger to winning with his country. The goaltender has played for Czechia in multiple tournaments, including the past four straight World Championships, winning gold in 2024 and silver at the U18 World Championship.
However, this will be Vejmelka’s first-ever Olympics, just like many others who play in the NHL. It’s a dream come true for the goaltender to even play for Czechia, no matter what role he plays. Everyone dreams about playing in the Olympics. Despite Vejmelka’s interesting and long route to even getting to the NHL and into Czechia’s spotlight, he’s showing that dreams can come true if you try hard enough.
It’s a big honor,” Vejmelka said. “It’s the biggest tournament in the world. It’s huge for everybody, especially for me. I think it’s a great message for everybody, especially for young players as well, and goalies in Utah. I’m trying to be the best example (for them).”
Vejmelka found out a week before it was officially announced that he would be going to Milano-Cortina from Czechia’s goaltending coach. It was a no-brainer for the team. Vejmelka leads the NHL in games started (44), tied with Jordan Binnington for most wins (27), and has only lost four of the 15 games he’s started in the year of 2026.
In the past month, Vejmelka has even been named the NHL’s third star of the week twice. Add on the fact that he’s been really sharp in goal even within days before the start of the Olympics, winning his final two games with the Mammoth. His winning ways have been noticed by all at this point.
“He’s been on a good stretch,” Mammoth head coach André Tourigny said. “He’s played a lot of hockey going into the Olympics. I’m happy for him.”
🇨🇿 Karel Vejmelka, Olympian. 🇨🇿 @Olympics | #MilanoCortina2026 pic.twitter.com/M7SG3LIqSf
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 11, 2026
The goaltender joins a dark-horse Czechia team that many have picked as one of the best teams in the tournament outside of the United States and Canada. Featuring stars like David Pastrňák, Tomáš Hertl, and Martin Nečas, Czechia also has two other good goaltenders besides Vejmelka in Lukáš Dostál and Daniel Vladař. While gold and silver seemed like a pipe dream, challenging for bronze seemed like a possible achievement for the team, especially because a lot of the team had played with each other before in prior tournaments.
“We’re gonna have the same team we had two years ago in Prague,” Vejmelka said. “It’s gonna be a pretty good tournament. We have tough opponents. We play games against Canada, then France, and Switzerland. It’s gonna be a huge three games for us, but I’m pretty sure we can have big success.”
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However, the tournament has been a less-than-ideal start for Czechia. It started with a 5-0 loss to Canada and then came a crazy 6-3 win against France, a game in which they found themselves surrendering three straight goals in the second period. Czechia, in total, has given up eight goals in only two games.
Yet, Czechia hasn’t turned to one of the top goaltenders in the NHL. Dostál played the first game against Canada, and Vladař played the second game against France. Vejmelka only dressed for Czechia in the second game as Vladař’s backup.
That might change soon as Czechia heads into a big matchup against Switzerland. Both teams hold a 1-1 record heading into the final group play game. It’ll also be the final chance to test their lineups before heading into the qualifiers. It provides a good opportunity for both Czechia and Vejmelka to show how good they can be.
If Vejmelka starts on Sunday (which he should) and puts up a great performance against a Switzerland team that kept Canada within reach for most of their game on Friday, he will more than likely be a starter to begin the qualifiers for Czechia. We’ll see what Czechia head coach Radim Rulík does, but if the country wants to succeed in the Olympics, they’ll need to adjust however they can because it hasn’t been a great start. If starting Vejmelka makes the team better, it’s the right move.
The Job Is to Bring a Medal Home, No Matter What Role
Even if Vejmelka doesn’t start, getting the nod to represent his country is something he’ll always be grateful for. It’s an honor to wear Czechia’s colors on and off the ice and to be among the best hockey players the country has to offer.
“It’s a dream come true for me,” Vejmelka said. “You always dream about it. It’s really exciting and a big moment in my career for sure. I really want to enjoy every moment on and off the ice with our group.”
It’s definitely a dream well earned for Vejmelka, who has been critical in helping the Mammoth be one of the 16 teams currently in a playoff spot. His mindset for the next couple of weeks, though, is all on Czechia, proving he can be one of the country’s best goaltenders on the biggest stage, and making noise in the tournament.
Vejmelka might not play on Sunday or for the rest of the tournament. He might be Czechia’s lightning rod and play more than just Sunday’s game throughout his country’s run in Milano-Cortina. At the end of the day, if it’s in net, on the bench, or even in the stands, the goal is simple for Vejmelka, and he’ll do whatever he can to help his team do it, no matter what role he plays. Bring a medal home to Czechia.
“It’s the same goal for everybody,” Vejmelka said. “Just play the best hockey we ever could, make sure the fans are happy and excited, and just bring a medal home.”
Czechia hasn’t won an Olympic medal in hockey since 2006. 20 years later, and they have a good shot at ending the drought. Turning to Vejmelka, though, might be the right choice in net in order to do so.
