Karel Vejmelka did not mince words this week: The goaltender wants to stay in Salt Lake City.
Per reports from NHL insiders Pierre LeBrun, Frank Seravalli and Elliotte Friedman, Utah Hockey Club general manager Bill Armstrong made that happen.
Vejmelka has reportedly signed a five-year contract extension with a $4.75 million average annual value. The deal comes amid a career season for Vejmelka in which he has posted a 2.45 goals against average and .910 save percentage through 38 games.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) as Utah Hockey Club hosts the Minnesota Wild, NHL hockey in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
The 28-year-old was on the last season of the three-year, $8.25 million deal he inked with the Arizona Coyotes in March 2022. Vejmelka was at risk of becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer but Utah locked him down.
“I don’t have really reasons to change anything. It’s the first thing on my mind to be part of the team, especially with these kinds of players — we’re like a big family,” Vejmelka said.
Vejmelka’s extension with Utah holds the biggest term and dollar value he has gotten in the NHL after initially signing a one-year, two-way contract with Arizona in May 2021 as his first introduction to the league.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club goalie Karel Vejmelka is introduced ahead of an NHL game against the Colorado Avalanche in Salt Lake City, Friday, Dec. 27, 2024.
It has been earned. Vejmelka took over as Utah’s starting goaltender in mid-November when Connor Ingram was away and backstopped the team with consistent performances for nearly two months. After experimenting with a goalie rotation when Ingram returned, the Club has seemingly put its confidence in Vejmelka in the final race for a playoff spot.
“I’m just playing my best and trying to help us to get a win every night. It’s important to me to get the important points. Every point matters now,” Vejmelka said.
Vejmelka has started in the last four games and had a .932 SV% and 1.50 GAA in that stretch.
Ingram has one year (the 2025-26 season) left on his contract, which carries a $1.95 million AAV. Utah has invested a lot in Vejmelka — quite literally with time and money. It will be interesting to see how the team handles its goalie group going forward.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Goalie Karel Vejmelka arrives to the cheers of fans gathered as Utah Hockey Club's first NHL season kicks off at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
Vejmelka’s contract extension is one of four Utah has gotten done this week. He joins Olli Määttä, Alex Kerfoot and Ian Cole on the list of players who have re-upped their deals in the last three days.
With Friday’s NHL trade deadline looming, it seems Armstrong has focussed on securing core pieces and positions for the Club’s next few seasons — and its current run for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Nick Bjugstad, Michael Carcone, Robert Bortuzzo and Nick DeSimone are the remaining pending unrestricted free agents on Utah’s roster.
