Utah Mammoth’s 2025-26 Report Cards: Karel Vejmelka

During January, Vejmelka was named to Czechia’s Olympic team; his first-ever Olympic selection. He won the Mammoth’s final two games before the break, once again being named the third star of the week, before heading off to Italy. Despite his strong play throughout January and February, Vejmelka never played an Olympic game as Czechia lost in the quarterfinals.

Vejmelka was streaky when he returned from the Olympics. While he went 1-1-0 in his final games in February, he posted a 2-3-1 record throughout the first couple of weeks in March. However, the goaltender turned it around quickly, winning eight of his next 10 games, helping the Mammoth clinch a playoff spot and the first wildcard spot in the Western Conference.

It was a good year for Vejmelka. He ended up second among NHL goalies in wins with 38 and played 64 games, which led the entire league. That was five more than Juuse Saros, who was in second place. Overall, the goalie played six more games than the season prior, recording 12 more wins as well.

“I felt pretty confident,” Vejmelka said. “I felt great during the season, even if there were some ups and downs. I always wanted to be the key player on the ice and give us the chance to win every game. Overall, it was a good year, but there’s definitely some room to get better and be even better.”

During the season, Vejmelka accomplished some big achievements. That included playing in his 200th NHL game and 100th win. The 100th win was a special one for the goaltender as he and his partner in net, Vítek Vaněček, each recorded that milestone in back-to-back games.

During the 2024-25 season, Vejmelka never had a concrete backup, as Connor Ingram only played half of the season and Jaxson Stauber and Matt Villalta split time in the remaining months. Having a fellow Czech backing him up throughout the season was special for him, especially one that ended up being a really good friend to him.

“It was a huge opportunity for us to be good teammates, good friends, too,” Vejmelka said. “We were cheering for each other, helping each other and just being good teammates.”

As predicted, Vejmelka started each game in the playoffs as the Mammoth took on the Vegas Golden Knights. He got his first-ever postseason win in Game 2 after making 19 saves. His biggest win came in Game 3, as he recorded 30 saves, put up a .938 save percentage, and gave the Mammoth a 2-1 series lead. However, Vejmelka lost the next three games, recording below a .870 save percentage in each game across that span. The Golden Knights ended his season in Game 6 as they eliminated his team.

The Future

Over the past couple of seasons, we’ve seen Vejmelka continue to improve. In Arizona, he proved he could be an NHL goaltender. Last season, he showed he can be a starting goaltender in the league and handle a huge workload of games. This season, he proved he can take a team to the playoffs.

Not only did he end up being one of the leaders in games played and wins among NHL goaltenders, but he also finally started getting national recognition as a good player in the league. Vejmelka got 15 votes for the NHL’s All-Star team and, as mentioned, was named one of the NHL’s stars of the week multiple times throughout the season.

This season was important for Vejmelka’s development. He finally got his first taste of NHL postseason action. While he showed early on he can perform in big games like that, he learned a lot from his six-game outing against the Golden Knights, things he is looking forward to applying during next season.

“It’s all about details that make a difference,” Vejmelka said. “I felt that about traffic and obviously the pressure too. It’s definitely something that I learned, and now I have that experience, which is really important for the future.”

With a career-best season in the books, the future is pretty clear for Vejmelka. He’ll be the starting goaltender for the Mammoth going into next season, and with a better team in front of him, he is expected to help take the team into the playoffs and hopefully beyond. 

The main change that needs to happen for Vejmelka is one that isn’t even in his hands. The Mammoth need to lessen the goalie’s workload. While Vejmelka showed he can play a lot of games, it’s something that needs to change if the Mammoth want to keep him playing as best as he can. If he suffers an injury due to playing so much, that’s on the team and ultimately could be something that really hurts their playoff chances. Having a reliable backup will help give their starting goaltender some rest and help him avoid injuries.

Luckily, that’s exactly what the Mammoth did when they traded for Sebastian Cossa. It’s a good stable backup option for Vejmelka that will allow the team to prepare him more for the postseason. Having a huge workload isn’t something that Vejmelka is personally worried about, as he’s just always focused on the next game.

“I’m just focusing on the next day,” Vejmelka said. “Who we play next and how to get ready for it. I’m really focused, day by day, and I don’t really think about the next week, month, or whatsoever.”

That’s the mindset you want from your starting goaltender. As long as Vejmelka keeps confidently winning games and getting the Mammoth into the postseason, there shouldn’t be any worries about him. The next step will be winning a round in the playoffs. Can Vejmelka do that? Judging by the first three games in the postseason, the answer is likely yes.

Final Grade

There were certainly some down moments across the season; it was a successful one for Vejmelka. He won 38 games, won his 100th career game, got his first Olympic selection, and made the playoffs for the first time in his career. There’s not much more you could ask for out of the goaltender.

Unlike other players, there’s not a lot of uncertainty around Vejmelka. He has a contract for the next couple of seasons, he’s coming off a great season, and he hasn’t recently dealt with any major injuries. While the number of games he plays might go down in seasons to come, it won’t be surprising if his win total stays around the 30-game mark and his save percentage continues to improve.

Overall, Vejmelka is getting an A for this season. Again, there’s not really much more you could ask from the goaltender. He’s proven twice now he can handle massive workloads and has proven he can take a team to the playoffs and perform valiantly. All the highlight-reel saves and accolades along the way are just more things that show he’s a good goaltender in the NHL.

Don’t be surprised if Vejmelka becomes one of the best goaltenders in the Central Division over the next couple of seasons as other star goalies get older. While he’s still got a lot to accomplish in his NHL career, like winning a playoff series and improving his save percentage, what he’s achieved over the past two seasons in Utah is nothing to diminish. This might’ve been the best season of his career thus far, but the sky is the limit as of right now for Vejmelka.