The inaugural season for the Utah Hockey Club (now the Utah Mammoth) is officially over. The team finished with a 38-31-13 record while their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, finished with a 34-32-4-2 record, which was good enough for the seventh playoff spot in the Pacific Division. The Roadrunners went on to lose in the first round of the playoffs 2-1 to the Abbotsford Canucks.
With the season in the books, it’s time to look at the 48 Utah players under an NHL contract (excluding Connor Ingram for obvious reasons) and grade their 2024-25 seasons. We’ll also reflect on how they did during the 2023-24 season and see if they improved or did worse, along with what their future holds. We’re going alphabetically by first name. Next up is Karel Vejmelka.
Last Season
Coming into his third season in the NHL after producing decent numbers on a horrible 2022-23 Arizona Coyotes team, both Vejmelka and his team were expected to take another step forward in 2023-24. Vejmelka was named the starter for the first game of the season on the road against the New Jersey Devils.
Against a Devils team that was expected to make the playoffs, the Czech goaltender and the Coyotes stole their first win of the season in a shootout, with Vejmelka recording a .917 save percentage (SV%). Vejmelka started the last game of the New York road trip against the New York Islanders, where, despite him recording 33 saves and holding a .971 SV% ended up being a loss for the Coyotes.
Going into the season, it was expected that Vejmelka and his teammate Ingram would play nearly the same number of games. That’s what happened in the early weeks of the season, with head coach André Tourigny alternating between the two goaltenders. Vejmelka put up a solid game in the Coyotes’ home opener against the Anaheim Ducks, recording 32 saves. Ingram had a solid performance himself in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks shortly after.
It was around the turn of November when Vejmelka unexpectedly began to struggle. In his six starts during the month, he lost every single game. He only had one game where his SV% was above .900, and he was even pulled in a 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Related: Utah Mammoth’s 2024-25 Report Cards: Kailer Yamamoto
For those who know Tourigny and his philosophy with goaltenders, you know that in order to become the starter, you have to prove you can do it. With Vejmelka struggling and Ingram putting up strong numbers and wins, he began to start more games over Vejmelka.
After the horrible loss to the Blues, Ingram started the next 13 games while Vejmelka was benched. In Vejmelka’s first game back, he didn’t do himself any favors after letting in four goals to the Buffalo Sabres. He would once again back up Ingram until the Sabres came to Tempe in late December, where he recorded his first win since Oct. 21, which ended up being a shutout.
Vejmelka produced another solid win in the next game against the Ottawa Senators after coming in relief for Ingram. He would come up with two more wins in a row, including a comeback win for the Coyotes against the Colorado Avalanche. Unfortunately for him, he would lose his next two games, producing poor save percentages in those appearances before not appearing in another game until Jan. 24.
From then on, Vejmelka played the backup role. He did have some really good games, including three straight games in March where he had over a .920 SV% and a 39-save win in his final start of the season against the Edmonton Oilers in April, where he finished the game with a .951 SV%.
Vejmelka finished out his season with a 13-19-2 record, a decline from his 18 wins in the season prior in front of a worse Coyotes team. His final overall SV% was .897 with a 3.35 goals-against average. He also played 38 games, which was 12 fewer than he had appeared in during the 2022-23 season.
This Season
After Ingram won the Masterton Trophy and had the best season of his career, it was expected that he would be named the starter for the first-ever game for Utah. That’s exactly what happened, and after winning the first game, Ingram ripped off two more wins to start the season 3-0.
Vejmelka got his first start for Utah in the fourth game of the season against the Devils. Unfortunately for him, he ended up losing the game and then lost his next start against the Avalanche, but it was his third start where Vejmelka’s name started to become one commonly chanted inside of Delta Center.
It was a normal Wednesday night matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Delta Center with Vejmelka as the starting goaltender. In the first period, the game seemed like a somewhat even one despite inklings that the Hurricanes were outplaying Utah. It was in the second period that Vejmelka shone as he made 16 saves while Utah only had five shots.
The third period brought more shots Vejmelka’s way, but he turned all 18 away to record a monstrous 49-save win. On top of that, he had a .980 SV%, showing just how good he can be. It was also the night when the “Veggie” chants were born as the fans in attendance chanted his nickname after he was deservingly named the first star of the game.
“It was a big game not just for me but for the whole team,” Vejmelka said. “It was good to know we can play with anyone and just be one of the best teams. It was a really enjoyable game. It was a big moment in this season for me.”
Hurricanes neměli nárok! Vychutnejte si ty nejlepší ze 49 zákroků Karla Vejmelky! 🔥#Vejmelka @utahhockeyclub @vejmelkarl pic.twitter.com/1dVFxyCN7n
— NHL Česko (@NHLcz) November 14, 2024
It was around this time that Vejmelka started taking over as the starting goaltender. Ingram would play just four games in November before being placed on injured reserve with what was believed to be an upper-body injury. From there until January, Vejmelka started all but four of Utah’s games.
In January, Ingram returned, but it had become Vejmelka’s net to lose. He started the new year with a shutout against the Minnesota Wild before producing a stretch of four games in February where his SV% didn’t dip below .930. During this time, Ingram entered the Players’ Assistance Program, leaving the net all for Vejmelka once again.
Vejmelka continued dominating throughout the next couple of months, playing numerous games in a row. Only once, from Feb. 22 to the end of the season, did he not start a game for Utah, and that was in the second-to-last game of the season when Utah was already eliminated from playoff contention.
Right before the trade deadline with his contract expiring, Vejmelka was signed to a five-year extension, solidifying his place in Utah’s future. It allows him to focus on growing his game during the summer, along with keeping him with a core he’s been with his entire NHL career and a place he already loves.
“I love to play here,” Vejmelka said. “It’s already my home, and the community and the hockey fans are great. We couldn’t ask for a better organization as a brand-new team. It’s fun to play here and easy to live here.”
By the time of his extension, the love for Vejmelka had spread around the entire Utah fanbase. Broccoli and other veggies were being thrown onto the ice in support of the goaltender. Fans began showing up to games with broccoli hats on their heads. It fueled Vejmelka’s love for playing in Utah, and it was a unique type of support he had never received from fans before.
“I never had support like that from the fans,” Vejmelka said. “It’s kind of unique for me, and I really enjoyed every moment on the ice.”
Vejmelka finished his first season in Utah with a 26-22-8 record, his best record in the NHL to date. He had a career-best .904 SV% and a 2.58 GAA. He also started a career high 55 games.
To round out his 2024-25 season, Vejmelka played for his country, Czechia, in the World Championship. Czechia eventually lost in the quarterfinals to Sweden.
The Future
Playoffs are the goal for the Mammoth next season, meaning it will have to be a big season for Vejmelka. With his new extension, the team expects him to be the starter heading into the 2025-26 season. He can’t follow up a great season with a disappointing season once again.
The Mammoth brought in reinforcements to give their goaltender some help. On the blue line, the team brought in Nate Schmidt and gave extensions to Nick DeSimone, Olli Määttä, and Ian Cole to help protect Vejmelka. They also signed Vítek Vaněček to provide some depth for their goaltending to give Vejmelka some rest when needed.
For Vejmelka next season, it’s all about playing elite hockey once again. Heading into a season where Ingram most likely is still away from the team, the Czech is by far the best goaltender on the team, meaning he knows he’ll probably play most of the games throughout the season. He knows what to expect, and he knows the goal is the postseason.
Going forward, it’s pretty simple. If Vejmelka plays at the same level he did this past year, if not better, the Mammoth have a pretty good chance at making the playoffs. If he plays worse, the Mammoth could have a problem on their hands. This past season was the most important season for Vejmelka personally due to his expiring contract. This next season could be the most pressure-filled for him, as the team expects to make the playoffs. He’s played under pressure before, and he’s good at it, but can he maintain that composure for the whole season?
Even in the summertime, Vejmelka is confident and excited for next season. He believes that the Mammoth can compete with any team in the NHL, and he is looking forward to proving he can sustain his winning ways.
“We made a great improvement as a team,” Vejmelka said. “It’s good to know we can beat anyone, and we can be a playoff contender. I’m really excited for next season and building on this year.”
Final Grade
There were a lot of players on Utah who had really good seasons this past year. However, it’s arguable that Vejmelka was one of the best players on the team, if not the best. His ability to step in and play 55 games, which is far more than he’s ever played in his career, was impressive. The fact that he played very well in almost all of those games is even more impressive.
Before the season started, it looked like Ingram was the future starting goaltender for Utah, and Vejmelka would be the odd man out. Now, it looks like he could lead the Mammoth to the playoffs and potentially far into it. Yes, sustainability is the question thanks to his disappointing 2023-24 season after a decent 2022-23 season, but this past season didn’t feel like a fluke. That disappointing 2023-24 season looks like an outlier, and this season feels like what the Czech goaltender can be when he plays at his highest potential.
Overall, Vejmelka is getting an A for his season. When Vejmelka was at his best this season, he looked like a Vezina Trophy contender. If he had been the starter for Utah during the whole season and had played like he did from the Carolina game onwards, he arguably would’ve been in the conversation to be a finalist. He helped Utah have a chance in every game he started, and he pushed the team to the point of being in the hunt for a playoff spot in March.
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Vejmelka is now the absolute starter for the Mammoth going forward. His high level and competitive play will be much needed heading into a critical season for the team. The Mammoth believe in him as the main guy in net, which is why they gave him a long-term extension. He’s around for the long haul, and more than likely, he’ll be starting in big and meaningful games for the Mammoth sooner than maybe most thought a year ago.
