Karel Vejmelka Earns Another NHL Star of the Week Nod as Mammoth Head into Break on a High
The Utah Mammoth are heading into the Olympic break with momentum-and they’ve got Karel Vejmelka to thank for a big part of it. The 29-year-old netminder has been named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week for the second time this season, after backstopping Utah to a pair of wins with some rock-solid goaltending.
Vejmelka went 2-0-0 in his two starts last week, posting a 1.51 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage. His week started with a 21-save effort against Vancouver, followed by an even sharper outing against Detroit, where he turned aside 29 of 30 shots and held the Red Wings off the board for nearly 56 minutes. That kind of consistency in net has become a trademark for Vejmelka this season-and it’s showing up in the win column.
With those two victories, Vejmelka notched his 27th win of the 2025-26 campaign, setting a new personal best for single-season wins and surpassing the 26 he recorded during Utah’s inaugural season. He’s now tied for the league lead in both wins and games played (44), a testament to both his durability and his impact between the pipes.
At 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds, Vejmelka has been a steady presence in goal for the Mammoth, especially on home ice. Since December 21, he’s gone 9-1-0 at the Delta Center with a 2.10 GAA and a .922 save percentage. His 16 home wins this season are tied for the most in the NHL-an impressive feat for any goaltender, let alone one playing for a second-year franchise.
The Czech native is closing in on another milestone, too. With three more victories, he’ll become just the sixth goaltender from Czechia to hit 30 wins in a single NHL season.
That list includes current teammate Vítek Vaněček, who posted 33 wins with New Jersey in 2022-23. Earlier this season, Vejmelka also became just the second Czech goalie to lead the NHL to 20 wins-a rare feat that speaks volumes about his performance this year.
He’s not done making headlines either. Vejmelka is set to represent Czechia at the Winter Olympics for the first time in his career, a well-earned honor for a player who’s been one of the league’s most reliable goaltenders all season.
This latest NHL Star of the Week recognition makes Vejmelka the first player in Mammoth history to earn multiple weekly honors-and both have come in the last three weeks. It’s also just the second time in his NHL career he’s been named among the league’s top three performers in a given week.
He joins Matt Boldy (Minnesota) and Bo Horvat (New York Islanders) as this week’s NHL Stars of the Week.
Utah Mammoth - NHL Stars of the Week History:
- Oct. 14, 2024 - Dylan Guenther, First Star
- Jan. 27, 2025 - Barrett Hayton, Third Star
- Oct. 27, 2025 - Logan Cooley, Second Star
- Jan. 19, 2026 - Karel Vejmelka, Third Star
- Feb. 6, 2026 - Karel Vejmelka, Third Star
With the Olympic break now underway, the Mammoth can take a breath and regroup-but make no mistake, they’ve got a goaltender playing at an elite level. And if Vejmelka keeps this up, Utah could be a serious problem for the rest of the league down the stretch.