| David Jiříček | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (2003-11-28)28 November 2003 (age 22) Klatovy, Czech Republic | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 204 lb (93 kg; 14 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team Former teams | Minnesota Wild Columbus Blue Jackets | ||
| National team |  Czech Republic | ||
| NHL draft | 6th overall,2022 Columbus Blue Jackets | ||
| Playing career | 2019–present | ||
David Jiříček (born 28 November 2003) is a Czech professionalice hockeydefenceman for theMinnesota Wild of theNational Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted sixth overall by theColumbus Blue Jackets in the2022 NHL entry draft.[1]
Competing internationally as part ofCzech Republic national team, he won a bronze medal at the2022 IIHF World Championship, and a silver medal with thejunior national team at the2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.[2][3]
Jiříček made his professional debut forHC Škoda Plzeň during the 2019–20 season where he appeared in four games. During the2020–21 season, in his first full season with Plzeň, he recorded three goals and six assists in 34 games.[4] Following his rookie season, he was named Czech Extraliga Rookie of the Year.[5][6]
He was drafted 54th overall by theSpokane Chiefs in the 2020 CHL Import Draft.[7]
Jiříček played only 29 games in the2021–22 season after a knee injury suffered at the2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[8]
In the leadup to the2022 NHL entry draft, Jiříček was considered a top prospect, and for much of the year there was debate as to whether he or SlovakŠimon Nemec would be the first defenceman taken. Following Jiříček's injury at the World Junior Championships, Nemec became favoured to go first.[9][10][11] Ultimately, Nemec was taken second overall by theNew Jersey Devils, while Jiříček was drafted sixth overall by theColumbus Blue Jackets.[1]
Jiříček began his North American professional career playing with theCleveland Monsters, the Blue Jackets'AHL affiliate. He was called up to make his NHL debut on 28 October 2022, in the midst of a string of injuries to the Columbus defence corps.[12][13] Returning to Cleveland, he was named the AHL Rookie of the Month for December 2022.[14] Jiříček was initially named as the Monsters' representative to the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic, but he subsequently was unavailable to participate and was replaced by teammateJake Christiansen.[15][16] He ultimately appeared in 55 games with the Monsters, recording 6 goals and 32 assists, leading all rookie defencemen with 0.75 points per game.[17]
On October 14, 2023, Jiříček scored his first career NHL goal in a 5–3 victory against theNew York Rangers.[18] During the2023–24 season, his first full season in the NHL, he recorded one goal and nine assists in 43 games for the Blue Jackets.[19] During the2024–25 season, he recorded one assist in six games with the Blue Jackets, and two goals and one assist in four games for the Cleveland Monsters.[20]
On 30 November 2024, Jiříček was traded from the Blue Jackets to theMinnesota Wild in exchange forDaemon Hunt and four draft picks, including a first-round pick in the2025 NHL entry draft.[21] He was assigned to the Wild's AHL affiliate, theIowa Wild.[22] He was later recalled by Minnesota and registered a goal and assist through 6 games with the Wild. While reassigned back to the AHL with Iowa, Jiříček posted 7 assists through 27 appearances before his season was ended through injury on 28 March 2025, after suffering a lacerated spleen.[23] On October 17, 2025, Jiříček was again reassigned to the Iowa Wild.[24]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Czech Republic | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
 | 2022 Finland | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
 | 2023 Canada | |
Jiříček represented theCzech Republic at the2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he recorded one assist in four games.[25] He rejoined the national junior team at the2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships the following year.[26][27] However, he suffered an injury in his first game after a knee-on-knee collision withTeam Canada forwardWill Cuylle, and was forced to withdraw from the tournament.[28] Jiříček returned to the ice for the2022 IIHF World Championship, where he played five games in his debut with thesenior national team, before a planned withdrawal to avoid overtaxing his knee.[8] He shared in the team's bronze medal win, the first World medal for the Czech Republic in ten years.[2]
Named once again to the national junior team for the2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, Jiříček's travel to the event inHalifax was affected byWinter Storm Elliott, which caused his equipment to be initially lost in transit. It was ultimately delivered five hours prior to the team's first game of the tournament.[29] The tournament was an international breakout for Jiříček, who was cited as a central player in Czechia's deep run to the event final, where they ultimately took the silver medal after a loss to Canada.[30][31][3] He was given the award forBest Defenceman of the event by the IIHF directorate, and was also named to theMedia All-Star Team.[32][33]
Jiříček is the older brother ofAdam Jiříček, who was drafted 16th overall by theSt. Louis Blues in the2024 NHL entry draft.[34]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2019–20 | HC Škoda Plzeň | ELH | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | SHC Klatovy | Czech.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | HC Škoda Plzeň | ELH | 34 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2021–22 | HC Škoda Plzeň | ELH | 29 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Cleveland Monsters | AHL | 55 | 6 | 32 | 38 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 43 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Cleveland Monsters | AHL | 29 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 21 | 14 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 10 | ||
| 2024–25 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Cleveland Monsters | AHL | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Iowa Wild | AHL | 27 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| ELH totals | 67 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 85 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||
| NHL totals | 59 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Czech Republic | U18 | 7th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| 2021 | Czech Republic | WJC | 7th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2022 | Czech Republic | WC |  | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Czech Republic | WJC | 4th | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2023 | Czechia | WJC |  | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 23 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 14 | ||||
| Senior totals | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Award | Year | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AHL | |||
| Rookie of the Month | December 2022 | [14] | |
| All-Star Game | 2023 | [15] | |
| ELH | |||
| Rookie of the Year | 2021 | [5] | |
| International | |||
| World Junior ChampionshipBest Defenceman | 2023 | [32] | |
| World Junior ChampionshipMedia All-Star Team | 2023 | [33] | |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Columbus Blue Jackets first round draft pick 2022 | Succeeded by |