Jiří Kulich (born 14 April 2004) is a Czech professional ice hockey centre for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 28th overall by the Sabres in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
| Jiří Kulich | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 14 April 2004 Kadaň, Czech Republic | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 179 lb (81 kg; 12 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team Former teams | Buffalo Sabres Rochester Americans (AHL) HC Energie Karlovy Vary | ||
| NHL draft | 28th overall, 2022 Buffalo Sabres | ||
| Playing career | 2020–present | ||
Playing career
Kulich made his professional debut for HC Energie Karlovy Vary in the Czech Extraliga during the 2020–21 season where he appeared in eight games.[1][2] During the 2021–22 season he recorded nine goals and five assists in 49 games. He was drafted in the first-round, 28th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.[3]
On 15 July 2022, Kulich embarked on his North American career after he was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres.[4]
International play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Czech Republic | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 | 2023 Canada | |
 | 2024 Sweden | |
Kulich represented the Czech Republic under-18 team at the 2021 IIHF World U18 Championships where he appeared in four games.[5] He again represented Czech Republic at the 2022 IIHF World U18 Championships where he served as captain. He led the tournament in goals with nine and was subsequently named tournament MVP.[6]
He represented the Czech Republic national junior team at the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[7] He again represented the Czech Republic at the 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where he recorded seven goals and two assists in seven games and won a silver medal. He again represented the Czech Republic at the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where he recorded a team-leading six goals and six assists in seven games and won a bronze medal.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2020–21 | Piráti Chomutov | CZE U20 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | HC Energie Karlovy Vary | ELH | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | SK Trhači Kadaň | Czech.1 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | HC Energie Karlovy Vary | ELH | 49 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | HC Karlovy Vary | CZE U20 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 62 | 24 | 22 | 46 | 18 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 57 | 27 | 18 | 45 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2023–24 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| ELH totals | 57 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| NHL totals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Czech Republic | U18 | 7th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | Czech Republic | HG18 | 6th | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2022 | Czech Republic | U18 | 4th | 6 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2022 | Czech Republic | WJC | 4th | 7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2023 | Czech Republic | WJC |  | 7 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2024 | Czech Republic | WJC |  | 7 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 35 | 27 | 17 | 44 | 6 | ||||
References
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database