Jiri Patera

His first steps came in Czech youth hockey, moving through HC Slavia Praha’s ranks before continuing at ČEZ Motor České Budějovice — a foundation that led him to pursue junior hockey in North America. That jump overseas set the course for his progression toward professional ranks.

Selected in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by Vegas, Patera played the 2017–18 season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL, appearing in 34 games. He then spent two seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL, totaling 89 games and posting a .913 save percentage and a 2.95 goals-against average; his play there earned him the WHL Eastern Conference Goaltender of the Year award for 2019–20.

Vegas signed him to a three-year entry-level deal on 30 June 2020. With North American schedules disrupted by the pandemic, he was loaned back to České Budějovice and played 15 games in the Czech Extraliga before joining the Henderson Silver Knights in the AHL. Injuries among Vegas’ goalies led to his recall in March 2023; he made his NHL debut on 12 March 2023, stopping 30 of 33 shots in a 5–3 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Although he only played two regular-season NHL games that year, he spent most of the 2023 playoffs on Vegas’ active roster and was part of the organization during its Stanley Cup run.

He signed a one-year extension with Vegas on 2 July 2023 and split time between Henderson and NHL recalls, including a 10 December 2023 appearance where he stopped 35 of 39 shots in a shootout win over San Jose. As a free agent after 2023–24, he inked a two-year, two-way deal with the Vancouver Canucks on 1 July 2024. Boston claimed him off waivers on 2 October 2024, and Vancouver re-claimed him on 7 October 2024. An injury sidelined him for most of 2024–25; he eventually debuted for Vancouver on 17 November 2025, making 33 saves on 40 shots in an 8–5 loss to Florida. On 1 July 2026 he returned to the Boston Bruins organization on a one-year, two-way contract for 2026–27.

Internationally, he was named to the Czech roster for the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament but did not play, appeared in three games at the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship, and played once at the 2019 World Junior Championship. In plain terms, Patera’s game relies on steady technique and game-reading: he’s the kind of netminder who can log heavy minutes in junior, step into AHL workloads and be relied on for orderly, technical goaltending when called up.