Jan Jeník

Jan Jeník (born 15 September 2000) is a Czech professional ice hockey centre for the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 65th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Arizona Coyotes.

Playing career
Jeník split his first season in the Czech Republic with HC Benátky nad Jizerou of the 1st Czech Republic Hockey League and HC Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga. He did the same in his final year in Czechia. Jeník was selected by the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in the first round, sixth overall of the 2018 CHL Import Draft. His rights were traded to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL on 7 January 2019 for a pair of draft picks. In his first season with Hamilton he scored 13 goals and 30 points in 27 games.

Jeník was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the third round, 65th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. On 29 March 2019, Jeník was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Coyotes. Following his second season in the OHL with the Bulldogs, and with the 2020–21 North American season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeník was loaned by the Coyotes to Finnish second-tier club, Imatran Ketterä of the Mestis, until the commencement of NHL training camp on 28 October 2020.

He returned to North America and was assigned to Arizona's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners for the 2020–21 season. He was recalled by Arizona for the final two games of the season in May 2021 and made his NHL debut versus the San Jose Sharks on 7 May 2021. He scored his first NHL goal in the game against Josef Kořenář. Jeník scored in his second game too, also against the Sharks, becoming the second Coyotes player to score in his first two games. He began the 2021–22 season with Tucson. Jeník spent 13 games with the Coyotes that season. He once again returned to Tucson for the 2022–23 season, spending the majority of the season in the AHL, appearing in only two games with the Coyotes. A restricted free agent following the season, he signed a one-year, two-way contract with Arizona on 20 September 2023.

Jeník attended the Coyotes 2023 training camp was but was placed on waivers. After going unclaimed, he was assigned to Tucson. He was recalled in October 2023 but did not appear in any games before being sent back to the Roadrunners. He was recalled again in November after Barrett Hayton was injured. He made his season debut for the Coyotes in 6–5 loss to the St. Louis Blues before being returned to Tucson on 26 November.

Shortly after the end of the 2023–24 regular season, the Coyotes' franchise was suspended and team assets were subsequently transferred to the expansion Utah Hockey Club; as a result, Jeník became a member of the Utah team. On 3 July 2024, he was traded by Utah to the Ottawa Senators for winger Egor Sokolov.