Jiří Patera (ice hockey)

Jiří Patera (born February 24, 1999) is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played junior in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Brandon Wheat Kings, and was drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL entry draft by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Playing career
Patera began his career within the youth system of HC Slavia Praha, before joining the system of ČEZ Motor České Budějovice in 2016–17; shortly thereafter, he was selected in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the then-expansion team Vegas Golden Knights.

He entered junior hockey with the United States Hockey League's (USHL) Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in 2017–18, playing 34 games for the club. He then transitioned to the Canadian junior system, joining the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2018–19. Patera spent two years in Brandon, posting a career .913 save percentage and 2.95 goals against average over 89 total games played, while being named Eastern Conference Goaltender of the Year for the 2019–20 WHL season. Patera signed his three-year entry-level contract with Vegas on 30 June 2020. With the American Hockey League (AHL) season delayed alongside the NHL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Patera was loaned to his former Czech club of České Budějovice, where he played 15 games during the 2020–21 Extraliga season. Patera would then join Vegas' AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, for the 2020–21 AHL season.

During the season, with the Golden Knights suffering injuries to multiple goaltenders, Patera was recalled from the Silver Knights in March 2023. He then made his NHL debut on 12 March 2023, posting his first career win and saving 30 of 33 shots faced as the Golden Knights defeated the St. Louis Blues 5–3. Despite only playing in two regular-season games, Patera spent the majority of the 2023 playoffs on Vegas' active roster, serving as the third or fourth-string goaltender behind Laurent Brossoit, Adin Hill, and Jonathan Quick; as a result, Patera was subsequently a part of the Golden Knights' eventual Stanley Cup victory.

As a restricted free agent, Patera signed a one-year extension with Vegas on July 2, 2023. After beginning the season with Henderson, Patera was recalled to the Golden Knights on December 2 due to an injury to Adin Hill. Patera then made his 2023–24 season debut on December 10, stopping 35 of 39 shots in a 5–4 shootout victory over the San Jose Sharks.

As a free agent following the 2023–24 season, Patera signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Vancouver Canucks on July 1, 2024.

International play
Patera was named to the Czech under-18 team roster for the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, but did not play. Patera would later appear for the under-18 team in three games at the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championships, before joining the Czech Republic for the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championships, appearing in one game.