Jiří Smejkal

Jiří Smejkal (born 5 November 1996) is a Czech professional ice hockey forward for HC Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga. He has previously played in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators and in several European leagues.

Playing career
Smejkal started his career in the youth setup at ČEZ Motor České Budějovice. He was picked by Medveščak Zagreb of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in the 2013 KHL draft. In 2014, he headed over the Atlantic to hone his skills in the Western Hockey League (WHL), joining the Moose Jaw Warriors. In his first year with the Warriors, Smejkal made 72 WHL appearances, tallying 12 goals and 20 assists. He also started the 2015–16 season playing for the team but was traded to fellow WHL side Kamloops Blazers in January 2016.

On 15 July 2016, Smejkal signed with Medveščak Zagreb of the KHL. He left for Sparta Praha on 31 January 2017. On 27 December, Smejkal was loaned to Piráti Chomutov for the remainder of the 2017–18 season.

After the conclusion of Smejkal's contract with Sparta Praha, he moved to Finland and signed one-year contracts with Tappara in May 2020, and then with Lahti Pelicans in July 2021.

Smejkal spent the 2022–23 season with IK Oskarshamn of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He placed third in team scoring with 23 goals and 43 points in 49 games.

As an undrafted free agent, Smejkal signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL) on 4 May 2023. The signing came in response to the Senators' stated goal of bolstering its scoring and organizational depth ahead of a 2023–24 season in which they hoped to make the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2017. Described as a "prototypical power forward", it was hoped that Smejkal's combination of size and skill would help the team achieve that goal. Smejkal was assigned to Ottawa's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Belleville Senators, to start the 2023–24 season. On 9 December, Smejkal made his NHL debut in a 5–1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. He played in two games with Ottawa before being returned to Belleville. He was recalled again, along with Angus Crookshank, on 16 December after injuries to Mathieu Joseph and Rourke Chartier. On 22 December, Smejkal collected his first NHL point, assisting on Jacob Bernard-Docker's goal in a 6–4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He played in seven games before being sent back to Belleville on 7 January 2024. He was recalled again on 7 March. However, his stay in the NHL was short, being returned to the AHL after Parker Kelly returned from suspension on 13 March. Smejkal finished his AHL season on 4 April, recording nine goals and 22 points in 46 games with Belleville. He was recalled that day due to an injury to Crookshank and remained with Ottawa until the end of the season. In the final game of the season on 16 April, Smejkal recorded his first NHL goal against Linus Ullmark in 3–1 win over the Boston Bruins.

On 13 June 2024, Smejkal signed a five-year contract with HC Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga.

International play
Smejkal has represented Czech national teams on several occasions, including the 2014 IIHF World U18 Championships, where they won silver, and the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He played for the senior team at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, 2022 IIHF World Championship, where they won bronze medals, and 2023 IIHF World Championship. Smejkal also represented the Czech national team at the 2022 Winter Olympics.