David Jiricek is a Czech professional ice hockey defenseman currently under contract with the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Born on November 28, 2003, in Klatovy, Czechia, the 6-foot-4 right-shooting blue-liner is known for his size, powerful shot, offensive instincts from the back end, and physical presence.
Selected sixth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, he has quickly transitioned through multiple organizations while developing into a promising young defenseman with significant upside.
Siblings
David has one younger brother, Adam Jiricek, born on June 28, 2006, also in Klatovy, Czechia.
Like David, Adam is a right-handed defenseman who has followed a similar hockey path, emerging as a highly touted prospect in his own right.
Adam was selected 16th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2024 NHL Draft and has continued progressing in junior hockey, including time in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
Career
Jiricek began his professional career in his native Czech Extraliga with HC Plzen, where he made an immediate impact as a teenager and earned Rookie of the Year honors in the 2020-21 season.
Also Read: Adam Henrique Siblings: Getting to Know Michael Henrique
After being drafted by Columbus, he split time between the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Cleveland Monsters, making his NHL debut in October 2022.
He showed flashes of his potential with strong skating for his size and a heavy shot, though early seasons involved typical adjustment challenges for a young defenseman.
In late 2024, he was traded from Columbus to the Minnesota Wild in a multi-asset deal, and by March 2026 he moved again to the Philadelphia Flyers organization, where he has seen action with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms while continuing to push for a full-time NHL role.
As of the 2025-26 season, he has appeared in over 80 NHL regular-season games across his three organizations, registering modest but growing offensive production from the blue line.
His development has been marked by steady improvement in defensive reliability and physicality, with coaches praising his work ethic and ability to learn on the job despite the frequent team changes early in his career.
Internationally, he has represented Czechia at multiple World Junior Championships and senior World Championships, contributing to medal-winning teams.
Accolades
In the Czech Extraliga, Jiricek was named Rookie of the Year in 2021.
Upon arriving in North America, he earned AHL Rookie of the Month for December 2022 after a strong stretch with the Cleveland Monsters and was selected to the AHL All-Star Game in 2023 as well as the AHL Top Prospects Team.
On the international stage, he helped Czechia capture bronze at the 2022 IIHF World Championship and silver at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he was named Best Defenseman by the IIHF Directorate and earned a spot on the Media All-Star Team after posting impressive numbers for his age.
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