SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin announced today that the team has recalled defenseman David Jiricek (YIHR-ih-chehk) from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL). Additionally, forwards Marat Khusnutdinov and Liam Ohgren have been reassigned to Iowa.
Jiricek, 21 (born November 28, 2003), was acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 30, 2024. This season, he has recorded two points (1 goal, 1 assist), two penalty minutes, and four shots on goal in six games with Minnesota. In the AHL, Jiricek has tallied nine points (2 goals, 7 assists), 17 penalty minutes, one game-winning goal, 36 shots on goal, and a plus-1 rating across 30 games with both the Iowa Wild and the Cleveland Monsters. The 6-foot-4, 204-pound native of Klatovy, Czech Republic, previously logged 10 points (1 goal, 9 assists) and 22 penalty minutes in 43 NHL games with Columbus during the 2023-24 season, ranking tied for ninth among rookie defensemen in assists and tied for 11th in overall rookie scoring. That season, he also contributed 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists) in 29 games with Cleveland and an impressive 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) in 14 Calder Cup Playoff games, finishing third among AHL defensemen in playoff scoring.
The right-shot defenseman made his NHL debut on October 28, 2022, against the Boston Bruins and scored his first NHL goal on October 14, 2023, against the New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin. In his NHL career, Jiricek has amassed 12 points (2 goals, 11 assists) and 30 penalty minutes in 59 games with Columbus (2022-24) and Minnesota (2024-25). His AHL career includes 66 points (15 goals, 51 assists), six power-play goals, 74 penalty minutes, and 196 shots on goal across 114 games with Cleveland (2022-24) and Iowa (2024-25).
Originally selected sixth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Jiricek now wears No. 55 for the Minnesota Wild.
