One of the newest Kings prospects cemented a spot in the organization Wednesday, when 2025 second-round selection Vojtěch Čihař signed an entry-level contract, with an annual value of $975,000 for three seasons.
Čihař went 59th overall in June’s draft, the second Czech forward taken after Chicago selected Václav Nestrašil in the first round (No. 25). The 18-year-old is the first Czech forward of 2025 to sign his ELC.
Listed at 6-foot-1, he’s smaller than the long, lanky Nestrašil but towers over Minnesota Wild fourth-rounder Adam Benák, who could have the highest ceiling of any Czech attacker in the class. But Čihař could be the most bankable NHLer in a threshold sense, given his balanced profile and versatility.
He can play all three forward positions, with tenacity and energy being his calling cards. He goes to the high-traffic areas and can make good on opportunities in tight, while also displaying some imagination offensively. He projects as a middle-six forward, but could stick in the bottom six if his scoring doesn’t translate to the highest level.
Last year, he competed for Czechia in two age groups, contributing to a bronze-medal effort in the more prestigious Under-20 competition.
Čihař has been honing his craft in Czechia’s top pro league, but will make his way to North America, first on a temporary basis for the World Junior Championships in Minnesota.
His export rights were traded to the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL and he could head to Western Canada at the conclusion of the tournament in January.
If that’s the path he treads, it’ll have him playing well into the spring, since Kelowna will host this year’s Memorial Cup, the unified title in which Canada’s three top junior leagues send their champions to compete in a four-club draw with the host team.