Buffalo Sabres’ Jiri Kulich to officially join Czechia’s world junior team

According to Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington, the Buffalo Sabres will officially loan out center Jiri Kulich to Czechia for the 2024 World Junior Championship.

Kulich was on Czechia’s camp roster posted earlier this month, with the 19-year-old AHL standout set for his third WJC. Kulich led Czechia with seven goals and nine points en route to a silver medal back in 2023.

According to Sabres GM Kevyn Adams, Kulich requested to join Czechia for the tournament, with the nation expected to be a medal contender again this year.

Kulich is in his second year with the Rochester Americans, producing at a rate very few U-20 players have managed to do so. He has 16 goals and 22 points in 22 games this year, putting him on pace for 71 points in a full season. Kulich is expected to miss seven games for the Americans, hurting his season-long point production.

Drafted 28th overall back in 2022, Kulich broke out in a big way last year, scoring 24 goals and 46 points in 62 games. He has quickly emerged as one of Buffalo’s top prospects, and now he’ll be one of six Sabres prospects vying for gold in Sweden from Dec. 26 – Jan. 5. Matthew Savoie (Canada), Noah Ostlund and Anton Wahlberg (both Sweden), Maxim Strbak (Slovakia) and Norwin Panocha (Germany) will be the franchise’s other players taking part.

Czechia’s silver in 2023 marked the nation’s first medal at the World Junior Championship since 2005, and their best result since winning the tournament in consecutive years in 2000 and 2001. Since then, the quarterfinal has been Czechia’s kryptonite, advancing out of the round of eight just twice since many of this year’s roster was born.

Czechia will kick off the tournament with a 6:00 AM ET start against Slovakia on Dec. 26. They’ll then hold the 11:00 AM ET slot the rest of the way, facing Norway on Dec. 27, USA on Dec. 29 and Switzerland on Dec. 31.