Top 2024 NHL Draft defenseman Adam Jiricek out for remainder of world juniors

Czech national junior team coach Patrik Augusta told reporters on Wednesday morning that Adam Jiricek’s tournament is done after suffering a knee injury in the team’s opening game against Slovakia.

Jiricek left the game early in the third after going appearing to injure his right leg for the second time in the game. He left the second period originally after a collision near the boards, but returned for the third – only to aggravate it on the penalty kill.

No timeline is known for Jiricek’s injury, with Augusta saying the 17-year-old will return home with an MRI scheduled for Thursday. Czechia lost their opening game against Slovakia 5-2 after holding an early 1-0 lead.

Augusta confirmed that defensemen Matej Prcik and Tomas Galvas have been added to the roster as replacements. Mississauga Steelheads forward Adam Židlický was added as the final player to fill out Czechia’s roster.

Jiricek’s incident mirrors his brother David Jiricek’s situation which knocked him out after just one game at the 2022 tournament before it was originally cancelled in Edmonton.

The younger brother is a projected top 15 pick for the 2024 NHL Draft, with any lost time being a big blow to his draft stock. The 6-foot-2 defender has been playing with HC Plzen this year, registering one assist in 19 games. He’s been a mainstay with the Czech junior program, playing nearly 20 games between the U-18 and U-20 teams.

The Czechs will spring back into action on Wednesday with an 11:00 AM ET start against Norway. They’ll then get Thursday off before looking to make noise against the United States on Dec. 29. The Czechs will close out the preliminary round of the tournament against Switzerland on Sunday, with hopes of looking to repeat as a medalist after taking silver in Halifax last year.