Going into his third season with the Arizona Coyotes, Karel Vejmelka continues to live out his dreams of playing in the NHL.

Becoming a starting goalie in the NHL is no easy feat. It's something only a handful of people are capable of accomplishing.

Karel Vejmelka’s road to becoming the starting goalie of the Arizona Coyotes really embodies what it means to believe in yourself and chase dreams that seem nearly impossible.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_4iQPFMVPM[/embed]

Growing up in Czechia, Vejmelka was active playing all different kinds of sports which he feels really helped him develop as a hockey player.

“I think it was a big part of my progress, to work on getting stronger, physically, and things like hand-eye coordination,” Vejmelka said via Chris Lomon of the NHLPA. “I loved to do everything, and I think it was important in helping me be a better hockey player.”

Throughout his teenage years, Vejmelka played hockey in Czechia where he began to make a name for himself. In the 2015 NHL Draft, the Nashville Predators selected Vejmelka with the 145th overall pick.

Despite always dreaming of playing in the NHL, Vejmelka decided not to sign with the Predators and instead continue playing in Czechia for HC Kometa Brno in the Czech Extraliga where he can fully develop.

“When I was growing up, I hoped every day that I could play in the NHL,” Vejmelka said. “When I played in the top Czech league, I did everything 100 percent, to hopefully one day sign a contract with an NHL team. I was drafted by Nashville, and I was there three times, just for the development camp, but I needed to stay in the Czech league after that. I was still waiting for some big opportunity and to get a contract with an NHL team.”

Vejmelka bet on himself and six years later it paid off as the Coyotes signed him to a one-year, two-way contract on May 5, 2021.

“When I got the contract and the chance to play for Arizona … I want to be honest, I didn’t expect that because I was 25 and that’s pretty late, especially for a goalie to sign a contract like that,” Vejmelka said. “I was very happy, and I know it’s maybe my last chance to get a contract with an NHL team, so I have to play my best and do everything the right way for the next step in my career. It’s something special and I know that doesn’t happen every day, especially for goalies.”

Going into the 2021-22 season, Vejmelka started off as the backup but after Carter Hutton suffered an injury early on in the season, Vejmelka took the starting goaltender role and never looked back.

He finished the year with a 13-32 record, 3.68 goals against average and .896 save percentage. Following his rookie campaign, the Coyotes signed Vejmelka to a three-year $8.175 contract.

The 27-year-old is coming off his second full season in Arizona where he showed improvements as he started 49 games holding an 18-24-6 record, a 3.43 goals against average and .900 save percentage.

Now going into his third season as the starting goalie of the Coyotes, it's hard to remember how Vejmelka got to where he is today but it was his long journey that makes playing in the NHL even more special for a guy that just loves to play hockey.

“It was a pretty difficult journey, but it is something special for me that I am here right now,” Vejmelka said. “When I was growing up, I hoped every day that I could play in the NHL. I just believed in myself. My mindset was to be positive and do the right things every day. It was always my dream, and I am living my dream right now.”