Player Bio
| HT/WT: 6-1, 190 lbs |
| Birthplace: Kadan, CZ |
| Age: 22 |
| Experience: 3 |
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1:53Blackhawks Sign Bowen Byram to 6-Year, $75M Extension
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1:19Canadiens Muster Only 43 Shots in Past 3 Games
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0:44
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1:41Highlights: Canadiens at Hurricanes (5/21)
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1:57Jakub Dobes Doing HIs Best Patrick Roy Impersonation In Montreal
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3:54Game 7 Preview: Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres
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0:42Buffalo's Biggest Hockey Night in Decades
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0:41Pete Blackburn Makes Game 7 Prediction
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Top Jiri Kulich News
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Back at practice Saturday
Kulich (undisclosed) participated in Saturday's practice.
Kulich is no longer listed on Buffalo's injury report, indicating he should be available for Thursday's season opener against Columbus. Head coach Lindy Ruff said Kulich "was doing pretty good" following Saturday's on-ice session.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Won't play Saturday
Kulich (undisclosed) will not play in Saturday's preseason finale against the Penguins.
Kulich saw action in just 12 regular-season games last year in which he tallied three goals and two assists while averaging a career-high 16:22 of ice time. If the 22-year-old winger can get into the lineup on a more regular basis, he should be capable of pushing for the 30-point threshold.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Precautionary exit Thursday
Kulich (undisclosed) left Thursday's preseason game versus the Red Wings for precautionary reasons, Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reports.
Kulich left about halfway through the contest. The 22-year-old forward was believed to have a chance at a middle-six role in place of Jason Zucker (abdomen). Kulich's own injury concerns casts a little doubt on that now, but the precautionary nature of his removal Thursday suggests he isn't dealing with a major issue. The Sabres play the Penguins in their last preseason game Saturday before opening the season in Columbus next Thursday.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Could see increased work early in season
Head coach Lindy Ruff indicated Wednesday that Kulich could step in for Jason Zucker (abdomen) early in the 2026-27 season, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.
Zucker is slated to miss the start of the 2026-27 campaign while recovering from sports hernia surgery, which could lead to increased early-season opportunities for Kulich. The 22-year-old Kulich made 12 regular-season appearances for Buffalo last year and recorded three goals, two assists, 12 blocked shots, nine hits and four PIM while averaging 16:22 of ice time.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Hockey career not over
Kulich (ear) said Tuesday that he had his blood clot removed and will be able to play hockey again, per Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.
Kulich appeared in just 12 regular-season games in 2025-26, accounting for three goals, five points, 20 shots and a minus-4 rating. While an exact timeline for his recovery is not known, he should be ready for the start of next season. Kulich told reporters Tuesday during the Sabres' postseason media availability that he feels good now, has been doing a lot of skating and shooting and is looking forward to next season. The 22-year-old will be a restricted free agent after the 2026-27 campaign.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Season likely over
Kulich (ear) has been improving but will likely miss the rest of the 2025-26 season, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports Friday.
Kulich has been out of action since Nov. 1 against the Capitals due to an issue related to fluid in his ears. It was determined later to be a blood clot. As a rookie in 2024-25, he notched 15 goals and nine assists in 62 games. He had three goals and five points in 12 appearances during the 2025-26 campaign. Buffalo general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Friday that doctors are hopeful the issue will resolve in time for next season.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Set to miss significant time
Head coach Lindy Ruff said Monday that Kulich (ear) is slated to miss significant time due to a blood clot issue, Brayton J. Wilson of WBEN reports.
Kulich landed on injured reserve last week due to fluid in his ears, and he'll miss extended time due to what Ruff called a "pretty serious" blood clot issue. However, Ruff hopes that Kulich will be able to return to game action before the end of the regular season. Prior to sustaining his injury, Kulich recorded three goals, two assists, 12 blocked shots, nine hits and four PIM while averaging 16:22 of ice time over 12 appearances.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: On injured reserve
Kulich (ear) was placed on injured reserve Thursday, according to Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News.
Kulich's issue is related to fluid in his ears, the Sabres announced Wednesday. His placement on IR is presumably retroactive to Saturday, which is when Kulich was last in the lineup. He'll miss his second straight game when the Sabres face St. Louis on Thursday. When the 21-year-old is ready to return, he'll likely serve in a middle-six capacity.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Unlikely to play Thursday
Kulich looks poised to miss Thursday's clash with the Blues with an ear injury, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Kulich looks set to miss at least the next two games for the Sabres, which could make him a candidate for injured reserve if the team needs a roster spot. Prior to getting hurt, the 21-year-old center was mired in a four-game goal drought during which he recorded a mere four shots. If Kulich doesn't start shooting the puck more, he may be hard-pressed to match his 15-goal total from last year.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Doubtful for Tuesday's game
Kulich is doubtful for Tuesday's game against Utah due to an unspecified issue, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.
Head coach Lindy Ruff said Monday that Kulich was unable to finish Saturday's game against the Capitals due to his issue, but Ruff said that the issue isn't a physical concern or an injury. Kulich will presumably be sidelined for at least one game and should tentatively be considered day-to-day.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Two-point effort in Friday's win
Kulich scored a goal, dished an assist, blocked two shots and went plus-3 in Friday's 5-3 win over the Maple Leafs.
Kulich has scored three times over the last five games, and his helper was the first of the year. The 21-year-old is working on building chemistry with Tage Thompson on the top line, and if that partnership sticks, it could boost Kulich's fantasy profile. With four points, 16 shots, 10 blocks and a minus-4 rating over eight appearances, the 21-year-old is already trending toward carrying value in deeper formats.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Deposits goal Monday
Kulich scored a goal on two shots in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Canadiens.
Kulich has two goals over his last three games. After a brief stint on the fourth line, he's returned to a top-line role alongside Tage Thompson. Fantasy managers still need to see some consistency out of Kulich, but he's worth a speculative look as long as he's receiving prominent minutes. He's added 13 shots on net, seven blocked shots, three hits and a minus-6 rating over six appearances this season.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Pots empty-netter
Kulich scored an empty-net goal, logged two hits, blocked two shots and went minus-2 in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Senators.
With Tage Thompson moving back to center in the absence of Josh Norris (upper body), Kulich dropped to the fourth line for this game. The empty-netter was Kulich's first goal and point of the season. He's added eight shots on net, six blocked shots, three hits and a minus-6 rating over four outings. If he remains in a bottom-six role, the 21-year-old won't have much fantasy appeal, but it's possible he spends the season floating around the lineup as necessary.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Practices, set to return
Kulich (undisclosed) participated in Tuesday's practice and should play in Wednesday's preseason game versus Pittsburgh, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Kulich had been day-to-day since Thursday after tweaking a muscle. He produced 15 goals, 24 points and 134 shots on net across 62 regular-season appearances in 2024-25. Kulich will probably occupy a middle-six role with the Sabres this campaign.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Unavailable Saturday
Kulich (undisclosed) won't be in the lineup versus Detroit on Saturday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Kulich also didn't play in Thursday's preseason game against Detroit after tweaking a muscle. The 21-year-old had 15 goals and nine assists over 62 regular-season games in 2024-25. He remains day-to-day, leaving a return versus Pittsburgh on Wednesday as a possibility.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Tweaks a muscle
Per Heather Engel of NHL.com, Kulich will be out of the lineup for a day or two after tweaking a muscle, according to coach Lindy Ruff on Thursday.
Kulich had a good rookie season in 2024-25, tallying 15 goals and adding nine assists across 62 regular-season appearances. The 28th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, Kulich is expected to start the season as the Sabres' third-line center.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Heads to AHL
Kulich was reassigned to AHL Rochester on Friday, per Heather Engel of NHL.com.
Kulich had 15 goals and 24 points across 62 appearances with Buffalo in his rookie campaign. The regular season is over, and the Sabres didn't make the playoffs, so the 21-year-old will gain additional experience in the minors.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Lights lamp in Sunday's loss
Kulich scored a goal in Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Lightning.
Kulich has three points (one goal, two assists) over his last five games. He saw just 12:56 of ice time in this loss, which may be bad news for his ability to stay on the top line to close out the regular season. The 20-year-old has been decent in his rookie year, earning 15 goals, 24 points, 130 shots on net and an even plus-minus rating across 60 appearances.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Deals assist in Thursday's loss
Kulich notched an assist and two shots on goal in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Blue Jackets.
Kulich has two helpers over his last three games but no goals over his last seven outings despite taking 13 shots on net in that span. The 20-year-old has remained in a top-six role amid his scoring struggles. For the season, he's at 23 points, 124 shots on net, 38 hits and 34 blocked shots across 58 appearances in his first full NHL campaign.
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Sabres' Jiri Kulich: Lights lamp twice in win
Kulich scored two goals in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Penguins.
Both goals came in the second period, but they came against different goalies as Kulich helped chase Tristan Jarry from the game before greeting Alex Nedeljkovic with a tally midway through the frame. Kulich is up to 14 goals and 21 points over 51 appearances in his first full NHL campaign, and the 20-year-old is beginning to look like a bit of a steal as the No. 28 overall selection in 2022.
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