Bruins sign goaltender to one-year contract extension

The Boston Bruins on Tuesday signed goaltender Simon Zajicek to a one-year, two-way contract extension through the 2026-27 season. The deal carries an NHL salary cap hit of $850,000.

Zajicek, 24, spent the 2025-26 campaign with the AHL’s Providence Bruins, appearing in 21 games and compiling a 14-6-1 record. He finished the season with a 2.44 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage, helping Providence secure the Atlantic Division title and the top seed in the AHL’s Eastern Conference. During his rookie season in North America, he ranked among the league’s top 30 goaltenders in both goals-against average and save percentage.

The Czech netminder made an immediate impact after arriving in the Bruins organization. He opened his AHL career with a 6-1-0 record in his first seven starts and allowed two goals or fewer in every one of those appearances. By December, he had climbed as high as fourth in the AHL with a .932 save percentage and fifth with a 2.02 goals-against average.

Boston originally signed the Frydlant, Czechia native as a free agent in May 2025, giving him a one-year entry-level contract. Before joining the Bruins organization, Zajicek spent six seasons with HC Litvinov in the Czech Extraliga. Across 90 career games with the club from 2019 through 2025, he posted a 36-48-0 record, a 2.68 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.

His best season in Czechia came in 2024-25, when he recorded a 15-13-0 mark in 29 games while posting a 2.12 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. He also appeared in three playoff contests that year, maintaining a 2.63 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.

Zajicek shared duties in Providence with Michael DiPietro, who earned AHL MVP honors after leading the league in both goals-against average and save percentage during the 2025-26 season and earning an NHL call-up.

The extension gives the Bruins another signed goaltender heading into 2026-27. Zajicek joins a goaltending group that includes NHL starter Jeremy Swayman, Joonas Korpisalo, DiPietro and recently signed Max Lundgren. The move also continues an active Boston offseason that has already included new contracts for Lukas Reichel, Navrin Mutter and Attilio Biasca ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1.

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