Czech ice hockey player (born 1992)
Ice hockey player
David Rittich Jr. (born 19 August 1992)[2] is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Nashville Predators. Rittich was an NHL All-Star in 2020 and has represented his native Czech Republic internationally.
Playing career
Rittich made his Czech Extraliga debut with BK Mladá Boleslav during the 2014–15 Czech Extraliga season. After two successful performances in the ELH, Rittich was signed to a one-year, two-way contract on 10 June 2016, by the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL).[3]
Rittich made his NHL debut against the San Jose Sharks in the third period of the Flames' final regular season game of the year.[4] He made nine saves on 10 shots after replacing Brian Elliott in the third period to finish the game with a 3–2 loss.[5] Rittich recorded his first NHL win in the 2017–18 season on 25 November 2017, in a game against the Colorado Avalanche.[6] In December 2017, the Flames traded their backup goaltender Eddie Läck away, making Rittich a full-time NHL goaltender for the first time as the backup to Mike Smith.[7] In his first season with the club, Rittich finished with an 8–6–3 record. On 26 July 2018, the Flames re-signed Rittich to a one-year, $800,000 contract extension.[8] On 10 November 2018, Rittich earned his first shutout in the NHL against the Los Angeles Kings in a 1–0 win with the only goal scored by Travis Hamonic.[9] In July 2019 the Flames re-signed David Rittich to a two-year contract.[10] In the shortened 2020–21 season, on 22 February 2021, Rittich turned aside 34 shots to become the third goaltender in Flames' history to shutout the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto, and the first since Yves Bélanger accomplished the feat on 31 December 1977, when the franchise was located in Atlanta.[11][12] It was Rittich's fourth career shutout.[13]
In the final year of his contract, Rittich was traded by the Flames at the NHL deadline on 11 April 2021, to the Toronto Maple Leafs as goaltending depth in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.[14] He made four regular season appearances with the Maple Leafs, posting a 1–1–1 record, but was a healthy scratch during the playoffs.[15]
As a free agent, Rittich was signed to a one-year, $1.25 million contract by the Nashville Predators on 28 July 2021.[16]
Following a lone season with the Predators, Rittich left as a free agent and was signed to a one-year, $900,000 contract by the Winnipeg Jets on 13 July 2022.[17] Serving as the backup to Jets starting goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck, Rittich made 21 appearances in the 2022–23 season, collecting 9 wins.
At the conclusion of his contract with the Jets, Rittich signed a one-year, $875,000 contract with the Los Angeles Kings on 1 July 2023.[18]
Czech Republic