GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Monday re-signed goaltender Jan Bednar (YAHN BEHD-nahr) to a one-year contract extension for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign.

Bednar, the 107th overall pick by the Red Wings in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, recently completed his first full pro season in North America with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. Bednar showed a 22-7-2 record, a 2.66 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage in 36 regular-season games this year. He also tallied a 4-1 mark in the postseason to go along with a 2.37 GAA and a .917 save percentage. The 21-year-old made his debut for Toledo during the 2022-23 campaign, showing a 1-1-0 ledger with a 3.01 GAA and a .901 save percentage in three outings. 

The 6-foot-4, 196-pound netminder appeared in 69 games for the Acadie-Bathurst Titans in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2020-23, compiling a 38-24-5 record, a 3.12 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. In 2021-22, Bednar was named to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team when he ranked among the league leaders in GAA (2.72, 10th), save percentage (0.912, T5th), shutouts (2, T6th) and wins (28, T2nd). Bednar was part of Team Czechia at the 2022 World Junior Championship and showed a 1-2-0 mark. Prior to coming to North America in 2021, the Karlovy, Czechia, native competed in parts of three seasons (2018-21) in the top professional league in his home country and notched a 7-19-0 ledger in 28 games to go along with a 3.72 GAA and an .893 save percentage. Bednar was named the 2019 Czech Extraliga Rookie of the Year when he amassed a 2.73 GAA and a .917 save percentage in 10 regular-season games before going 3-2 in the postseason with a 2.59 GAA and a .915 save percentage.

Photo by Toledo Walleye