In light of their recent string of injuries, the Boston Bruins have made a number of call-ups in recent weeks, including Matej Blumel. The forward was drafted along with Riley Tufte and is currently third on the Providence Bruins in points with two goals and 13 points in 13 games.
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The 25-year-old Czech forward signed a one-year contract worth $875,000 last summer. After leading the American Hockey League (AHL) in goals last seasonit’s time to see if he’s ready to translate his scoring prowess to the NHL. The Bruins, desperate for some goal-scoring help this season, were eager to be the team to make the leap. After a decent but not extraordinary preseason, he was sent to Providence but will now get a chance to try to make a lasting impression.
Off to the NHL Draft
Blumel was born in Tabor, Czech Republic. His father was a former Czech linesman and he grew up playing junior hockey in the HC Pardubice organization. He played for the U16, U18 and U20 teams before moving to North America for the Waterloo Black Hawks in the United States Hockey League (USHL) in the 2017-2018 season. This is very common for European players to give them a chance to adjust to the smaller rink size in North American leagues prior to their draft years.
While there were some adjustments during the 2017-18 season, Blumel put together a stellar season in 2018-19, scoring 30 goals and 60 points in 58 games for the Black Hawks. He finished second on the team in points that season and also competed internationally for the Czech Republic, recording five goals and nine points in 16 caps.
Although Blumel was eligible for the 2018 draft, he went undrafted. But after his fantastic 2018-19 season, he was drafted 100th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. was praised for the speed and energy he brings to the ice, but also for his ability to play penalty kills and create short chances.
Return to the Czech Republic
For the 2019-2020 season, Blumel would join the NCAA ranks and play for the University of Connecticut. Instead, he returned to the Czech Republic and played in the men’s league for Paradubice. Knowing what would happen with COVID in the coming months, it ended up being a pretty good decision. It was an adjustment and his stats took a noticeable dip, with just four goals and five points in 31 games, but he showed improvement over the next two seasons in the Czech Republic. Internationally, he played for the Czech Republic at the 2020 World Juniors, appearing in five matches and registering one goal. One of his teammates at the tournament was former Bruin, Jakub Lauko.
The following seasons at Paradubice saw Blumel’s goal-scoring abilities begin to shine through again. He scored 17 goals in 49 games in 2020/21 and 12 goals in 49 games in 2021/22. Also in 2021-2022, he played in 27 matches internationally for the Czech Republic, scoring a further nine goals and helping the Czech Republic achieve the bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships.
AHL debut
In the summer of 2022, after not extending Blumel to a contract, the Oilers lost their exclusive rights to him. The Dallas Stars decided to offer him a two-year entry-level contract, returning him to North America for the 2022–23 season. After gaining experience playing against grown men in the Czech Republic, he was able to hit the ground running in the AHL and put together a strong rookie season for the Texas Stars. He had 44 points in 58 games, including 19 goals. He finished 16th overall among rookies, but had 0.76 points per game, which was seventh among all rookies who played in more than 20 games. One of the players who finished ahead of him was now teammate Georgii Merkulov.
Blumel made his NHL debut for Dallas in the 2022–23 season, appearing in six games and registering one goal, his first NHL goal, on November 22, 2022 against the Philadelphia Flyers. In 2023-24, he scored 31 goals and 62 points in 72 games. In the following season, 2024–25, he led the league in goals, scoring 39 in 67 games and recording a total of 72 points. He also appeared in seven NHL games and scored a goal.
Furthermore, in addition to winning the Willie Marshall Award for most goals in a season, Blumel was also named to the 2024 AHL All-Star Game and to the 2025 First All-Star Team. One of the few things he was unable to accomplish in the AHL was helping Texas win the AHL championship, the Calder Cup.
Blumel has improved in every season of his AHL career to date, and after leading the league in goals last season, it was clear the 25-year-old needed a shot at an NHL opportunity. But given the offensive situation in Dallas, with aging stars on permanent contracts and some very talented young players eager for more playing time, like Mavrik Bourque and Sam Steel, there wasn’t really much room for Blumel with the Stars. This led to him signing his contract with the Bruins this summer.
What he brings to the Bruins
It was an interesting start to the season for Blumel. After making a name for himself as a goal scorer, he has only scored two goals in thirteen games in the AHL so far, but he remains on a point per game pace thanks to his eleven assists to date. He received his first NHL call-up for the Bruins and made his debut in black and gold against the Carolina Hurricanes, joining the team on their road trip through California. Unfortunately, he no benefit derived from it of the opportunity and was a healthy scratch against the San Jose Sharks with the return of Elias Lindholm to the lineup.
Blumel was winless in three games and was at minus two while getting the chance to play on the second line. He had just four shots on goal while averaging 13:49 of ice time, which is more than Alex Steeves, another AHL call-up who has impressed more in his eight NHL games so far this season.
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There is still potential with Blumel and while he will likely be sent back to Providence in the coming days, he will be someone to continue to keep an eye on. His scoring ability isn’t something you have to give up if you fully adapt to the NHL. The Bruins always need more secondary scoring and if he can get back on the scoring pace in Providence, he may be ready and confident to take full advantage of another call-up later in the season.
But time is certainly running out for Blumel to make his case for a full-time NHL role. He has proven to be a talented player at the AHL level, but whether he is ready for the NHL remains to be seen. It remains a low-risk deal for the Bruins as he is on a cheap one-year contract. If he succeeds, great, if not, the organization has other guys to try out and possible moves to make at the deadline.
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