Utah Hockey Club signs one-year contract with Patrik Koch

The Utah Hockey Club today announced the signing of defenseman Patrik Koch to a one-year, dual-award contract. In accordance with club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Koch, 27, recorded 1-14-15 and 97 penalty minutes (PIM) in 63 games with the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL) and played in one NHL game with the Arizona Coyotes in 2023-24. Koch recently played in eight games with Slovakia at the 2024 World Championship, recording 1-3-4 and six PIM.

The Malacky, Slovakia native shot 3-9-12 with 69 PIM in 46 regular season games with HC Vitkovice of the Czech Extraliga and added 2-2-4 and 17 PIM in 16 playoff games in 2022-23. Koch also represented Slovakia at the 2023 World Championship, where he shot 1-3-4 in seven games, the most points of any Slovakian defenseman.

The 6’1″, 195-pound defenseman played three seasons (2020-2023) for Vitkovice, recording a 6-17-23 record with 265 PIM in 156 games, including eight games with HC Kometa Brno during parts of the 2015-17 season, where he was a teammate of Utah goaltender Karel Vejmelka.

Koch began his professional career with five seasons in the Slovak Extraliga (2015-19), posting 6-29-35 with 266 PIM and a plus-17 rating in 193 career games, including a professional career-best 4-13-17 and 100 PIM for HC Kosice in 2018-19. He also played one season in North America for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL in 2014-15, posting 3-4-7 and 35 PIM in 23 games.