Stepan Hoch News: Czech import joins Utah

Hoch was the 78th overall pick by Utah in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.

Hoch wasn't rated high in terms of pre-draft rankings, but it's easy to see why Utah was interested in him at this point. He's 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, and has experience playing both center and wing. Hoch picked up 12 goals and 29 points in 30 regular-season games for the Ceske Budejovice junior club in his native Czechia this past season. His skating needs improvement, but his combination of size and versatility is intriguing. He will probably continue his development overseas for at least the next two seasons.