Aneta Tejralová Bio
Aneta Tejralová, born on 4 January 1996, is a Czech professional ice hockey player who competes for the Seattle Torrent of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). A left-shooting defenseman standing 1.64 meters tall, she is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished defenders in the modern women’s game. Tejralová also serves as captain of the Czech Republic women’s national ice hockey team, a role she has held since 2023.
Over the course of her career, Tejralová has competed in Russia, Sweden, and North America, bringing a wealth of international experience to every roster she has joined. Her professional journey has spanned the Czech domestic league, the Russian Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL), the Swedish SDHL, the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), and the PWHL.
Early Life and Background
Aneta Tejralová was born on 4 January 1996 in Prague, Czech Republic. She grew up in a hockey household alongside her twin brother, Petr Tejral, who later played professional hockey in the Czech Republic. Watching her older brother play in their youth inspired Tejralová to step onto the ice for the first time at the age of six.
From the moment she began skating, Tejralová gravitated toward the defensive end of the rink. She has explained that she chose to play defense because she loved the challenge of blocking shots and shutting down opposing forwards. Her twin brother played a significant role in her early development, and Tejralová has credited him with shaping much of her skating technique, noting that she often mirrors the way he moves on the ice.
Tejralová began her organized hockey career with HC Slavia Praha, the storied Prague club that has long nurtured Czech talent. During her youth career, she competed in boys’ age-group categories, sharing the ice with male teammates, including her brother Petr. That early exposure to high-tempo, physical hockey helped lay the foundation for the well-rounded defender she would later become.
Path to Professional Hockey
Tejralová joined the Czech Republic women’s national team at the age of 15 in 2012, marking the start of a long and decorated international career. She quickly established herself in the national program, representing her country at four IIHF World U18 Championships and earning recognition as a Top 3 Player for the Czech squad at the 2013 tournament.
At the senior level, Tejralová progressed through three IIHF Women’s World Championship Division I A tournaments in 2012, 2014, and 2015. Her performance at the 2015 Division I A World Championship was particularly notable, as she was named Best Defenseman while helping Czechia capture gold and earn promotion to the elite Top Division of international women’s hockey.
That same year, Tejralová began her professional career in Russia, joining the Zhenskaya Hockey League with Dynamo St. Petersburg for the 2014–15 season. The move from domestic Czech competition to one of Europe’s most competitive women’s leagues represented a major step in her development and set the stage for more than a decade of professional success.
Aneta Tejralová Career
Early Career in the ZhHL (2014–2022)
After playing domestically in the Czech Republic, Tejralová moved to Russia to begin her professional career in the ZhHL with the 2014–15 season. She joined Dynamo St. Petersburg in 2015 and was quickly trusted with a leadership role, serving as an alternate captain for two seasons with the club.
In 2020, Tejralová transferred to SKIF Nizhny Novgorod, where she continued to serve as an alternate captain and emerged as one of the league’s most productive defensemen. Across her time with SKIF, she recorded 64 points in 64 games, including a standout 2021–22 campaign in which she posted 46 points and an exceptional +40 plus-minus rating in 36 games. During her time in Russia, Tejralová twice led the ZhHL in scoring among defensemen.
Boston Pride Era (2022–2023)
Tejralová made her North American professional debut with the Boston Pride of the Premier Hockey Federation for the 2022–23 season. Pride head coach Paul Mara praised her signing, noting that she would have an immediate impact in all three zones and that her talent, skill, and experience would benefit the team’s on-ice success.
Boston finished the regular season with a league-best 19-4-1 record, and Tejralová helped anchor a Pride defense that allowed the fewest goals in the PHF. She was selected to represent Team World at the 2023 PHF All-Star Game in Toronto on 29 January 2023, one of nine Pride players named to the 45-player all-star roster. During the regular season, she scored two goals, though Boston was swept by the Minnesota Whitecaps in the semifinals.
Ottawa Charge Era (2023–2025)
Prior to the inaugural PWHL season, Tejralová spent the fall of 2023 with MODO Hockey in Sweden’s SDHL, recording eight points in 13 games. Her contract with MoDo included an exit clause that allowed her to join the PWHL in time for training camp.
Tejralová was selected 41st overall by PWHL Ottawa in the 2023 PWHL Draft. During the 2023–24 season, she recorded two goals and six assists in 23 games, and she was recognized as the second-most productive defender on the Ottawa roster. On 9 June 2024, she signed a two-year contract extension with Ottawa, and she followed that up with one goal and nine assists during the 2024–25 season.
Seattle Torrent Era (2025–Present)
On 9 June 2025, Tejralová was selected second overall by the Seattle Torrent in the 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft, becoming Seattle’s first-ever player pick. She made an immediate impact on the young franchise, taking part in the Torrent’s historic home opener on 28 November 2025 at Climate Pledge Arena against the Minnesota Frost.
The home opener drew 16,014 fans, setting the record for the largest crowd for a women’s hockey game in a U.S. arena, surpassing previous records set at both the collegiate and professional levels. Although Seattle fell 3-0 to the two-time defending Walter Cup champion Frost, the night marked a landmark moment for women’s hockey in the Pacific Northwest. Tejralová recorded her first assist for the Torrent on 21 December 2025 in a 3-1 loss to the Boston Fleet, and she later scored her first Seattle goal on 27 February 2026 in a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Sceptres, a game that broke the U.S. women’s hockey arena attendance record with 17,335 fans.
Driving Style and Strengths
Tejralová is widely recognized for her smooth skating, strong positional play, and shot-blocking courage, traits she developed while playing alongside boys during her youth in Prague. Her ability to read the play and contribute offensively, combined with her physical defending, has made her one of the most complete two-way defenders in the women’s game. She has also demonstrated leadership and composure under pressure, qualities that have earned her the captaincy of the Czech national team.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among her most significant achievements, Tejralová helped Czechia win back-to-back bronze medals at the 2022 and 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championships, marking the first medals at the Top Division level in the country’s history. She also represented her country at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, scoring one goal in five games. In 2025, she became the first player selected by the Seattle Torrent in the PWHL Expansion Draft.
Aneta Tejralová International Play
Tejralová has been a fixture of the Czech Republic women’s national team since 2012, competing in eight IIHF Women’s World Championships and the 2022 Winter Olympics. She has been a consistent contributor at both the junior and senior levels, with multiple individual honors to her name.
IIHF World Championship Highlights
Tejralová was named Best Defenseman at the 2015 IIHF Women’s World Championship Division I A, helping Czechia earn promotion to the Top Division. She was also recognized as a Top 3 Player on the Czech national team at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
At the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Denmark, Tejralová helped Czechia capture the bronze medal, the country’s first-ever medal at the Top Division level. The team followed that historic result with another bronze medal at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Canada, earning back-to-back podium finishes. Tejralová was named captain of the Czech national team prior to the 2023 tournament, succeeding long-time captain Alena Mills, and she was again selected as team captain for Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Aneta Tejralová Family
Family Background and Hockey Lineage
Aneta Tejralová was born into a hockey family in Prague, where her twin brother, Petr Tejral, also pursued the sport at a high level. Petr went on to play professional hockey in the Czech Republic, and the twins remain closely connected through their shared love of the game.
Personal Life
Tejralová credits her twin brother Petr with much of her early skating ability and continues to draw inspiration from his career. Beyond her close bond with her brother, she has remained focused on her professional and international commitments, representing Czechia and her club teams with distinction across multiple leagues and continents.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a transformative chapter in Tejralová’s career, beginning with her selection as the first-ever pick of the Seattle Torrent in the 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft. Her arrival instantly elevated the expansion franchise’s defensive core and gave Seattle a proven leader on the blue line.
Tejralová played a central role in the Torrent’s historic home opener at Climate Pledge Arena, helping the club draw a record crowd of 16,014 fans, the largest ever recorded for a women’s hockey game in a U.S. arena. While Seattle opened the campaign with growing pains against defending champion Minnesota, Tejralová continued to produce offensively, recording her first assist and later her first goal for the Torrent during the early months of the season.
On the international stage, Tejralová was again named captain of the Czech Republic, this time for the 2026 Winter Olympics, underscoring her status as the team’s most trusted defender and on-ice leader. With a two-year contract extension in hand and a clear leadership role in Seattle, Tejralová enters the heart of the 2025–26 campaign as one of the most influential figures in the PWHL.