Roman Will

Roman Will (born on May 22, 1992 in Plzeň) is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL.

Club career
As a youth, Will played with the BK Mladá Boleslav organisation and in the 2010-11 season made his professional debut in a Tipsport Extraliga relegation game with the BK Mladá Boleslav. In the same season, he was also a second goalie in a few games with the HC Benátky nad Jizerou of the 1. Liga. With an ambition to be drafted and play in the NHL, Will was drafted 29th overall by the Moncton Wildcats in the 2011 CHL Import Draft and subsequently moved to North America for a season of major junior hockey with the Wildcats of the QMJHL in 2011–12. As the Wildcats starter, Will appeared in 63 regular season games for 29 wins and also added 4 games in the play-offs and was selected to the 2012 QMJHL First All-Star Team and also was named the CHL Goaltender of the Week on November 13, 2011.

Undrafted, Will returned to the Czech Republic signing a two-year contract to newly relegated BK Mladá Boleslav of the 1. Liga. In the 2012–13 season, Will became the first goalie and appeared in 44 regular season games, 10 play-off games and 5 Tipsport Extraliga qualification games. Although just a 20-year-old, he led the league with a 1.87 goals against average and 33 wins and helped the BK Mladá Boleslav win the 1. Liga but the team did not success in the Tipsport Extraliga qualification and stayed in the 1. Liga for the next season.

After helping BK Mladá Boleslav win the 1. Liga once again and gain promotion back to the Tipsport Extraliga in the 2013-14 season he was re-signed to a one-year contract on May 2, 2014. However, on May 15, 2014, Will's NHL ambition was further realised when he was signed to a two-year entry level contract with the Colorado Avalanche organisation.

In his first senior North American season in 2014–15, Will was initially assigned to backup the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters. He made his debut with the Monsters on October 17, 2014, against the Chicago Wolves. He later recorded his first career AHL win against the Toronto Marlies on November 30, 2014, before he was assigned to earn more time in the crease with secondary affiliate, the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL. He played 11 games with the Monsters. Will shone with the Komets and earned his first accolade as the ECHL Goaltender of the Week from January 5 to January 11, 2015. He recorded 17 wins in 29 regular season games, leading all rookies in goals against average, and played in all 7 play-off games with Fort Wayne to be selected in the ECHL All-Rookie Team. He was also selected to be the ECHL Goaltender of the Month in April 2015.

In the following 2015–16 season, after attending his second Avalanche training camp, Will was assigned to new AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, and played there 29 games. On January 26, 2016, with the Rampage's starting Goaltender Calvin Pickard already promoted to the NHL, Will was recalled to the Avalanche on an emergency basis in order to backup Pickard due to an unavailability with starter Semyon Varlamov. With Pickard struggling with illness, Will made his NHL debut in relief with the Avalanche that same night, appearing in 18 minutes of ice time and stopping 2 of 3 shots in a 6-1 defeat to the San Jose Sharks. Will was returned to the Rampage following the game on January 29, 2016.

At the completion of his second professional North American season, Will in search of more playing time left the Avalanche organization to return to the Czech Republic in agreeing to an optional two-year deal with the Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Tipsport Extraliga on May 10, 2016.

Will matured and performed as a standout statistically for three seasons in the Tipsport Extraliga with the Bílí Tygři Liberec. In his first season with the Bílí Tygři Liberec, Will played 30 regular season games and 7 play-off games with the Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Tipsport Extraliga and also 5 games with their farm club, the HC Benátky nad Jizerou of the WSM Liga (formerly 1. Liga). He led the Tipsport Extraliga in goals against average (1.69), save percentage (.935) and was the goalie with most shutouts (7).

In the 2017 - 2019, Will played only with the Bílí Tygři Liberec playing almost all of their games in the season. In the 2017-18 season, Will was the best goaltender of the Tipsport Extraliga play-offs in the goals against average (1.69) and in the save percentage (.940). In the next season, he was named the Tipsport Extraliga Best Goalie while he led the league in most wins (32) and had the best goals agains average in the play-offs (1.76).

Following the 2018–19 season, Will left the Czech Republic as a free agent and agreed to a two-year contract with Swedish club, the Rögle BK of the SHL, on May 9, 2019. Securing the role as starting goaltender, Will registered an impressive 23 wins from 34 games, helping the Rögle BK finish the regular season in third place, their highest position in franchise history.

On April 15, 2020, Will was released from his contract with the Rögle BK in order to take up a lucrative two-year offer from Russian club, the Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL.

International career
Will played with the Czech National Team at the 2010 World U18 Championship.