Olympics: Czech Republic roster 2026

[Eye of Ra]

Maybe im blind, but i cant find a thread.

Hertl - Necas - Pastrnak
Zacha - Chytil - Vrana
Kulich - Ivan - Palat
Nosek - Faksa - Kämpf
Lauko, Blumel

Rutta - Hronek
Jiricek - Gudas
Svozil - Spacek
Kral

Vejmelka
Dostal
Mrazek

Good team.

Click to read more...

 

[Czechboy]

Nice work. 2 years out so I certainly can' tcriticize.

I would want Pasta and Necas seperate so we can run a old school top 6.

D is exactly what I want. So it definitely won't happen.lol I'd change up the pairings but those are my 7.

Goalies are deep... Hard to screw up. Dostal is absolutely the starter today.

Just sucks that our D is weak. I love those players but this is so far from Canada, Sweden, USA. Even Germany has Seider. Swiss have Josi. We have the 7th best D core.lol

 

[Coffee]

Nice work. 2 years out so I certainly can' tcriticize.

I would want Pasta and Necas seperate so we can run a old school top 6.

D is exactly what I want. So it definitely won't happen.lol I'd change up the pairings but those are my 7.

Goalies are deep... Hard to screw up. Dostal is absolutely the starter today.

Just sucks that our D is weak. I love those players but this is so far from Canada, Sweden, USA. Even Germany has Seider. Swiss have Josi. We have the 7th best D core.lol

Defence still has the X factor though, depending on Jiricek development, it may not end up being as weak as we think now

 

[Eye of Ra]

Nice work. 2 years out so I certainly can' tcriticize.

I would want Pasta and Necas seperate so we can run a old school top 6.

D is exactly what I want. So it definitely won't happen.lol I'd change up the pairings but those are my 7.

Goalies are deep... Hard to screw up. Dostal is absolutely the starter today.

Just sucks that our D is weak. I love those players but this is so far from Canada, Sweden, USA. Even Germany has Seider. Swiss have Josi. We have the 7th best D core.lol

1 year and 1 month out. Its already 2025.

 

[Czechboy]

Defence still has the X factor though, depending on Jiricek development, it may not end up being as weak as we think now

Jiricek feels about 1000 miles from NHL today. I think Minny is doing a reconstruction with him.

I hope I'm wrong and he's in NHL full time by 2026 but I'm skeptical today.

 

[Czechboy]

1 year and 1 month out. Its already 2025.

Well that d core won't fix itself by 2026.

Our x factor will be rulik. He's a great coach. I have a lot of faith in him. But we need NHL d and time is badly running out.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Czechs 98 D was:

Svoboda
Smehlik
Slegr
Kucera
Spacek
Hamrlik

Solid - with Hasek

 

[Czechboy]

Czechs 98 D was:

Svoboda
Smehlik
Slegr
Kucera
Spacek
Hamrlik

Solid - with Hasek

It was a very interesting group. I think the Czechs has around 20 NHL d at this point. Some names left off. Slegr is my all time fav Czech D. I will say. I rewatch Nagano games every so often (I know.. I need new hobbies) and they really didn't allow much on Hasek. Shots against were low.

 

[PanniniClaus]

It was a very interesting group. I think the Czechs has around 20 NHL d at this point. Some names left off. Slegr is my all time fav Czech D. I will say. I rewatch Nagano games every so often (I know.. I need new hobbies) and they really didn't allow much on Hasek. Shots against were low.

They were strong as oxe. Hard to get to the net. Slegr and Svoboda could skate it if need be.

 

[HFpapi]

Czechs 98 D was:

Svoboda
Smehlik
Slegr
Kucera
Spacek
Hamrlik

Solid - with Hasek

The bolded does a lot of heavy lifting.

The GOAT goaltender can mask quite a bit. With all due respect to Dostal....

 

[Czechboy]

The bolded does a lot of heavy lifting.

The GOAT goaltender can mask quite a bit. With all due respect to Dostal....

He can and he was definitely the MVP... but, for what it's worth...

That heavily lifted D kept Canada to 5 shots in the first and 6 shots in the third. That Canada was at least a dozen hall of famers.

Here are the Russian shots in the final:

Two periods with 6 or less shots against Russia and Canada... Hasek was amazing but that D and those forwards did a lot of work.

 

[Old Man Jags]

The bolded does a lot of heavy lifting.

The GOAT goaltender can mask quite a bit. With all due respect to Dostal....

Not in this case. Hasek was incredible but he didn't have to 'mask' the Czech defence's mistakes or anything, they were excellent. People like to forget that against Canada in Nagano, the Czech Republic was the better team, and was unlucky not to win it in regulation. It went to overtime after a flukey goal a minute and a bit before the end to tie it for Canada, which had been second best until then.

The game which highlighted Hasek's GOAT qualities much more was the quarterfinal against the US, which the Czechs won 4-1. BUT: in the first period, the Americans were MUCH better and the Czechs played quite badly, yet the US won that period only 1-0. Without Hasek, they could (and should) have scored enough goals to put the game beyond the Czechs' reach after the first 20 minutes.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Nice work. 2 years out so I certainly can' tcriticize.

I would want Pasta and Necas seperate so we can run a old school top 6.

D is exactly what I want. So it definitely won't happen.lol I'd change up the pairings but those are my 7.

Goalies are deep... Hard to screw up. Dostal is absolutely the starter today.

Just sucks that our D is weak. I love those players but this is so far from Canada, Sweden, USA. Even Germany has Seider. Swiss have Josi. We have the 7th best D core.lol

If Dostal develops into a near Hasek, the Czechs could beat Canada, US, Sweden & Finland any given game. Which means if they make semi-finals, they could make the Gold Medal Game.

 

[Old Man Jags]

He can and he was definitely the MVP... but, for what it's worth...

View attachment 959354

That heavily lifted D kept Canada to 5 shots in the first and 6 shots in the third. That Canada was at least a dozen hall of famers.

Here are the Russian shots in the final:

View attachment 959355

Two periods with 6 or less shots against Russia and Canada... Hasek was amazing but that D and those forwards did a lot of work.

CAN v KAZ?

 

[czechcanadian]

Not in this case. Hasek was incredible but he didn't have to 'mask' the Czech defence's mistakes or anything, they were excellent. People like to forget that against Canada in Nagano, the Czech Republic was the better team, and was unlucky not to win it in regulation. It went to overtime after a flukey goal a minute and a bit before the end to tie it for Canada, which had been second best until then.

The game which highlighted Hasek's GOAT qualities much more was the quarterfinal against the US, which the Czechs won 4-1. BUT: in the first period, the Americans were MUCH better and the Czechs played quite badly, yet the US won that period only 1-0. Without Hasek, they could (and should) have scored enough goals to put the game beyond the Czechs' reach after the first 20 minutes.

My dad always reminds me of that game. I was a bit young to retain much of it then. Hašek absolutely stole that one.

 

[Old Man Jags]

My dad always reminds me of that game. I was a bit young to retain much of it then. Hašek absolutely stole that one.

I was in the stadium in Nagano for the knockout stages. One of the best memories of my life. Including watching a possibly drunk Katerina Neumanova dancing with Jagr on a table in the Czech House (where they served Czech food and Pilsner Urquell from barrel to Czechs).

 

[Eye of Ra]

Which players from European Leauges would you guys be okay with on the team?

If i where Czech i would not be angry if Kubalik or Tomasek is on 4 th line.

 

[Czechboy]

Which players from European Leauges would you guys be okay with on the team?

If i where Czech i would not be angry if Kubalik or Tomasek is on 4 th line.

Hard to say a year out.. 2025 Olympics I'd be more than fine with Kubalik, Kase, Cervenka, Sedlak and Hajek (yes, that Hajek) and maybe Kempny is a leader.

For 2026 - Zadina might get himself into the conversation. Cervenka may be too old. O. Kase, Kubalik and Sedlak would still be useful. Depends the role he's looking for. We won't have enough NHL D so Euro D are coming for sure. Hajek, Zboril, Kempny, Cibulka, Tichachek, Kundratek, Simek.. someone I haven't thought of. It won't be a terrifying D core by any stetch. Forwards are rising though. Goalies will be very good. I'm hoping for AHL guys like Spacek, Jiricek and Svozil personally but I'd expect at least 6 Euro leaguers.

 

[Mirinho]

As we know Rulík and his team, it will be something like this:
100% he won't take any unproven AHL player (and that's a pitty for Blumel, Ivan and lots of our AHL boys especialy in offense).
We will see few euro guys.

Palat - Zacha - Pasta
Kubalik - Hertl - Necas
Chytil - Cervenka - Kase
Lauko - Kampf - Kulich
Faksa/Tomasek/Beranek

Rutta - Hronek
Spacek - Gudas
Pyrochta - Jiricek
Simek


Dostal
Mrazek
Vejmelka

... and I can live with this team.

This year's WCH will tell us more, AHL players have big chance to show themselves there. But I can't imagine how players like Kral, Svozil etc. can beat "Rulik boys" like Pyrochta/Gazda/Hajek (Pyrochta has played almost every game this season in EHT and we are best) and OG tournament is on euro size rink. NHL level is must for defensive guys from north america (Spacek is the only exception).

 

[Czechboy]

As we know Rulík and his team, it will be something like this:
100% he won't take any unproven AHL player (and that's a pitty for Blumel, Ivan and lots of our AHL boys especialy in offense).
We will see few euro guys.

Palat - Zacha - Pasta
Kubalik - Hertl - Necas
Chytil - Cervenka - Kase
Lauko - Kampf - Kulich
Faksa/Tomasek/Beranek

Rutta - Hronek
Spacek - Gudas
Pyrochta - Jiricek
Simek


Dostal
Mrazek
Vejmelka

... and I can live with this team.

This year's WCH will tell us more, AHL players have big chance to show themselves there. But I can't imagine how players like Kral, Svozil etc. can beat "Rulik boys" like Pyrochta/Gazda/Hajek (Pyrochta has played almost every game this season in EHT and we are best) and OG tournament is on euro size rink. NHL level is must for defensive guys from north america (Spacek is the only exception).

The games are on NHL ice.

So that will affect who he brings IMO.

Agree he has his boys and agree there will be a older European player contingent.



I'll add that I think zadina may end up being a Rulik boy.

My dream for worlds is a mix of euro and AHL talent. Not expecting many NHL guys this year and am fine with it this time.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Worlds is perfect for trying out AHLers.

Blumel, Frk, Rousek, Kral, Svozil, Dvorak, Spacek, Sale, Mysak, Hovorka, Klapka... lots of interesting players in AHL.

 

[Czechboy]

Worlds is perfect for trying out AHLers.

Blumel, Frk, Rousek, Kral, Svozil, Dvorak, Spacek, Sale, Mysak, Hovorka, Klapka... lots of interesting players in AHL.

Of those.. and they may end up in Calder Race and they may end up black aces...

But i'd want Blumel, Rousek (after a tryout), Kral, Svozil, Spacek and then tryouts for Mysak, Sale, Klapka and Hovorka. Don't forget Jiricek.