Daniel Chavkin
Czechia was one of many men’s hockey teams to enter the 2026 Winter Olympics with a strong group of NHL players looking to earn a medal.
Czechia’s men’s hockey history at the Olympics peaked in 1998, when the country won its first gold medal in the event in just its second appearance. Since then, though, the Czechs have medaled just once as they haven’t been able to break into the top of the sport internationally.
This year’s Czechia men’s hockey team features a few NHL stars, but is tested by its depth against the best teams. Here’s a breakdown of the Czech men’s hockey team for the Olympics.
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The Czech men’s hockey roster has its fair share of NHL stars, as Martin Necas, David Pastrnak and Tomas Hertl lead the team at the Olympics. Additionally, veteran defenseman Radko Gudas serves as the captain, rounding out a group of 10 active NHL players on the 25-man roster.
All three goalies on the team play for NHL organizations, with Lukas Dostal acting as the team’s primary starter in net. Additionally, many of Czechia’s non-NHL players did play in the league once before.
* — Injury replacement for Pavel Zacha.
Rulik primarily serves as Czechia’s head coach in international play, but he was most recently the head coach of HC Dynamo Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga in 2022-23.
Daniel Chavkin is a Digital Content Producer for The Sporting News. A 2018 graduate from the University of Maryland, he has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports and NFLTradeRumors.com.
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