When the Winter Olympics return to Italy in 2026, Czechia will have the opportunity to redeem themselves after a ninth-place finish in 2022. Of course, they’ll have the benefit of NHL players on their roster this time.
So far, David Pastrnak, Martin Necas, Pavel Zacha, Ondrej Palat, Radko Gudas, and Lukas Dostal have been named to Czechia’s Olympic team. Several more NHLers will join them for the upcoming Winter Games.
Let’s take an early look at how Czechia’s 2026 roster could shape up. Could they put themselves in the medal conversation?
Other 2026 Olympic Roster Projections:
Czechia’s Projected Roster for the 2026 Olympics
| LW | C | RW |
| Pavel Zacha | Tomas Hertl | David Pastrnak |
| Jiri Kulich | Filip Chytil | Martin Necas |
| Ondrej Palat | Roman Cervenka | Lukas Sedlak |
| Dominik Kubalik | Tomas Nosek | Radek Faksa |
| Jakub Vrana | David Kampf |
| LD | RD | G |
| Radko Gudas | Filip Hronek | Lukas Dostal |
| Libor Hajek | David Jiricek | Karel Vejmelka |
| Stanislav Svozil | Jan Rutta | Jakub Dobes |
| Libor Sulak | Filip Pyrochta |
Up front, Pastrnak, Necas, and Tomas Hertl lead the way. These three forwards will be expected to provide the majority of Czechia’s scoring chances. Zacha, Jiri Kulich, and Filip Chytil round out what could be a highly effective top six.
There’s plenty of big-game experience further down in the lineup, too. Roman Cervenka and Lukas Sedlak are Olympic veterans, having most recently skated in the 2022 Winter Games. Cervenka, who will be 40 when the 2026 Olympics kick off, captained Czechia last time around.
In addition, Palat and Tomas Nosek are Stanley Cup champions who know how to adapt their games when the pressure is on. Jakub Vrana also won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Washington Capitals in 2018.
Defensively, Gudas and Filip Hronek will likely be leaned upon. Hronek also gives Czechia an outstanding power play quarterback to join the likes of Pastrnak, Hertl, Necas, and Zacha while up a man.
In addition, I can see David Jiricek putting together a solid tournament while playing a big role for Czechia. The former first-round pick has the size, skating ability, and hockey IQ to thrive in big minutes.
Moving on to the crease, Lukas Dostal figures to be the present and future for Czechia. The Anaheim Ducks netminder should earn a bulk of the starts at the 2026 Winter Games, with Karel Vejmelka available to step in if needed. The Utah Mammoth goalie could also steal games as a starter if called upon. Lastly, Jakub Dobes might be a surprise pick over more experienced goaltenders, but has the potential to play a crucial role for Czechia down the road, thus the inclusion here.
Final Word
Consider Czechia as a dark horse in the 2026 Winter Olympics. They have enough top-level talent to be dangerous and an interesting support cast with plenty of meaningful experience.
Final Cuts: Matej Blumel, Ivan Ivan, Jan Jenik, Jakub Lauko, Filip Zadina, Jakub Flek, Adam Klapka, Ondrej Beranek, David Spacek, David Sklenicka, Adam Jiricek, David Rittich, Petr Mrazek, Dan Vladar, Vitek Vanecek.