Coming off a bronze medal at the 2025 World Junior Championship (WJC), Czechia is looking to stay in contention for another medal this year. There is plenty of talent that could end up on the roster to help put them in a tough Group B that includes the likes of Canada and Finland.
Czechia’s Forwards
Heading into this year’s tournament, Czechia is losing its top three point producers from its forward group, including Jakub Stancl (St. Louis Blues), Eduard Sale (Seattle Kraken), and Vojtech Hradec (Utah Mammoth). Even with that talent aging out of eligibility, there is still strong firepower in the top half of the lineup.
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| Vojtěch Čihař | Petr Sikora | Adam Jecho |
| Adam Novotný | Adam Benák | Václav Nestrašil |
| Tomáš Poletín | Max Curran | Matěj Kubiesa |
| Štěpán Hoch | Richard Žemlička | Adam Titlbach |
| Petr Tomek | Samuel Drancak |
Czechia’s offensive firepower will likely come in the top two lines projected in this lineup. Overall, it is a solid mix of returners and a few newcomers. With the likes of Petr Sikora, who could very easily end up with the “C” on his jersey at this year’s tournament alongside Vojtěch Čihař, there is plenty of experience at the Under-20 level. The second line for Czechia is where the fun and talent can truly shine through. Both Adam Novotný and Adam Benák (Minnesota Wild) have had great starts to their first seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Benák was the second overall pick in the 2025 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft and has been on an absolute tear with the Brantford Bulldogs, while Novotný has led the way for the Peterborough Petes. Both have been key contributors at the international level for Czechia and could become players to watch in the 2026 tournament.
The bottom six of the forward grouping may not bring a ton of offense, but could still be impactful for the Czech’s. Tomáś Poletin was the first overall selection in this year’s CHL Import Draft by the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL), and has had a strong start in Czechia’s top league. There continue to be murmurs of him making his way to Kelowna in the near future. He would be a key fixture in the middle of his country’s lineup. Overall, the Czech’s projected forward grouping could end up being a bit top-heavy production-wise, but would still be a strong one from top to bottom.
Czechia’s Defense
| Left Defense | Right Defense |
| Tomáš Galvas | Adam Jiřiček |
| Jakub Fibigr | Radim Mrtka |
| Vladimir Dravecký | Max Pšenička |
| Martin Švec | Lashek Blanar |
The Czechs could end up with one of this year’s best top-four defense groups, with three returners, with Jakub Dvořák (Los Angeles Kings) aging out. While they did not add much in the goal-scoring department at last year’s tournament, the trio of Tomáš Galvas, Adam Jiřiċek and Jakub Fibigr were solid for their country. Add Buffalo Sabres 2025 first-round pick Radim Mrtka, who had a strong Under-18 tournament last year, and the Czechs have a solid grouping in just those four. Vladimir Dravecký, who is draft-eligible for the 2026 Draft, has had a strong start in his first season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL and could help solidify the bottom pairing.
Czechia’s Goaltenders
| Michal Oršulák |
| Ondřej Štěbeták |
| Matyáš Mařík |
One of the biggest question marks for Czechia is the goaltending position. They are losing Michael Hrabel (Utah Mammoth), and the goaltender who many thought would take over the reins, Jakub Milota (Nashville Predators), has been out with an injury that is likely to keep him out of this year’s tournament. There is enough talent to choose from for the three spots at the position, but there may not be a clear-cut number one option as of now. Michal Oršulák has the most international experience of the three projected to make the roster, having played in three games at the U18 WJC last year. He, Ondřej Śtěbeták, and Matyáš Mařik have all had strong starts with their current teams, and it could end up being a situation where each netminder gets a chance to play in the preliminary round.
Czechia Has Talent, But Has a Tough Road
While Czechia projects to have plenty of talent and upside on its roster at the 2026 WJC, it will face an uphill battle to advance from the preliminary round, with Group B featuring Canada and Finland. Players like Benák and Novotny (who is 2026 draft-eligible) will need to be at the top of their games, while the goaltending will need to be the same if the Czechs want to get back to the medal round.
