Heading into the 2026 World Junior Championship (WJC), Czechia is looking to ride the momentum of last year’s finish, when they upset Sweden to win bronze, thanks to Eduard Sale (Seattle Kraken) winning the tournament’s longest shootout. While the likes of Sale, Michael Hrabal (Utah Mammoth), and Jakub Dvorak (Los Angeles Kings) have all aged out of playing in the WJC, the Czechs have plenty of talent and players to watch for at this year’s tournament.
C Adam Benák
While size has always been his biggest downfall and could well have been one of the reasons he fell to the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft to the Minnesota Wild, Adam Benák has a skill set that sets him apart from many players. He has played in three different major international junior tournaments for Czechia and has produced at a high rate in each. This includes recording 21 points between the 2023 and 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cups, and seven points in the 2025 Under-18 World Junior Championship.
He made his way to the major junior scene in Canada this season after being drafted by the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in the 2025 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft. He has been one of the most impressive offensive players for the Bulldogs, putting his playmaking skills on full display. In his first U20 WJC, Benák could end up being one of Czechia’s most impactful players.
D Vashek Blanar
A big-bodied defenseman, standing at 6-foot-5, Vashek Blanar plays a physical game from the backend of the ice. He made the jump to the U20 Nationell level in Sweden full-time this season and has been rock-solid for HV71’s U20 team. He will likely be one of the Czechs most relied upon defenseman in the tournament this year.
The fourth-round pick of the Boston Bruins in the 2025 Draft has looked every bit a steal to this point, impressing with his all-around development, and he will need to play at the top of his game to help the Czechs work towards medalling again at this year’s tournament. The University of Massachusetts commit could very easily put his name on the map in a big way if he performs well.
LW Adam Novotny
Another CHL Import pick from Czechia, Adam Novotny, was selected by the Peterborough Petes of the OHL in the Import Draft this past summer. He has made the transition to the North American game seamlessly and has been great for the Petes. He plays a bit more of a well-rounded overall game than Benák does, and has no problem doing the dirty things to help his team win. His skill set allows him to be impactful at both ends of the ice, whether scoring or setting up his teammates.
Related: Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
After only registering one point in seven games at last year’s tournament, Novotny will certainly be looking to have a stronger tournament ahead of the 2026 Draft, where he is considered to be a top-15 prospect in the draft class.
D Jakub Vaněček
Along with Novotny, Jakub Vaněček is another player on this year’s Czechia roster who is 2026 draft-eligible. While Adam Jiříček (St. Louis Blues) and Radim Mrtka (Buffalo Sabres) are the two headliners on the backend of the ice, Vaněček is one that I would watch carefully at this year’s tournament. He has a great offensive game in his arsenal, and he has a great motor and pace at both ends of the ice. He is another player playing his first season in North America, with the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Vaněček has an overall offensive skill set that will be massively beneficial for the Czechs, but also possesses the defensive game to help a team that does not necessarily have a lockdown number one goaltender in the crease. Seeing how he plays against the best of the best at the tournament, at both ends of the ice, could very well help dictate his draft stock as we get closer to the 2026 NHL Draft.
Plenty to Watch For From Czechia
The aforementioned players are just a few to keep an eye on as Czechia looks to medal again this year. While they have lost some firepower from last year, the roster they have now has plenty of skill to replace players like Dvorak, Hrabal, and Jakub Stancl (St. Louis Blues). The Czechs could be an exciting team to watch again this year.
