The Czech Republic men's national ice hockey team is the national ice hockey team of the Czech Republic. Since 2021, the team has been officially known in English as Czechia.[2] It is one of the most successful national ice hockey teams in the world and a member of the so-called "Big Six", the unofficial group of the six strongest men's ice hockey nations, along with Canada, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the United States.[3][4] It is governed by the Czech Ice Hockey Association. The Czech Republic has 85,000 male players officially enrolled in organized hockey (0.8% of its population).[5]
 | |
| Association | Czech Ice Hockey Association |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Radim Rulík |
| Assistants | Jiří Kalous Marek Židlický |
| Captain | Roman Červenka |
| Most games | David Výborný (218) |
| Top scorer | Martin Procházka (61) |
| Most points | David Výborný (147) |
| Home stadium | O2 Arena |
| Team colors | |
| IIHF code | CZE |
 | |
| Ranking | |
| Current IIHF | 8  2 (28 May 2023)[1] |
| Highest IIHF | 2 (2006) |
| Lowest IIHF | 8 (2023) |
| First international | |
Czech Republic  6–1  Russia(Stockholm, Sweden; 11 February 1993) | |
| Biggest win | |
Czech Republic 11–0  Italy(Hanover, Germany; 6 May 2001) | |
| Biggest defeat | |
Finland  7–0 Czech Republic(Stockholm, Sweden; 11 February 2012) | |
| IIHF World Championships | |
| Appearances | 30 (first in 1993) |
| Best result |  Gold: (1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2010) |
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 3 (first in 1996) |
| Best result |  3rd: (2004) |
| Olympics | |
| Appearances | 8 (first in 1994) |
| Medals |  Gold: (1998) Bronze: (2006) |
| International record (W–L–T) | |
| 416–208–48 | |
History
The Czech national team was formed following the breakup of Czechoslovakia, as the country was split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic was recognized as the successor to Czechoslovakia and retained in the highest pool (A), while Slovakia was required start international play in pool C. See also Post-Cold War period of the IIHF world championships.[6][7][8][9]
The Czechs won the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and won three straight gold medals at the world championships from 1999 to 2001.[10][11] In the next three years, the team did not get a medal at the world championships—not even home at the 2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships held in Prague and Ostrava, thus keeping the "world championship home ice curse" alive. The following year, however, the Czechs won gold at the 2005 tournament, the only world championship where, due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, all NHL players were available to participate.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics, the Czechs won a bronze medal, defeating Russia 3–0 (roster) in the bronze medal game. At the 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships, the Czechs earned silver, falling to Sweden in the final, the only time the Czechs have lost the final game of the tournament. The Czech Republic won the 2010 World Championships in Germany. For the first time in history, the Czech Republic did not qualify for the quarterfinals at the 2022 Winter Olympics and finished in ninth place, their lowest placement in history.[12] However, they won a bronze medal at the 2022 IIHF World Championship later the same year, ending its longest medal drought in IIHF tournaments history, which had lasted since 2012. In 2023, the Czech Republic finished in eighth place at the World Championship, which is the worst placement in history.
Tournament record
Olympic Games
| Games | GP | W | OW | T | OL | L | GF | GA | Coach | Captain | Finish | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920–1992 | As part of Czechoslovakia | ||||||||||||
 1994 Lillehammer | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 18 | Ivan Hlinka | Otakar Janecký | 5th place match | 5th | |
 1998 Nagano | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 6 | Ivan Hlinka | Vladimír Růžička | Champions |  | |
 2002 Salt Lake City | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 8 | Josef Augusta | Jaromír Jágr | Quarter-finals | 7th | |
| 2006 Turin | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 23 | 20 | Alois Hadamczik | Robert Lang | Bronze Medal Game |  | |
 2010 Vancouver | 4 | 2 | 1 | – | 0 | 2 | 13 | 11 | Vladimír Růžička | Patrik Eliáš | Quarter-finals | 7th | |
| 2014 Sochi | 5 | 2 | 0 | – | 0 | 3 | 13 | 15 | Alois Hadamczik | Tomáš Plekanec | Quarter-finals | 6th | |
 2018 Pyeongchang | 6 | 2 | 2 | – | 0 | 2 | 16 | 15 | Josef Jandač | Martin Erat | Bronze Medal Game | 4th | |
 2022 Beijing | 4 | 0 | 2 | – | 0 | 2 | 11 | 12 | Filip Pešán | Roman Červenka | Playoffs | 9th | |
World Championship
World Cup of Hockey
| Year | GP | W | OW | T | OL | L | GF | GA | Coach | Captain | Finish | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 3 | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 | 4 | 17 | Luděk Bukač | Jaromír Jágr | Round 1 | 8th |
| 2004 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 15 | Vladimír Růžička | Robert Reichel | Semi-finals | |
| 2016 | 3 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 1 | 6 | 12 | Josef Jandač | Tomáš Plekanec | Group stage | 6th |
Euro Hockey Tour
| Year | GP | W | OW | T | OL | L | GF | GA | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 9 | 0 | – | 2 | – | 7 | 15 | 36 | 4th |
| 1997–98 | 12 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 3 | 47 | 29 | |
| 1998–99 | 12 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 4 | 28 | 27 | |
| 1999–00 | 12 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 4 | 31 | 20 |  |
| 2000–01 | 12 | 3 | 1 | – | 3 | 5 | 27 | 29 | 4th |
| 2001–02 | 12 | 3 | 2 | – | 1 | 6 | 34 | 36 | 4th |
| 2002–03 | 12 | 4 | 1 | – | 3 | 4 | 33 | 33 | |
| 2003–04 | 12 | 2 | 4 | – | 3 | 3 | 24 | 28 | |
| 2004–05 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 28 | 33 | 4th |
| 2005–06 | 13 | 1 | 1 | – | 2 | 9 | 29 | 46 | 4th |
| 2006–07 | 14 | 2 | 2 | – | 2 | 8 | 33 | 42 | |
| 2007–08 | 12 | 4 | 1 | – | 1 | 6 | 33 | 44 | |
| 2008–09 | 12 | 3 | 1 | – | 2 | 6 | 36 | 43 | 4th |
| 2009–10 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 31 | 27 | 4th |
| 2010–11 | 12 | 3 | 1 | – | 1 | 7 | 27 | 39 | 4th |
| 2011–12 | 12 | 5 | 2 | – | 1 | 4 | 31 | 29 | |
| 2012–13 | 12 | 6 | 0 | – | 0 | 6 | 16 | 24 | |
| 2013–14 | 12 | 4 | 1 | – | 1 | 6 | 16 | 31 | |
| 2014–15 | 12 | 4 | 1 | – | 2 | 5 | 33 | 31 | |
| 2015–16 | 12 | 4 | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | 32 | 37 | |
| 2016–17 | 12 | 6 | 0 | – | 1 | 5 | 43 | 39 | |
| 2017–18 | 12 | 6 | 1 | – | 0 | 5 | 32 | 31 | |
| 2018–19 | 12 | 4 | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | 30 | 34 | 4th |
| 2019–20 | 9 | 3 | 3 | – | 1 | 2 | 25 | 19 | |
| 2020–21 | 12 | 5 | 1 | – | 2 | 4 | 30 | 29 | |
| 2021–22 | 12 | 5 | 0 | – | 2 | 5 | 33 | 32 | |
| 2022–23 | 12 | 4 | 2 | – | 2 | 4 | 26 | 33 | |
Team
Current roster
Roster for the 2023 IIHF World Championship.[14][15]
Head coach: Kari Jalonen
| No. | Pos. | Name | Height | Weight | Birthdate | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | D | Ronald Knot | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 94 kg (207 lb) | 3 August 1994 | Tucson Roadrunners |
| 6 | D | Michal Kempný | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 88 kg (194 lb) | 8 September 1990 | HC Sparta Praha |
| 7 | D | Tomáš Dvořák | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | 90 kg (200 lb) | 7 June 1995 | HC Dynamo Pardubice |
| 8 | F | Ondřej Beránek | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | 88 kg (194 lb) | 21 December 1995 | HC Energie Karlovy Vary |
| 10 | F | Roman Červenka – C | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | 89 kg (196 lb) | 10 December 1985 |  SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers |
| 13 | F | Jiří Smejkal | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | 83 kg (183 lb) | 5 November 1996 | Ottawa Senators |
| 14 | F | Filip Chlapík | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 89 kg (196 lb) | 3 June 1997 | HC Ambrì-Piotta |
| 18 | F | Dominik Kubalík | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | 86 kg (190 lb) | 21 August 1995 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 19 | F | Jakub Flek | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | 74 kg (163 lb) | 24 December 1992 | HC Kometa Brno |
| 23 | F | Lukáš Sedlák | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | 96 kg (212 lb) | 25 February 1993 | HC Dynamo Pardubice |
| 25 | F | Radan Lenc | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 88 kg (194 lb) | 30 July 1991 |  HV71 |
| 30 | G | Šimon Hrubec | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | 87 kg (192 lb) | 30 June 1991 | ZSC Lions |
| 33 | D | Jan Košťálek | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 85 kg (187 lb) | 17 February 1995 | HC Dynamo Pardubice |
| 47 | D | Michal Jordán – A | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 90 kg (200 lb) | 17 July 1990 | SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers |
| 48 | F | Jiří Černoch | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | 90 kg (200 lb) | 1 September 1996 | HC Energie Karlovy Vary |
| 50 | G | Karel Vejmelka | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | 90 kg (200 lb) | 25 May 1996 | Arizona Coyotes |
| 52 | F | Michael Špaček | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | 85 kg (187 lb) | 9 April 1997 | HC Ambrì-Piotta |
| 53 | F | Radim Zohorna | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | 104 kg (229 lb) | 29 April 1996 | Toronto Marlies |
| 61 | F | Martin Kaut | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | 80 kg (180 lb) | 2 October 1999 | San Jose Barracuda |
| 67 | D | Jakub Zbořil | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 84 kg (185 lb) | 21 February 1997 | Boston Bruins |
| 69 | F | Daniel Voženílek | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | 88 kg (194 lb) | 10 February 1996 | HC Oceláři Třinec |
| 71 | F | Vladimír Sobotka – A | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | 89 kg (196 lb) | 2 July 1987 | HC Sparta Praha |
| 72 | F | Filip Chytil | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | 81 kg (179 lb) | 5 September 1999 | New York Rangers |
| 77 | D | David Němeček | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | 94 kg (207 lb) | 29 June 1995 | HC Sparta Praha |
| 84 | D | Tomáš Kundrátek | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 94 kg (207 lb) | 26 December 1989 | HC Kometa Brno |
| 94 | G | Marek Langhamer | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | 85 kg (187 lb) | 22 July 1994 | Ilves |
| 96 | F | David Tomášek | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | 84 kg (185 lb) | 10 February 1996 | HC Sparta Praha |
Retired numbers
- 4 – Karel Rachůnek
- 15 – Jan Marek
- 63 – Josef Vašíček
Coaching history
- Olympics
- 1994 – Ivan Hlinka
- 1998 – Ivan Hlinka
- 2002 – Josef Augusta
- 2006 – Alois Hadamczik
- 2010 – Vladimír Růžička
- 2014 – Alois Hadamczik
- 2018 – Josef Jandač
- 2022 – Filip Pešán
- World Championships
- 1993–1994 – Ivan Hlinka
- 1995–1996 – Luděk Bukač
- 1997–1999 – Ivan Hlinka
- 2000–2002 – Josef Augusta
- 2003–2004 – Slavomír Lener
- 2005 – Vladimír Růžička
- 2006–2008 – Alois Hadamczik
- 2009–2010 – Vladimír Růžička
- 2011–2013 – Alois Hadamczik
- 2014–2015 – Vladimír Růžička
- 2016 – Vladimír Vůjtek
- 2017–2018 – Josef Jandač
- 2019 – Miloš Říha
- 2021 – Filip Pešán
- 2022–2023 – Kari Jalonen[16]
- 2024 – Radim Rulík
Uniform evolution
- National team jerseys
1994 Olympic jerseys
IIHF jerseys 1996–1998
IIHF jerseys 1998–2002
2006 IIHF jerseys
2009 IIHF jerseys
2014 Olympic jerseys
2015–2019 IIHF jerseys
2018 Olympic jerseys
2019–2021 IIHF jerseys![2021– IIHF jerseys[needs update]](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Czech_Republic_national_ice_hockey_team_jerseys_2021_IHWC.png/82px-Czech_Republic_national_ice_hockey_team_jerseys_2021_IHWC.png)
2021– IIHF jerseys[needs update]
2022 Olympic jerseys
2022– IIHF jerseys
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![2021– IIHF jerseys[needs update]](https://www.search.com.vn/wiki/en/File:Czech_Republic_national_ice_hockey_team_jerseys_2021_IHWC.png)
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