Earlier in the tournament, members of the Czech coaching and management staff didn’t hide the fact that they’d be interested in adding David Kämpf to their World Championship roster if the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs. On Tuesday, the center’s addition was confirmed.
“I am pleased to announce that we have managed to negotiate with the general manager of Toronto the release of David Kämpf, who underwent a medical examination this morning and will soon arrive in Herning,” Czech GM Jiří Šlégr was quoted on the Czech Ice Hockey Association website.
According to Hokej.cz, Kämpf is expected to arrive on Wednesday in time for Czechia’s quarterfinal game, which could still either be in Stockholm or Herning, depending on the outcomes of the Sweden-Canada and Denmark-Germany games.
“We took that into consideration,” said Šlégr. “We told him that when he arrives in Europe, to turn on his phone immediately so he can get a clear indication of where he’s going.”
Kämpf will take the roster spot vacated by center Jáchy Kondelík, who suffered a broken hand in the game against Norway. Since then, Martin Nečas has been filling in at center, the plan seems to be that Nečas will now move back to the wing.
A two-way center, Kämpf produced 13 points in 59 regular-season games for Toronto and then played in only one of the team’s 12 playoff games. Šlégr doesn’t see that as a problem, however.
“Given that he hasn’t played recently, it’s a psychological boost for him that we’re interested in him,” the GM said. “He accepted the invitation with great enthusiasm.”
Martin Nečas Will Play in Czechs’ 2nd Game Vs Norway
Czechia
opened the 2025 IIHF World Championship against Switzerland in a
rematch of last year’s final. Martin Nečas, who had <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/martin-neas-says-yes-czechs-take-25-to-denmark">confirmed he
would join the team days earlier</a>, had expected to play and arrived in
Herning, Denmark in plenty of time to do so. However, his equipment
did not.