The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features. Subscribe now to view the full THN Archives here [https://archive.thehockeynews.com/] Also, go to thn.com/free [http://thn.com/free] to subscribe. Don't ZZZ On Czechia—Jan 2, 2023 - VOL. 79, Issue, 07 - Ryan Kennedy THE HIGH-WATER MARK FOR Czech hockey at the Olympics is the 1998 gold medal-winning team that stunned the world and enchanted a country that had only been officially formed five years prior. And while Dominik Hasek and Jaromir Jagr aren’t suiting up this time, the Czechs will have a strong lineup in Milan. Czechia won gold at the 2024 World Championship, and a majority of that squad will also be at the Olympics. With a balanced roster and experience at all positions, Czechia is a team to watch. Coach Radim Rulik has a long resume and has exclusively helmed the Czech national team for several years after more than two decades coaching pro hockey in Czechia, Slovakia and the KHL. The Czechs don’t have an easy group – being paired with Canada and Switzerland – though they will have the opportunity to feast on France before the playoff round. FORWARDS When it comes to front-line weapons, the Czechs are in a good spot. Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak will drive the offense as one of the most lethal goal-scorers on the planet. With Boston this season, he’s leading the Bruins in scoring by a wide margin, and he could very well hit 40 goals yet again. Another red-hot Czech to keep in mind is Colorado’s Martin Necas, who has been excellent for the Avalanche ever since the blockbuster Mikko Rantanen trade sent him from Carolina to Denver last year. Both Pastrnak and Necas are wingers, but the Czechs have decent depth down the middle, led by Vegas’ Tomas Hertl. He’s the most obvious pick to be the team’s top-line center, while Boston’s Pavel Zacha can fit up and down a lineup thanks to his size and two-way game. In terms of shutdown hockey, Dallas’ Radek Faksa can get the job done, and he’s also strong on faceoffs. A dark-horse pick for offense is former NHLer Roman Cervenka, who went off for the Czechs at the 2024 worlds. This will be one of the last chances at international glory for the 40-year-old. In terms of depth, the squad is also in good shape. Role players David Kampf, Ondrej Palat and Ondrej Kase bring plenty of experience and tend to up their games when wearing the national-team jersey. This lineup has speed, decent size and some scoring punch. DEFENSE The Czechs do not have a star on defense, but what they do have is a veteran corps with a variety of skill sets. The biggest X-factor, however, may be what the ‘D’ can bring to the offensive side. Vancouver Canuck Filip Hronek is the best option there, and while he was tied for the team lead in scoring through mid-January, that was an incredibly low bar. Having said that, one third of Hronek’s points had come on the power play, and on a Czech team with Pastrnak, Hertl and Necas, a defenseman who can snap the puck around the offensive zone should get rewarded on the scoresheet. Other than Hronek, the puck-movers are limited – though it will be interesting to see what Minnesota Wild prospect David Spacek can do. The Czechs are also bringing pint-sized speedster Jiri Tichacek, who has been great while playing for Karpat in Finland this season. The bigger strength of the Czech blueline comes in the heavy defensive guys. Anaheim captain Radko Gudas is as hard as they come, and while the Olympics will tilt toward skill, opposing players better watch out if they get caught in his trolley tracks. Former NHLer Jan Rutta, now playing for Geneve-Servette in Switzerland, is another eraser with size on the back end, as is Radim Simek, the former San Jose Shark who’s now playing with Liberec in the Czech League. With the exception of Spacek, Tichacek and Hronek, all of Czechia’s defenders are well into their 30s, so they’ve seen a lot in their collective careers, including Stanley Cup parades. Whether they can hold off the likes of Canada, Sweden and Team USA will be the challenge. Reports Suggest Toronto Marlies Forward Drawing Interest From KHL Clubs [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/186e620c-a11f-4749-9677-44f227ae8763.jpeg] Reports Suggest Toronto Marlies Forward Drawing Interest From KHL Clubs Amid a dominant postseason run and Calder Cup Finals lead, veteran sniper Vinni Lettieri may trade his NHL aspirations for a starring role in Russia next season. [https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/reports-suggest-toronto-marlies-forward-drawing-interest-from-khl-clubs] GOALIES Had the Olympics taken place in November, Anaheim’s Lukas Dostal would have been the unquestioned starter. The 25-year-old got off to a solid start for the Ducks, who surprised the Western Conference early and often before faltering. Dostal was also Czechia’s netminder for that gold medal-winning squad at the 2024 worlds and earned top-goaltender honors at the tournament, so he does have the relevant big-game experience to be ‘The Guy.’ Luckily, the Czechs don’t need him to run the table. Utah’s Karel Vejmelka had the Mammoth gunning for a playoff spot, and at 6-foot-4, he has ideal size to face the best shooters in the world. Vejmelka has also been a workhorse for Utah, as he was the first goaltender to 20 wins in the NHL this season. Should things go pear-shaped with Dostal and Vejmelka, the Czechs have a third option who would also work: Philadelphia’s Dan Vladar. In terms of fancy stats such as goals saved above expected, Vladar is actually the best of the three and one of the better netminders in the entire NHL. But the stat Flyers fans care about the most is wins, and the fact that Vladar had helped his upstart Philly team into playoff contention was the big headline. There really is no wrong option for the Czechs in net, but it’ll be interesting to see who gets to start the event and how long they last. Dostal has the international pedigree and that 2024 gold medal in his back pocket, so it comes down to how much the Czech coaching staff cares about his recent NHL results. But no matter who gets the crease, the Czechs can be confident they have options back there – and potential game-stealers. ROSTER CZECHIA FORWARDS Roman Cervenka (Pardubice, CZE) Radek Faksa (DAL) Jakub Flek (Brno, CZE) Tomas Hertl (VEG) David Kampf (VAN) Ondrej Kase (Litvinov, CZE) Dominik Kubalik (Zug, SUI) Martin Necas (COL) Ondrej Palat (NJ) David Pastrnak (BOS) Lukas Sedlak (Pardubice, CZE) Matej Stransky (Davos, SUI) David Tomasek (Farjestad, SWE) Pavel Zacha (BOS) DEFENSEMEN Radko Gudas (ANA) Filip Hronek (VAN) Michal Kempny (Brynas, SWE) Tomas Kundratek (Trinec, CZE) Jan Rutta (Geneve-Servette, SUI) Radim Simek (Liberec, CZE) David Spacek (Iowa, AHL) Jiri Tichacek (Karpat, FIN) GOALIES Lukas Dostal (ANA) Karel Vejmelka (UTH) Dan Vladar (PHI) THN Archive: Sundin VS. Forsberg [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/1af1dada-e184-4055-ba1f-50807108ebc7.jpeg] THN Archive: Sundin VS. Forsberg One was a model of durability and consistency; the other, a dominant force of pure skill. Revisit the classic debate over which Swedish icon truly defined greatness. 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