Czechia's national team gathered this week in Prague to begin the selection process for their 2026 women's hockey Olympic roster. Forty-six players participated as the nation looks to win their first-ever medal in women's ice hockey at the Olympics after winning their first two bronze medals at the World Championship during this Olympic cycle. "We have a large group of players here, which gives us the opportunity to evaluate everything properly," said Czechia's head coach Carla MacLeod in a translated news release [https://www.ceskyhokej.cz/novinky/7978-zeny-skoro-50-hracek-na-kempu-vsechny-si-to-zaslouzi-rika-macleod]. "They are all very determined to get the opportunity to play in the Olympics. It is a great camp and a great starting point for us." Czechia's Olympic roster will feature a wealth of PWHL players including the 2025 PWHL first overall pick Kristyna Kaltounkova, and fellow top pick Natalie Mlynkova. Czechia will also bring PWHL veterans including Katerina Mrazova, Tereza Vanisova, Aneta Tejralova, Denisa Krizova, Klara Hymlarova, and Daniela Pejsova. They'll also have PWHL experienced players including Klara Peslarova, Noemi Neubauerova, and Dominika Laskova on board, and NCAA players Adela Sapovalivova, Tereza Plosova, Michaela Hesova, and Andrea Trnkova. Add in veterans Michaela Pejzlova, Sara Cajanova, and Tereza Radova, and Czechia has a strong core. Their camp will look to fill in the gaps, and build on their depth in hopes of finding a way to finish on the podium. "It's one of the biggest, if not the biggest, sporting event in the world. It's definitely a special occasion. And we're all extremely excited and determined to win medals..." said MacLeod. "There's a lot to do between now and February. But our work is still the same, we just have to try to improve and improve and work on the details." Czechia will play in Group A alongside Switzerland, USA, Finland, and Canada. They are scheduled to open the 2026 Olympics [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/international/full-2026-olympic-women-s-hockey-schedule] on February 5 against USA, followed by a game less than 24 hours later on February 6 against Switzerland.
