Hockey players nominated at the Beijing Olympics: Goulash is missing, Červenka is returning

As Pešán pointed out, this is a preliminary nomination, which the management of the national team can change at any time until January 24. And without giving any reason.

“The nominations will still change dramatically. We know what the situation is like in the world regarding covid, and there are still a lot of matches to be played.

The list of substitutes has 30 names and includes Gulaš and Chlapík, or other attackers Jašek, Flek, Tomášek, Buchtele and others.

In any case, Nedvěd and Pešán bet on experience. The average age of the national team is 29.7 years and twelve players have already celebrated their thirtieth birthday. “We agreed that at last year’s World Championships in Riga, we may have lacked more leaders in the cabin. We have learned our lesson, so now we are betting more on experienced players than on youth, “explains Pešán.

“The Olympics are specific, not so many matches are played there. That’s why we bet on older and more experienced boys. Even so, I think we have a good mix of players, “adds Nedvěd.

The 36-year-old world champion from 2010 Červenka will start under five laps for the fourth time, thus equaling the legends Vlastimil Bubník, Josef Černý and Jiří Holík. Only Jaromír Jágr took part in the Winter Olympics five times. “We will try to sew Roman’s role in the team’s body. He will play power play in his position, which he is excellent at. He is the leader in the cabin and the right hand of the coaches,” said Pesan.

Nedvěd also included two Stanley Cup winners in the team of coach Pešán – the center David Krejčí from Olomouc and another forward Michael Frolík from Lausanne.

Krejčí, who triumphed in the NHL in 2011 with Boston, is facing the Third Olympics. The owner of the ring for winning the Stanley Cup in 2013 with Chicago Frolík will participate for the second time. Patrik Bartošák from Khabarovsk, defenders Vojtěch Mozík with Libor Šulák from Vladivostok and Tomáš Kundrátek from Třinec and forward Jan Kovář from Zug, Michal Řepík from Sparta and Tomáš Zohorna from Oskarshamn, who were in Pyongyang in South Korea four years ago, also have experience from the Olympics. Bartošák did not intervene in the game as a three.

The first major international event of his career awaits defender Ronald Knot from Nizhnekamsk and striker Lukas Sedlak from Chelyabinsk.

From next Monday, a preparatory camp for KHL-nominated players will begin in Prague, which is now suspended due to the chance. The first part of the national team will fly to Beijing on January 27, the second, which will still have club-level matches after this date, then on February 2. Four days later, the Czechs will play a training match with Sweden in the Chinese capital.

In the basic group in Beijing, the Czechs will meet Denmark on Wednesday, February 9, Switzerland on Friday, February 11, and Russia on Saturday, February 12. The playoff qualifiers are scheduled for Tuesday, February 15, the quarterfinals on Wednesday, February 16, the semifinals on Friday, February 18, the duel for third place on Saturday, February 19, and the final on Sunday, February 20.