World Cup of Hockey: Czech Republic final roster
The Czechs have the high-end talent to surprise, but a lack of depth makes them underdogs
The final roster for the Czech Republic was announced on Friday, but by the time the tournament rolls around we may be referring to them as the team from Czechia, pending ratification by the United Nations of an official name change for the country.
It was already known that the team will be without their most prominent ambassador, as Jaromir Jagr declared that he would not take part in the World Cup.
The weak link for the Czech team is definitely going to be on defence, however with three NHL goaltenders between the pipes, the team might avoid any embarrassing blowouts. The offence will rely heavily on the top line of Ondrej Palat/David Krejci/Jakub Voracek as there is a steep decline in talent afterwards, with Tomas Plekanec probably more concerned with defensive responsibilities throughout the tournament.
| Player | Position | Current Team |
|---|---|---|
| Petr Mrazek | G | Detroit Red Wings |
| Michal Neuvirth | G | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Ondrej Pavelec | G | Winnipeg Jets |
| Radko Gudas | D | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Michal Kempny | D | Chicago Blackhawks |
| Roman Polak | D | San Jose Sharks |
| Andrej Sustr | D | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| Michal Jordan | D | Carolina Hurricanes |
| Zbynek Michalek | D | Arizona Coyotes |
| Jakub Nakladal | D | Calgary Flames |
| Michael Frolik | F | Calgary Flames |
| Martin Hanzal | F | Arizona Coyotes |
| Tomas Hertl | F | San Jose Sharks |
| David Krejci | F | Boston Bruins |
| Ondrej Palat | F | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| David Pastrnak | F | Boston Bruins |
| Tomas Plekanec | F | Montreal Canadiens |
| Vladimir Sobotka | F | Avangard Omsk (KHL) |
| Jakub Voracek | F | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Radek Faksa | F | Dallas Stars |
| Ales Hemsky | F | Dallas Stars |
| Dmitrij Jaskin | F | St. Louis Blues |
| Milan Michalek | F | Toronto Maple Leafs |