Apr 6, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) takes a shot on goal during the third period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Czechia Names First Six Players for 2026 Olympic Winter Games

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 8:01 AM ET

One of the countries to monitor ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games is Czechia. The winners of the 2024 IIHF World Championships are looking to continue their impressive international play at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy.

With the 2026 games just over six months away, Czechia joined a list of other participating nations in announcing their first six players. The group is headlined by four forwards. The top option is Boston Bruins superstar David Pastrnak, who will likely captain this squad for the event. He’s joined on offense by Colorado Avalanche winger Martin Necas, fellow Bruins center Pavel Zacha, and New Jersey Devils veteran Ondrej Palat.

Czechia opted to name a single defenseman in their first six players. That player is Radko Gudas, the stay-at-home Anaheim Ducks defender.

Gudas isn’t alone, however. The first goalie named to Czechia’s roster is Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal.

Who’s in? Czechia has selected the first 6 names for its Olympic Winter Games preliminary roster.#IIHF #Olympics #NHL #NHLPA @czehockey @olympics @nhl @nhlpa pic.twitter.com/zii4b2t2pg
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) June 16, 2025

An interesting note about this Czech team is that the first six players named were all on the team during their 2024 World Championships. As The Athletic’s Chris Johnston noted via his X account, this same group led their home country to the gold medal in Prague during the 2024 championships.

All six players named among Czechia's first six players for the Milan Olympics were part of the country's 2024 world championship gold in Prague. https://t.co/xRU6wqJyMu
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 16, 2025

The Czech are hoping to earn their first gold medal at the Winter Olympics in nearly 30 years. They won the gold medal during the 1998 games, defeating the Russians in the gold medal contest. Like the other participating nations, the goal is to be at the top of the podium at the end of the tournament. With their first six players, Czechia is giving themselves an excellent shot.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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