The Czech Republic battled through a challenging group stage at the 2026 Winter Olympics, ultimately advancing to the elimination round. After an opening-day 0-5 loss to Canada, the team faced France on February 13, 2026, in a game that proved far from straightforward. Despite eventually securing a 6-3 victory, the Czechs were briefly stunned as France rallied to grab a 3-2 lead during the second period, scoring three goals in under six minutes. The team then faced Switzerland on February 16, 2026, falling 3-4 in overtime. This result sent them into the round of 16 against a tough Danish squad.
The Czechs ultimately prevailed against Denmark with a narrow 3-2 win, setting up a highly anticipated rematch against Canada – a team that had defeated them six consecutive times on the international stage. The last time the Czech Republic defeated Canada at the Olympics was in 2018, a 3-2 victory after a shootout. Now, the question looms: can they break the streak, or will they fall to their sixth consecutive loss against their rivals? The outcome of this match will determine who advances to the tournament’s final four.
Captain Roman ÄŒervenka reached a milestone during the tournament, playing in his 220th game for the Czech national team, surpassing David Výborný’s record for the post-Czechoslovakia era. Jiřà HolÃk still holds the overall record with 319 appearances.
