Pastrnak, Necas among Czechia’s initial six-player roster for 2026 Olympics

The Czech Ice Hockey Federation has announced its initial six-player roster Monday morning for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

The team is highlighted by forwards David Pastrnak, Martin Necas, Pavel Zacha and Ondrej Palat; defenseman Radko Gudas; and goaltender Lukas Dostal. Full rosters are expected in early 2026.

Czechia was one of the most notable teams not entered into the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this month. With a roster containing key pieces from this initial group, the Czechs went on to win gold at the 2024 IIHF Men’s World Hockey Championship on home ice. They fell in the quarterfinals this past year, but still showed they could get support from non-NHLers at a competitive level.

Despite that, all six of the initial players listed today played in the NHL this past season. Pastrnak is the most notable, coming off his third consecutive season with at least 100 points. He scored 43 goals and tied a personal best of 63 assists, but it wasn’t enough to lead the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Pastrnak joined Czechia for the World Championship, setting another personal best with six goals and 15 points in eight games. He was named to the tournament all-star team and received best forward honors after leading the tournament in points. Pastrnak has never previously participated in the Winter Olympics, but was part of the 2026 World Cup team.

Speaking of personal records, Necas had a career-high of 83 points this year, split between the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche. The speedy forward has one more year on his contract, but is eligible to sign an extension on July 1. Like Pastrnak, Necas was also part of the World Championship the past two years, registering seven points in each of them. This will be his first Olympic tournament.

The 2026 Winter Olympic hockey tournament will run from Feb. 11-22, 2026 in Milano, Italy, with Czechia facing off against Canada, France and Switzerland in Group A.