2024 World Junior Championship Preview: Team Czechia
Baby steps.
After an incredible run to the final, the Czechs found themselves just one goal away from shocking Connor Bedard and Team Canada in Halifax last year. The Czechs beat them earlier in the tournament, so their result wasn’t surprising. Still, it would have been one heck of an underdog story.
Czechia’s silver marked the nation’s first medal at the World Junior Championship since 2005, and their best result since winning the tournament in consecutive years in 2000 and 2001. Since then, the quarterfinal has been Czechia’s kryptonite, advancing out of the round of eight just twice since many of this year’s roster was born.
It’s been a difficult stretch for Czechia, but if recent performances at other levels are to be believed, good days are ahead. And that’s the same this year. With some of the same core pieces from last year, plus a boatload of experience in general, the Czechs look like a top five team again.
Goaltenders
If there’s one thing the Czechs have going for them, it’s a star goaltending prospect in Michael Hrabal (Arizona Coyotes). The 18-year-old keeper is off to a good start in his first year with UMass, using his monster 6-foot-6 frame to his advantage. He had a good U-18 World Championship until the quarterfinal against the United States last year, where a bit of a brain fart on Hrabal’s behalf turned teh game upside down. Unfortunately, something similar happened during the Hlinka Gretzky Cup a few months before that, too. Hopefully, those mistakes are way past him because when Hrabal’s hot, he’s one of the best goaltenders in his age group.
His backup will be Sudbury Wolves goaltender Jakub Vondras (Carolina Hurricanes). A sixth-round pick in 2022, Vondras also stands tall at 6-foot-4, and he makes that clear in his game. He doesn’t have a ton of international experience, but won both starts with the U-20 team earlier this year, which helps. The Czechs will need Vondras to steal a game along the way here.
Rounding out the trio is Michael Schnattinger, who was limited to just nine games last year with the Kamloops Blazers. That hasn’t stopped him from performing well in the Czech U-20 league this year, and he does have a history with the Czech national team dating back to 2019. I wouldn’t expect him to play here, however.
Defensemen
The Czechs will be led by some familiar names to WJC fans, starting with Tomas Hamara (Ottawa Senators). This will mark the third WJC for the Brantford Bulldogs defenseman, known more for his own-zone play with physical qualities. Hamara has shown some improved offensive numbers since getting traded from Kitchener, and that might be the confidence he needs to lead the Czechs from the back end.
Having played in the last two, Aleš Čech is no stranger to this tournament either. This time, though, he’ll have a ton of Czech league experience to build upon. At 6-foot-2 and just under 200 pounds, Cech uses his size to take space away from opponents, while also skating well enough to be deceptive. We’ve seen him use his shot effectively from the point in the past, but it hasn’t been all that effective at this tournament. Maybe that’ll change with a bigger role in Sweden.
If the team’s looking for a defensive sound presence, Marek Alscher (Florida Panthers) is their man. As you’d expect from a teenager his size, Alscher hits, clears space around the net, forces opponents to the boards and blocks shots. He’s having another decent season with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, where he figured out how to add more speed into his game the past two years.
Another defenseman with NHL connections is Vojtěch Port (Anaheim Ducks). Drafted 161st overall in 2023, Port has had a solid go with the Edmonton Oil Kings this year, showing decent two-way skill and speed. He doesn’t have a ton of experience with the Czechs internationally, but expect him to play a big role over the next two years.
Forwards
It wasn’t a given that Jiri Kulich (Buffalo Sabres) was going to be loaned out to Czechia. He has already played in this event twice, and given his success in the AHL, it would have been totally understandable if the Sabres wanted him to focus on helping out Rochester instead. So, everyone, be thankful Buffalo loaned out one of the best players in the tournament. The 19-year-old forward has been one of the best AHLers over the past two years, and he enters having registered nine goals and 17 points in 14 previous WJC games. Expect more high-quality damage from him this year.
He’ll be joined by Matyáš Šapovaliv (Vegas Golden Knights), who is also ready for his third tour of duty. He was impressive last year with seven assists in seven games, and he’s on pace for nearly 90 points on the Memorial Cup-bound Saginaw Spirit. A talented playmaker, Šapovaliv also has good size at 6-foot-3, and he wasn’t afraid to use it last year.
The top Czech forward prospect from the 2023 draft class was winger Eduard Šalé (Seattle Kraken). Šalé’s game can be a bit hit or miss at times, and he was even benched during the tournament last year, but he still finished with six points in seven games. He’s actually a near-point-per-game player in 14 U-20 national team games, so he knows how to perform when the stakes are high. This time, they’ll need Šalé to take his game up another step if the Czechs are going to be a true contender.
Expect big things out of Swedish-based Jakub Štancl (St. Louis Blues). While not the biggest offensive contributor, he has already played parts of two seasons in the SHL and isn’t afraid to lay players out with his 6-foot-3, 203-pound frame.
It’s good to see Matyáš Melovský having a strong year, too. He’s been one of Czechia’s best forwards at the U-20 level and has put up a solid 36 points in 30 games in his second year with Baie-Comeau Drakkar. The undrafted forward is all offense, all the time, and that’s how Czechia will need to utilize him.
Prince George Cougars star Ondřej Becher also enters the tournament on a heater with 45 points in 30 games as a second-year WHLer. He tends to get points in bursts, getting two or more points in five of his last six games on the scoresheet. He could come in handy in a middle-six role.
Meanwhile, Dominik Rymon is on pace for just under 90 points in Everett. After missing most of last year due to injury, Rymon has been firing on all cylinders, including a five-point game in his last game before joining camp. He doesn’t have a deep history of success with the Czechs, but that could change here.
2024 NHL Draft
The Czechs are hoping for big things out of two draft-eligible defenders: Adam Jiříček and Tomáš Galvas. Jiříček missed some time due to injury this year, but he was averaging between 16-18 minutes a night at the end of November. He was excellent at the Hlinka Gretzky, and showed he could handle older, quicker competition with the U-20 team earlier this year.
Galvas, meanwhile, is an outstanding skater who loves to rush the puck. He’s also strong enough defensively to take on difficult assignments, something that hasn’t been uncommon in the Czech men’s league.
It’ll be interesting to see how they’re both used. Playing against men at their age is impressive, with both having some standout moments internationally, too.
Projection
The Czechs were a goal away from winning gold last year – and I wouldn’t count them out of the medal round again this year. Czechia used to be the ultimate No. 6/7 team in this tournament, but they’ve found a way to produce quality talent consistently in recent years. Unlike some others in this tournament, the Czechs won’t be missing any key players, so they’ll be as close to full strength as possible. It’s going to be a few good years near the top, and I have a good feeling they’ll challenge to make it into the bronze medal game, at least.
Round-Robin Schedule
Local/ET Time
Dec. 26 vs. Slovakia – 12:00/6:00 AM
Dec. 27 vs. Norway – 17:00/11:00 AM
Dec. 29 vs. USA – 17:00/11:00 AM
Dec. 31 vs. Switzerland – 17:00/11:00 AM
World Junior Championship Previews
Dec. 12: Team Sweden
Dec. 13: Team Norway
Dec. 14: Team Latvia
Dec. 15: Team Switzerland
Dec. 17: Team Finland
Dec. 18: Team Germany
Dec. 19: Team Canada
Dec. 20: Team USA
Dec. 21: Team Slovakia