Czechia Secures Quarterfinal Spot, Rematch Looms Against Canada in Men’s Olympic Hockey
MILAN – Team Czechia is heading to the quarterfinals of the men’s hockey tournament at the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortino 2026, earning a challenging rematch against Team Canada. A hard-fought 3-2 victory over Team Denmark on Tuesday at Santaguilia Arena secured their place in the next round.
Martin Necas was instrumental in the win, contributing with a goal and an assist. This sets the stage for a crucial quarterfinal showdown against the top-seeded Canadians on Wednesday (10:40 a.m. ET; Peacock, USA, ICI Télé, CBC Gem, TSN, CBC). Canada previously dominated Czechia with a 5-0 shutout in the preliminary round on February 12th.
A Tense Victory for Czechia
“Everybody kind of knew what we were playing for,” Czechia defenseman Jan Rutta stated. “Maybe a little too cautious, too nervous. Super, super happy, super proud that we won today.”
Roman Cervenka also delivered a strong performance with a goal and an assist, while Lukas Dostal stood tall in net, making 24 crucial saves. The team acknowledges the significant challenge Canada presents.
“They are one of the best teams in the tournament, and for us it is a great challenge,” defenseman Radko Gudas said. “It’s going to be fun. If we want to get the medal, we have to beat the best teams, and they are one of those teams.” Pastrnak added, “They might be the best team ever, so maybe we have to put the respect aside a little bit. Take their game to them.”
Game Highlights & Key Moments
After a scoreless first period, the second period exploded with action, witnessing all five goals of the game. Necas opened the scoring on a power play at 5:39, capitalizing on a high-sticking penalty against Lars Eller. Tomas Hertl praised Necas, stating, “He’s the best player for us.”
Denmark quickly responded with a goal from Alexander True at 9:02, tying the game 1-1. However, Czechia regained the lead just over a minute later with a goal from David Kampf, set up by a well-executed set play off the face-off. Cervenka then extended the lead to 3-1 at 11:24, showcasing his skill with a precise shot past Andersen’s glove.
Denmark managed to narrow the gap with a power-play goal from Nick Olesen at 17:12, but Czechia held on for the win.
Looking Ahead: Czechia vs. Canada
Despite the previous defeat, Czechia remains optimistic. “We have nothing to lose, so we are going to go out there and leave it all out there,” Pastrnak declared. “As a team, we haven’t played our best yet, so hopefully we saved it for tomorrow.”
Czechia has consistently reached the quarterfinals in all six Olympics involving NHL players, demonstrating their resilience and competitive spirit. This rematch against Canada promises to be a thrilling contest.
Key Stats: Martin Necas now has a three-game multipoint streak, tying him for third in points by a Czechia player in a single Olympics with NHL participation. Denmark’s Nick Olesen leads the tournament in goals with four, alongside Tim Stutzle (Germany) and Macklin Celebrini (Canada).
For more in-depth coverage of the Men’s Hockey action at the Olympic Winter Games, visit NHL.com/Olympics.
