WC: 2018 - Team Czech Republic

Jablkon

Registered User
May 23, 2014
1,693
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Czech Republic
Unfortunately, I agree. We don't have a Top 100 Dman in the NHL right now. I really like Masin and think he will be very good as he seems very determined.

I would argue our goaltending has never been worse starting next season. I don't think we have one starter in the NHL for the first time in a long time... Mrazek was the third goalie in Philly and I can't see a team signing him as a starter? Neuvirth will be backup in Philly for one more year. Pavelec is done as a starter. Mazanec has a very hard road to take Lundqvist's and Pavelec's jobs away. Francouz will sign somewhere but how much will he play? Rittich was good but I can't see him being the starter in Calgary?

The rest are very good prospects but I can't see any of them being starters next season. I don't think we'll have a Top 30 goalie in the NHL next year. Some of our best prospects were in the ECHL at times this year. Vladar, Vanecek, Stezka, Svoboda, Bartosak, Skarek, Korenar, Langhammer are all good prospects but I don't see them being starters in next 2 years. I'm sure I missed someone but I just don't see an NHL starter in Czech hockey right now.

Since I'm depressed.. .I don't think we have many good NHL Centres either. Chytil, Zadina, Necas might fix that of course but our best players are all wingers right now.
That situation with goalies is typical for czech hockey. We recently produced tons of draft eligible goalies, based on what that Jihlava goalie coach said, we should have around 5 starters in NHL. I just wonder whether they evaluate these results. They surely do good job with goalies here but they are not able to reach that level. But we would spend hours here to discuss it.
 

Wooren

no longer perennial 4th place losers
May 17, 2015
2,389
1,396
Prague
Unfortunately, I agree. We don't have a Top 100 Dman in the NHL right now. I really like Masin and think he will be very good as he seems very determined.

I would argue our goaltending has never been worse starting next season. I don't think we have one starter in the NHL for the first time in a long time... Mrazek was the third goalie in Philly and I can't see a team signing him as a starter? Neuvirth will be backup in Philly for one more year. Pavelec is done as a starter. Mazanec has a very hard road to take Lundqvist's and Pavelec's jobs away. Francouz will sign somewhere but how much will he play? Rittich was good but I can't see him being the starter in Calgary?

The rest are very good prospects but I can't see any of them being starters next season. I don't think we'll have a Top 30 goalie in the NHL next year. Some of our best prospects were in the ECHL at times this year. Vladar, Vanecek, Stezka, Svoboda, Bartosak, Skarek, Korenar, Langhammer are all good prospects but I don't see them being starters in next 2 years. I'm sure I missed someone but I just don't see an NHL starter in Czech hockey right now.

Since I'm depressed.. .I don't think we have many good NHL Centres either. Chytil, Zadina, Necas might fix that of course but our best players are all wingers right now.
I was aiming on the prospects rather than complete players. We have been lacking an NHL starter for quite some time. Mrazek never won the starter position in Detroit and Pavelec might have been a starter but not a quality one. Skarek, Dostal, Malik (02) are amazing prospects and guys like Vladar, Vanecek, Vomacka and Korenar hold nice potential as well. I am hopeful that some of these guys will make NHL in the future
As for the centres... Yeah, hopefully Necas and Chytil fix that. Zadina is a winger though.
 

Czechboy

Easy schedules rule!
Apr 15, 2018
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I was aiming on the prospects rather than complete players. We have been lacking an NHL starter for quite some time. Mrazek never won the starter position in Detroit and Pavelec might have been a starter but not a quality one. Skarek, Dostal, Malik (02) are amazing prospects and guys like Vladar, Vanecek, Vomacka and Korenar hold nice potential as well. I am hopeful that some of these guys will make NHL in the future
As for the centres... Yeah, hopefully Necas and Chytil fix that. Zadina is a winger though.
Forgot about Vomacka.. thank you.

Zadina is a winger... oops, I knew that but didn't type it!
 

Mirinho

Registered User
Jan 23, 2007
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Do you remember T. Kaberle and especialy M. Zidlicky?... Zidla, what a player he was :laugh: best offensive Dman we ever had. Maybe one day we'll have again player like him :laugh:
 

czechmate

Registered User
Jan 1, 2016
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Do you remember T. Kaberle and especialy M. Zidlicky?... Zidla, what a player he was :laugh: best offensive Dman we ever had. Maybe one day we'll have again player like him :laugh:

Yeah I was just about to mention good old Zidla...his powerplay capabilities and his shot were unbelievable for czech D standards...nostalgia :laugh:
 

Czechboy

Easy schedules rule!
Apr 15, 2018
21,796
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Do you remember T. Kaberle and especialy M. Zidlicky?... Zidla, what a player he was :laugh: best offensive Dman we ever had. Maybe one day we'll have again player like him :laugh:
I definitely remember Zidlicky and Kaberle. The older Kaberle was very underrated too... won a Stanley Cup and had a 44 point season as well, plus 5 World Championships. Slegr and Spacek could also cover both ends of the ice well. Same with Hamrlik. Svoboda was another one going back a little further. Even Malik wasn't that bad or Rosival. None of these guys have been replaced at all in the NHL. Kubina is another one although I'm still mad at his chin strap from the Olympics. I loved Hejda but he was more of a shutdown guy which is all we create now... big strong shut down guys that don't score: Hejda, Polak, Gudas, D. Musil, Smid, Klesla.

Zbynek Michalek might be the last Dman we had who was valued around the league as a Top 4 guy.
 

Mirinho

Registered User
Jan 23, 2007
1,906
332
I definitely remember Zidlicky and Kaberle. The older Kaberle was very underrated too... won a Stanley Cup and had a 44 point season as well, plus 5 World Championships. Slegr and Spacek could also cover both ends of the ice well. Same with Hamrlik. Svoboda was another one going back a little further. Even Malik wasn't that bad or Rosival. None of these guys have been replaced at all in the NHL. Kubina is another one although I'm still mad at his chin strap from the Olympics. I loved Hejda but he was more of a shutdown guy which is all we create now... big strong shut down guys that don't score: Hejda, Polak, Gudas, D. Musil, Smid, Klesla.

Zbynek Michalek might be the last Dman we had who was valued around the league as a Top 4 guy.
+ add Filip Kuba and even Radek Martinek was regular starter in NHL for few seasons (500gp in nhl is fine effort)
 

Jablkon

Registered User
May 23, 2014
1,693
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Czech Republic
Well point production of our best D this season (Rutta) would be by far the worst result among offensive Ds in what we call golden times. I would rather call it normal times and hope that this is just period of misery. I mean its great that guys fromthat lost generation made such a effort to play games in NHL but it shows what standart we built in CZ. Its even more scarry that salvation should come with 4,5 guys. But dont expect systematic results where there is no system.

Still hats down to work ethic of Kempny, Rutta & co.
 

Czechboy

Easy schedules rule!
Apr 15, 2018
21,796
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Well point production of our best D this season (Rutta) would be by far the worst result among offensive Ds in what we call golden times. I would rather call it normal times and hope that this is just period of misery. I mean its great that guys fromthat lost generation made such a effort to play games in NHL but it shows what standart we built in CZ. Its even more scarry that salvation should come with 4,5 guys. But dont expect systematic results where there is no system.

Still hats down to work ethic of Kempny, Rutta & co.
There is clearly a problem... Sweden has some of the best D in the world and has the top 2 D prospects in the draft. Someone in Czech Hockey needs to go over there and start asking questions.

From my far away vantage point, I feel like there is not much development after 17 years old...
 

SoundAndFury

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May 28, 2012
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There is clearly a problem... Sweden has some of the best D in the world and has the top 2 D prospects in the draft. Someone in Czech Hockey needs to go over there and start asking questions.
All East block countries struggled with understanding what the role of modern defenseman is and what Ds should be molded for as the hockey changed. Russia is the prime example as it is the most evident in their case but it applies to Czechs, Slovakia and even Latvia as well. Even 5 years ago most coaches here would have said the most important quality of defenseman is to be good at defense 1v1 while it's not the case at all after they removed a 2 line pass rule and we arrived at this speed/fast puck transition era. Then and there Swedes, Finns and NA hockey schools got way ahead while Eastern countries were left playing catch-up.

Guys like Musil, Nedomlel, Kostalek were supposed to be the future of Czech D while in reality, there is no place for them in today's hockey. They stink even by Czech leagues standards and as it turns out you actually need guys like Rutta, Kempny or Jerabek. Not some huge dude who can't really skate but has a long stick.
 

Maluk11

Registered User
Feb 27, 2016
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Lukáš Sedlák free to go, but he will likely not be invited. And suddenly there is a chance for Krejčí and Pastrňák.
 

Jablkon

Registered User
May 23, 2014
1,693
131
Czech Republic
There is clearly a problem... Sweden has some of the best D in the world and has the top 2 D prospects in the draft. Someone in Czech Hockey needs to go over there and start asking questions.

From my far away vantage point, I feel like there is not much development after 17 years old...
Problem is, you dont know who is doing what and who is responsible. I believe somebody already asked that questions but we dont know who is answering, if anybody. We are constantly fooled by some winning percentage and Hajek, Masin, Zboril, Hronek. We dont know whether there is any board which is discussing it, we dont know anything. I can not have diff. oppinion than this constant blury information strategy is for purpose as nobody really wants to let people see whats going on.

I was also defender of Lener and for sure Kral (for his ability to find financial sources) but there has been so many strange signs and messages in last four years that I am fed up with that. That was my main disagreement with you when you said “you are proud of....and you prefer domestic coaches etc.” I think its possible to do it with just with locals but that effort must be visible and clear. So far I dont really understand to it. It looks like nontransparent mess.
 

Jablkon

Registered User
May 23, 2014
1,693
131
Czech Republic
All East block countries struggled with understanding what the role of modern defenseman is and what Ds should be molded for as the hockey changed. Russia is the prime example as it is the most evident in their case but it applies to Czechs, Slovakia and even Latvia as well. Even 5 years ago most coaches here would have said the most important quality of defenseman is to be good at defense 1v1 while it's not the case at all after they removed a 2 line pass rule and we arrived at this speed/fast puck transition era. Then and there Swedes, Finns and NA hockey schools got way ahead while Eastern countries were left playing catch-up.

Guys like Musil, Nedomlel, Kostalek were supposed to be the future of Czech D while in reality, there is no place for them in today's hockey. They stink even by Czech leagues standards and as it turns out you actually need guys like Rutta, Kempny or Jerabek. Not some huge dude who can't really skate but has a long stick.
And lot of teams dont want to play Champions league despite modern hockey is played there, not much in extraleague. Funny, that lot of czech guys were immpressed by Ds work in Champions league. And we talking about norwegian teams etc.
 

Maluk11

Registered User
Feb 27, 2016
484
216
Petr Mrázek and Michal Neuvirth not invited. Francouz, Furch and Rittich as goalies for WHC confirmed.

Injury report: Mozík (knee), Polášek (arm), Vitásek (hip) and Kaše (broken finger) still uncertain. Řepík also with injury (wrist) and Jaškin with Nečas ill. There is possibility Hynek Zohorna from Brno would be added if the injuries will continue, that will also depend on Jakub Voráček decision.
 
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Czechboy

Easy schedules rule!
Apr 15, 2018
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Petr Mrázek and Michal Neuvirth not invited. Francouz, Furch and Rittich as goalies for WHC confirmed.
Not surprising but just not smart. Let’s leave 3 nhl goalies off the ice and play the khl goalie instead. I know I’m alone in this.haha
 

Czechboy

Easy schedules rule!
Apr 15, 2018
21,796
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All East block countries struggled with understanding what the role of modern defenseman is and what Ds should be molded for as the hockey changed. Russia is the prime example as it is the most evident in their case but it applies to Czechs, Slovakia and even Latvia as well. Even 5 years ago most coaches here would have said the most important quality of defenseman is to be good at defense 1v1 while it's not the case at all after they removed a 2 line pass rule and we arrived at this speed/fast puck transition era. Then and there Swedes, Finns and NA hockey schools got way ahead while Eastern countries were left playing catch-up.

Guys like Musil, Nedomlel, Kostalek were supposed to be the future of Czech D while in reality, there is no place for them in today's hockey. They stink even by Czech leagues standards and as it turns out you actually need guys like Rutta, Kempny or Jerabek. Not some huge dude who can't really skate but has a long stick.

The game has completely passed the Czech D by... what concerns me is that I don't know if they are doing anything about it at the lower levels? Is someone in Czech hockey saying 'guys, we need to change how we develop defencemen'? Coincidentally, it would be nice to be ahead of the curve and not catching up to it. We used to have a distinctive style that was all our own. Lener said it best a few years ago... we have these guys playing 'Czech hockey' and then, when they're 18, they move to the CHL to learn 'Canadian hockey'... then they come back to Czech as 23 year old 'hybrids' as they never mastered Canadian hockey and they stopped learning Czech hockey.
 

Czechboy

Easy schedules rule!
Apr 15, 2018
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[QUOTE="disagreement with you when you said “you are proud of....and you prefer domestic coaches etc.” .[/QUOTE]

I get your point. If you look at this board, there are a bunch of Czech people (I assume) living all over the place that very clearly see the problem and are aware of it. I can't help but think the Czechs got themselves into this mess and they should be able to get themselves out. There is a lot of history of excellence in the country and they need to get the right leadership and plan going forward.

To me, the lack of development after a certain age is concerning. Very rarely do the best Czechs stay in the Czech league. Hertl, I think, was the last guy to go from Extraliga to NHL as a young guy.

Whenever I look up young Czech prospects it always looks scattered to me. Eg. 18 year old player who is very promising stays home... he plays 20 games for U20 team, 5 games for U18 team and then plays 10 minutes a night for Extraliga team. That is not good for development at all.

As a counter, a talented Canadian player would play in the CHL for about 25 minutes a night in all situations and the coach of that team is probably a former NHLer. If they make playoffs they'd get in over 90 games with one team and one coach. I'll use the London Knights as an example where they always have guys taken in first round and are producing NHL talent at a crazy level.

Back to the 18 year old.. .he also has to learn English, a new culture and everything that goes alone with it. I love that Pastrnak is amazing but didn't he go to Sweden? Voracek went to the CHL... most of our NHL Czechs did. They leave when they're 18. Necas will be the next exception as he stayed in Extraliga but Zadina left and will be taken in Top 5. Kaut might make it from Extraliga but a lot of the young guys don't play a lot of minutes in the Extraliga. There needs to be something between Extraliga and U20 that is very good in Czech hockey with a lot of game and consistent coaching. There currently isn't. If all our Czechs stayed home till 20... the leagues would improve and everything would be better (this would exclude the rare Czech that can play in the NHL at 18).
 
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Maluk11

Registered User
Feb 27, 2016
484
216
Hynek Zohorna (HC Kometa Brno) added to roster. On the other side defensemen Jakub Galvas with Tomáš Pavelka and forward David Tomášek were cut. I guess that mean Mozík/Vitásek/Polášek are feeling better.
 
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Artorius Horus T

sincerety
Nov 12, 2014
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I haven't had that much of interest towards team Czech republic in a while (several years)
but few years now, i have wondered why Dominik Hrachovina have not played a single
team Czech republic game, doesn't your country consider him a Czech anymore?.

For 3rd year straight he has been one of the best goalies in Europe, you'd think
that caliber of player be playing for your country. - what gives? -
 

Pixie

Registered User
Nov 24, 2017
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Czech Republic
Hynek Zohorna (HC Kometa Brno) added to roster. On the other side defensemen Jakub Galvas with Tomáš Pavelka and forward David Tomášek were cut. I guess that mean Mozík/Vitásek/Polášek are feeling better.
Why? David Tomášek was wery good
 

SoundAndFury

Registered User
May 28, 2012
11,309
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For 3rd year straight he has been one of the best goalies in Europe, you'd think
that caliber of player be playing for your country. - what gives? -
Czechs have a lot of really good KHL goalies and naturally, Liiga is considered to be a tier below. Maybe he should have been given a chance but nobody bothered as he isn't taking over Francouz anytime soon.
 

Pixie

Registered User
Nov 24, 2017
83
147
Czech Republic
Czechs have a lot of really good KHL goalies and naturally, Liiga is considered to be a tier below. Maybe he should have been given a chance but nobody bothered as he isn't taking over Francouz anytime soon.
Yes I agree. In addition, we have a lot of quality goalies in the Extraliga and another young hopeful goalkeepers (Bartošák, Kašík, Svoboda, Hrubec, Kořenář, Škarek, Pavelka...)
 

Artorius Horus T

sincerety
Nov 12, 2014
19,133
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Suomi/Finland
Czechs have a lot of really good KHL goalies and naturally, Liiga is considered to be a tier below. Maybe he should have been given a chance but nobody bothered as he isn't taking over Francouz anytime soon.

Francouz is awesome and the best, but i wouldn't put it plural,
Dominik Hracovina is the 2nd best Czech goalie in Europe, by far.
easily would dominate in the KHL too

+ Hracovina knows how to win championships, to be clutch when it counts the most.
he is looking for his 3rd Finnish league title in a row.

Team Czech would benefit a lot, if they'd have both Francouz&Hracovina
battling it out for the starting goalie spot, would make both better, play better.
 
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