Ostersund 2017 factfile: Czech Republic

Team preview ahead of Paralympic Winter Games Qualification Tournament 02 Oct 2017
Imagen
Sledge hockey players on the ice

The Czech Republic are one of the favourites for Ostersund 2017

ⒸShuhei Koganezawa
By IPC

With one week to go until the World Para Ice Hockey Paralympic Winter Games Qualification Tournament in Ostersund, Sweden, it’s time to take a closer look at each of the five teams competing for their chance to appear at PyeongChang 2018.

We start with the Czech Republic who are aiming for their third straight Paralympic Winter Games appearance when they compete at the tournament from 9-14 October. At the World Championships B-Pool last November in Tomakomai, Japan; the team did not allow a single goal scored against them as they went on to win the B-Pool and secure their spot at Ostersund 2017.

Paralympic Winter Games appearances

Sochi 2014

Vancouver 2010

World Championships history

Gold – 2016 World Championships B-Pool

Silver – 2008 World Championships B-Pool

Key players

Michal Geier was named the team’s Best Player at Tomakomai 2016, after scoring five goals as the team beat host Japan for the gold medal. Also watch out for 19-year-old forward Karel Wagner. His breakthrough came at the 2015 youth camp in Langenhagen, Germany, and Ostersund will be his first major international appearance.

Roster

Offence:

No. 74 Michal Geier

No. 82 Zdenek Habl

No. 26 Zdenek Klima

No. 96 Zdenek Krupicka

No. 77 David Palat

No. 75 Jiri Raul

No. 24 Zdenek Safranek

No. 11 Karel Wagner

Defence:

No. 67 Pavel Dolezal

No. 65 Miroslav Hrbek

No. 29 Pavel Kubes

No. 7 David Motychka

Goalkeepers:

No. 17 Jan Matousek

No. 6 Michal Vapenka

Head coach: Jiri Briza

The top three finishers will earn the last qualification spots available at PyeongChang 2018, joining Canada, Italy, Norway, South Korea and the USA in March.

Live coverage and the game schedule are available on the official Ostersund 2017 site.