Multiple Czech media outlets reported on Monday that David Pastrňák
has finally agreed to play for his home country in this year’s
IIHF World Championship. Czech national team GM Jiří
Šlégr confirmed the news after the team’s practise.
“I
spoke with David today
before practise
and his final decision is positive for all of us,”
said
Šlégr. “He
decided to participate in the World Championship, which we are all
very happy about.”
It
was previously confirmed that the Boston
Bruins had medically cleared Pastrňák
to
play, and many had interpreted that as confirmation that he would.
However, the player himself had not committed until now.
https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/no-gudas-kubalik-or-tomasek-for-czechs-at-this-years-worlds-but-what-about-pastrnak
Šlégr
was also asked about Calgary Flames
winger Adam Klapka, who became available when the Calgary Wranglers
were eliminated from the AHL playoffs.
“We
are in communication,” Šlégr
said
about Klapka.
“On the way here, I communicated with the Calgary general manager
and we are negotiating.”
Adam Klapka: “I knew deep down that I would play in the NHL one day”At 6-foot-8 and 236 pounds, Adam Klapka is a hard guy to miss. But the Czech winger managed to fly under the radar for much of his amateur career and even in his early years as a pro. He never played in the U18 Worlds or the World Juniors, was never drafted by an NHL team and at age 21, split the season between the Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga and HC Benátky nad Jizerou of the tier-two Chance Liga.
The
final leg of the 2024-25 Euro Hockey Tour will be played this
weekend, Thursday through Sunday, in Brno, Czechia. This leg of the
tour, which is almost always hosted by the Czechs, is used by the
four teams as a final tune-up for the World Championship. It is
generally the only part of the tour that includes any NHL players.
Here is the lineup that the Czechs will take:
Goaltenders:
Daniel Vladař (Calgary,
NHL), Karel Vejmelka (Utah
HC,
NHL), Josef Kořenář (HC
Sparta Prague).
Defensemen: Filip Pyrochta (BK Mladá
Boleslav), Jan Košťálek (HC Vítkovice
Ridera), Jiří Ticháček (Kladno
Knights), Tomáš Kundrátek (HC Oceláři
Třinec), Radek Kučeřík (Ässät Pori,
Finland), Michal Kempný, Jakub Krejčík (both
HC Sparta Praha), David Špaček (Iowa
Wild, AHL), Filip Hronek (Vancouver
Canucks, NHL), Daniel Gazda (Ilves
Tampere, Finland).
Forwards: Jiří Černoch, Ondřej Beránek (both
HC Energie Karlovy Vary), Petr Kodýtek (IFK
Helsinki, Finland), Radan Lenc (HV 71,
Sweden), Michal Kovařčík (Kärpät
Oulu, Finland), Ondřej Kovařčík (HC
Oceláři Třinec), Daniel Voženílek (EV
Zug, Switzerland), Kristian Reichel (Adler
Mannheim, Germany), Matěj Stránský, Filip
Zadina (both HC Davos), Michael Špaček,
Filip Chlapík, Pavel Kousal (all HC Sparta
Praha), Kevin Klíma (Mountfield
HK), Jakub Lauko (Boston, NHL).
Team Staff
General Manager: Jiří Šlégr, Manager: Milan
Hnilička, Head Coach: Radim
Rulík, Assistant Coaches: Marek Židlický,
Jiří Kalous, Tomáš Plekanec, Goaltending
Coach: Ondřej Pavelec.
Karel Vejmelka & Filip Hronek To Play For Czechs In World Championship; Pastrnak Maybe
Goaltender Karel Vejmelka of Utah HC and defenseman Filip Hronek of
the Vancouver Canucks will play for Czechia at this year’s IIHF
World Championship in Herning, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden,
according multiple media sources.
Read the full article here