Meet the Team: Czechia’s World Junior Hockey Championships Roster

After an impressive fourth-place finish at the 2018 event — their best since 2005 –, Czechia was expecting even bigger and better things in 2019. Three high-end, first-round forwards made their return to the lineup in Martin Necas, Filip Zadina, and Martin Kaut. They had the goaltending, too, in Lukas Dostal. Those games in Victoria and Vancouver were a real opportunity for the nation of 10.5 million to medal for the fourth time.

Unfortunately, things don’t always go according to plans. While the goaltending was spectacular, the big guns up front failed to show up and the result was a seventh-place finish.

Now, in 2020, the team plays host to the best U20 players on the planet (minus those whose NHL teams refuse to let them go and thus deserve a little coal in their stockings come Christma