Czech hockey players gathered in Brno to prepare for the Czech Games (Betano Hockey Games), the home tournament of the Euro Hockey Tour, which will be the warm-up for the World Championship in May. Coach Radim Rulík had all ten newly called up players from overseas at his disposal at today’s first training session.
The team was joined by goalkeepers Petr Mrázek from Chicago, Karel Vejmelka from Arizona and Lukáš Dostál with defender Radek Gudas from Anaheim, another guard Jan Rutta with forward Filip Zadina from San Jose and other offensive players Ondřej Palát with Tomáš Nosk from New Jersey, Dominik Kubalík from Ottawa and Radim Zohorna from Pittsburgh.
There are currently 32 hockey players in the squad – three goalkeepers, nine defenders and twenty forwards. Another five players will join on Wednesday after the final series of the extra league between Třinec and Pardubice, defenders Libor Hájek, Jan Košťálek and Tomáš Kundrátek and forwards Daniel Voženílek and Lukáš Sedlák received an invitation.
The Czechs will enter the final EHT tournament of the season with a Thursday match against Finland from 6 p.m. On the weekend, they are then waiting for matches in the Winning Group Arena from 16:00: on Saturday against Sweden and on Sunday against Switzerland.
After three events, the Swedes lead the EHT table with 21 points, the Czechs are four points back in second place, and the Finns in third have collected three less. The last Swiss have only two points on their account, they have not won from nine matches.
Tags: Hockey players including ten reinforcements NHL gathered Brno EHT home tournament
