Camaraderie powering plucky Czech Republic
The team’s “heart” has led it to a surprise spot in the semifinals
By Ryan Evans
Posted 1/3/18
The Czech Republic was not supposed to be here.
It has not medaled at the IIHF World Junior Championship since winning bronze in 2005 and has not advanced further than the quarterfinals in that time. Few predicted this year’s group would be the one to snap that streak, yet here the Czechs, potentially just two games away from capturing their first medal in 13 years.
“Many people didn’t expect us to be here,” forward Martin Necas said. “We’ve maybe surprised some people here by making it this far, but we want to win.”
They will face off against Canada in the semifinals on Thursday at 8 p.m. at KeyBank Center.
The Czech Republic is undoubtedly the Cinderella story of the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo. It has racked up a 4-0-0-1 record, finished second in Group B and upset Russia in the preliminary round and Finland in the quarterfinals all en route to the country’s first semifinal berth since 2005.
After Tuesday’s shootout win over Finland, Czech head coach Filip Pesan credited his team’s success to its “big heart.” But what does that mean, exactly? Well, you see it manifest itself as the players’ pride in doing the little things like blocking shots to find ways to win—which they have, despite being out-shot in three of their five games.
But that commitment to a selfless team effort starts in the tight-knit locker room, where the Czech Republic has developed the friendly camaraderie that has powered its surprise run to the tournament’s final four.
“We are one big family,” Pesan said. “I know that is a little bit cliché but that is how we have lived through this tournament. Those guys have great relationships with each other and they love to win. They never give up and that is the key.”
Of course, it does not hurt to have a power play that is firing at 50 percent either. The Czechs are 7-for-14 with the man advantage in five games, which is the second-best mark in the tournament – trailing only Canada, their semifinal opponent – and has been their great equalizer when out-played.
The combination of Necas, the No. 12 pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, and forward Filip Zadina has fueled its country’s lethal power play. The two have scored six of the Czechs’ seven power-play goals and have combined for 11 points (6+5) with the man advantage.
“We have good chemistry between Martin Necas and I,” Zadina said. “It has gone well so far and hopefully we will keep going and keep scoring goals on the power play.”
Necas’s nine points (3+6) rank No. 2 in the tournament and Zadina is its second-best goal scorer with five in five games.
Zadina was one of the heroes of the Czech Republic’s quarterfinal win, tipping home the game-tying goal with 2:26 to play ahead of his team’s shootout victory. The Halifax Mooseheads star has drawn comparisons to former Moosehead Nico Hischier with his standout performance at World Juniors and has likely solidified his standing as a top five talent for the 2018 NHL Draft.
“He’s a typical sniper,” Necas said. “He can score a goal from any situation.”
In preparation for both the tournament and his draft year, Zadina cultivated relationships with his teammates who have seen time in the NHL, including Necas, and said the lessons he has gained from them have been invaluable.
“We have a lot of good guys in the room,” he said. “There are a couple who have played in the NHL and they have helped us a lot. We have a good group of guys.”
But personal success or accolades are not what the Czechs are after. Not when they have a chance to curb their 13-year medal-less drought. They all preach a team-first mentality, which they believe will be key against a highly potent and heavily favored Canada side that Zadina called “the best team” at World Juniors.
“We want to get a medal,” he said. “We’re playing for our country. It would mean a lot. It has been a long time since we’ve won a medal or even made a semifinal.
“We all believe. We will do anything for the win.”
