Read Part 1: the winger-centric nature of the Czech style of play
Read Part 2: why CZE doesn’t develop more NHLers
The Czech Republic’s gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics was the high point in the nation’s hockey history.
Unfortunately the miracle of Nagano proved to be a one-off.
As it turned out, having prime Dominik Hasek (0.97 GAA, .961 sv% in six games) was not a repeatable strategy.
Even Hasek’s near-superhuman performance was barely enough, as CZE famously scraped by Canada in the semis (2-1 shootout) before outlasting Russia 1-0 in the final.
Czechia hasn’t medaled at the Olympics since.
The Czech Extraliga, in my opinion the world’s most underrated pro league at the moment, simply hasn’t produced enough elite players to sustain international success.
The nation’s next big international breakthrough may well come on the women’s side.
The Czech National Women’s Hockey Team
Since 2020, the Czech women’s program has been exemplary. Under Tomas Pacina and Carla MacLeod, the team has embraced a cutting-edge, possession-driven style of play with remarkable success given where the program was just a decade ago.
Czechia is still working to upend the traditional Canada-U.S.-Finland triumvirate in the women’s game. In the meantime, it’s become the world’s most interesting team, tactically speaking.
DZ Breakout
Instead of immediately stretching the puck toward the strong-side winger, as Czech men’s teams are apt to do, CZE women make ample use of the middle. Defensemen wheel on retrieval to improve the condition of the puck. One forward (usually the center) is present in low support. Four skaters join the rush after a successful DZ exit.
D1 gets off the wall and finds low F for a middle exit
D1 reverses under forechecking pressure, D2 cuts the back of the net to access the middle
Ds work together on retrieval, low F available in the middle, four skaters in the rush
NZ Regroup
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