Roman Cervenka named captain of Czechia’s Olympic men’s hockey team
HC Dynamo Pardubice forward Roman Cervenka has been named captain of Czechia’s men’s national team for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Cervenka, 40, has 17 goals and 56 points in 40 games with Pardubice so far in the 2025-26 Czech League season. The 5’11” center has served as captain of the Czech national team since the 2018 IIHF World Championship.
An undrafted player, Cervenka has spent the vast majority of his professional career playing overseas, with the lone exception of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 NHL season, in which he played with the Calgary Flames.
Cervenka has played for Czechia in every Winter Olympics since Vancouver 2010, with Milano-Cortina 2026 marking his fifth appearance. He also suited up for the Czechs at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
CAPTAIN CREW 👨✈️ Kapitánem českého týmu na olympijských hrách byl zvolen Roman Červenka. Asistovat mu budou David Pastrňák a Radko Gudas. ❤️🔥 #milanocortina2026 #narodnitym
In addition, the Czech international hockey federation announced Sunday that Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas will serve as alternate captains for the Olympics.
Pastrnak, 29, has 22 goals and 71 points in 52 games with the Bruins in the 2025-26 NHL season. The 6′ right wing has spent considerable time playing on a line with Cervenka in international competition, most recently at the 2025 IIHF Worlds; this will be his first Olympics.
Gudas, 35, has one goal and 10 points while averaging 16:52 of ice time in 43 games with the Ducks this season. The 6′ right-handed defenseman previously played for the Czechs at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
In addition to their three captains, the Czech team includes the likes of Martin Necas, Tomas Hertl, and Filip Hronek, as well as a strong goaltending trio of Lukas Dostal, Karel Vejmelka, and Dan Vladar. However, fellow Bruins forward Pavel Zacha will not play for the Czechs due to injury, having already been replaced by Filip Chlapik.
The Czechs are slated to play their first game of the men’s ice hockey tournament against Team Canada on Feb. 12, followed by games against France and Switzerland on Feb. 13 and 15 to conclude the group stage.