MILAN – Czechia’s hockey hopes in Milan took a big blow on Saturday when Boston Bruins centre Pavel Zacha was ruled out of the Olympics.

“It’s sad for all our team and, of course, for Pavel also because he was very anxious to be here and compete against the best players in the world,” Czech general manager Jiri Slegr told TSN. “Unfortunately, he’s hurt. They wouldn’t let him come here, so it’s sad.”

Zacha last played on Jan. 29, when he sustained an upper-body injury during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. He missed Boston’s final two games before the Olympic break. With 37 points in 54 games, Zacha is fourth in scoring among all Czech NHL players this season.

“He was our first [line] centre so, yes, it is a hole, but we have to work [around] it,” Slegr said. “We’re going to miss him for sure.”

Filip Chlapik, who plays for Sparta Praha in the Czech Extraliga, will replace Zacha on the roster. With Zacha out, the Czechs are now down to 12 NHL players on their 25-man roster.

Czechia opens the tournament on Thursday against Canada.

“I think everybody’s looking forward to it because it’s such a hard opponent,” Slegr said. “In my opinion, if I will be the player right now, I’d be happy because that’s the test right at the beginning.”

And Slegr, who played 11 NHL seasons with stops in Vancouver and Edmonton along the way, believes the underdog role will suit his team.

“It’s always better, I think, than being a favourite and under pressure from the beginning,” said Slegr. “We have a team who won the world championship in 2024. We have 19 players, now 18 because Pavel was there and he’s not coming, but still it’s almost all the team that has the experience to win the world championship. So, they know how to play together to achieve something. I believe they’re going to step into the tournament with this attitude.”

Czechia also boasts a strong trio of goaltenders in Lukas Dostal of the Anaheim Ducks, Karel Vejmelka of the Utah Mammoth and Dan Vladar of the Flyers. While charter flights will bring most of the NHL Olympians to Milan on Sunday, both Dostal and Vejmelka arrived early.

Lukas Dostal practiced with Czechia, the first NHL player on the ice at the Milan Olympics.

“I decided: What would I do in Anaheim? Shoot the puck to the boards and try to stop it myself? It probably wouldn’t really work.”

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) February 6, 2026

“It’s always better when you have a good goaltender,” Slegr said with a smile. “A goaltender is the number one issue in hockey. So, yes, it gives us bigger chances than if you don’t have a great goalie.”

While there’s a lot of discussion about who will start for Canada, Slegr said his team already has an established pecking order, although he was unwilling to reveal who will start the tournament as the No. 1 goalie.

The Czechs can also draw confidence from having David Pastrnak leading the way. The Bruins winger is sixth in NHL scoring with 71 points this season. Pastrnak served as the country’s flag-bearer during Friday’s Opening Ceremony.

“Big-shot player and he’s very excited to be here and fight for his Czech nation,” Slegr said. “What can I say? He’s our best and we’re counting on him. And, also, we have great goaltending. So, with that, I understand we are not a favourite, but we’re going to fight to do our best here to bring home a medal.”

Slegr helped Czechia win the gold medal at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano when NHL stars debuted on the biggest international stage. Czechia upset Canada 2-1 in a shootout in the semifinal thanks to a dominant performance from Dominik Hasek and a regulation goal from Slegr.

“I remember that even if it’s so long ago,” Slegr said. “It was a great game. I remember. So hopefully we’re gonna put up the same effort. It’s gonna be a great game.”