MILAN (AP) — Lukas Dostal was in a rush to get to the Olympics. Earlier this week, the Czech goaltender became the first NHL player to take the ice for practice with his national team.

“What would I do in Anaheim, shoot the puck to the boards and try to stop it myself? It probably wouldn’t really work,” Dostal said.

kAmw6 😀 ?@ =@?86C 2=@?6]k^Am

kAm%96 C6DE @7 E96 A=2J6CD 7C@> E96 36DE 9@4<6J =628F6 😕 E96 H@C=5 2CC:G65 😕 |:=2? @? $F?52J] $H656? H2D E96 7:CDE @7 E96 E62>D >256 FA @7 2=>@DE 6I4=FD:G6=J }w{ E2=6?E E@ E2<6 E96 :46 7@C AC24E:46 2E |:=2?@ $2?E28:F=:2 pC6?2[ H:E9 E96 &]$][ rK649 #6AF3=:4[ r2?252 2?5 u:?=2?5 E@ 7@==@H]k^Am

kAmp=@?8 H:E9 s@DE2=[ 23@FE 2 5@K6? @E96CD 2CC2?865 EC2?DA@CE2E:@? E@ 86E E@ xE2=J 367@C6 E96 7:G6 492CE6C A=2?6D 7C@> }6H *@C@C?:?8] %92E 8C@FA :?4=F565 r2?252VD r@??@C |4s2G:5[ v6C>2?JVD {6@? sC2:D2:E=[ rK649:2VD s2G:5 !2DEC?2< 2?5 2 BF2CE6E @7 p>6C:42?D]k^Am

kAm“#62==J 4@@= ;FDE E@ 36 2C@F?5 2== E96 2E9=6E6D[” k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^%$}#J2?#:D92F8^DE2EFD^a_a_cghd_dfac_hacb`nDla_Qm|4s2G:5 E@=5 %$}k^2m 😕 2 3C:67 :?E6CG:6H 27E6C >66E:?8 FA H:E9 E96 C6DE @7 9:D r2?252 E62>>2E6D] “$A64:2= E@ 36 96C6]”k^Am

kAmr92C=:6 |4pG@J[ +249 (6C6?D<:[ y2<6 ~6EE:?86C 2?5 y6C6>J $H2J>2? >2C4965 😕 E96 @A6?:?8 46C6>@?J H:E9 E96 C6DE @7 E96 &]$] 56=682E:@? 2E $2? $:C@ DE25:F>[ 2D 5:5 $H:EK6C=2?5VD }:4@ w:D49:6C[ %:>@ |6:6C 2?5 y@?2D $:686?E92=6C] sC2:D2:E= 2?5 !2DEC?2< H6C6 2>@?8 E96 D6G6? >6?VD 9@4<6J A=2J6CD H9@ D6CG65 2D E96:C ?2E:@?VD 7=28 362C6C]k^Am

kAm%9:D 😀 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?9=\@=J>A:4D\3ad`4ba7eacebh7fe36a2b7d`_5f2b`bQm7:CDE ~=J>A:4D H:E9 }w{ A=2J6CDk^2m 😕 2 5@K6? J62CD[ 52E:?8 E@ $@49: 😕 a_`c] %96 =628F6 @AE65 ?@E E@ A2CE:4:A2E6 😕 a_`g[ 2?5 A2?56>:4\C6=2E65 D4965F=:?8 :DDF6D 42FD65 2? 6=6G6?E9\9@FC 492?86 @7 A=2?D 😕 a_aa]k^Am

kAm%92E 82A >62?D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>:=2?\@=J>A:4D\?9=\A=2J6CD\cb5dgad4af6“b5feag47db7d`dgcbg5Qm2? 6?E:C6 86?6C2E:@? @7 DE2CDk^2m[ :?4=F5:?8 |4s2G:5[ }2E92? |24z:??@?[ pFDE@? |2EE96HD 2?5 y24< t:496=[ 92G6 ?6G6C C6AC6D6?E65 E96:C 4@F?ECJ @? E9:D :?E6C?2E:@?2= DE286] %9:D 😀 E96 7:CDE D@\42==65 36DE\@?\36DE E@FC?2>6?E D:?46 E96 a_`e (@C=5 rFA @7 w@4<6J[ 3FE 6G6? E92E 925 2 4@FA=6 @7 >256\FA E62>D — }@CE9 p>6C:42?D ab\2?5\F?56C 2?5 E96? tFC@A62?D 7C@> G2C:@FD 4@F?EC:6D ?@E :?4=F565 — E@ <66A |4s2G:5 2?5 |24z:??@? 7C@> A=2J:?8 H:E9 EH@\E:>6 8@=5 >652=:DED $:5?6J rC@D3J[ sC6H s@F89EJ 2?5 @E96CD]k^Am

kAmp 76H 9@FCD 367@C6 AC24E:46[ w@4<6J r2?252 2??@F?465 E96 @3G:@FD E92E rC@D3J H@F=5 282:? H62C E96 “rQ 2D 42AE2:?] |4s2G:5 2?5 r2=6 |2<2C 2C6 E96 2=E6C?2E6D]k^Am

kAm“r@??@C 2?5 r2=6[ 2=@?8 H:E9 @FC 6?E:C6 8C@FA[ AC@G:56 :?4C65:3=6 =6256CD9:A[ 2?5 x 2> 92AAJ E@ C6AC6D6?E r2?252 E@86E96C @? E96 D2>6 E62>[Q rC@D3J D2:5]k^Am

kAm$H656? ?2>65 v23C:6= {2?56D<@8 42AE2:?[ 2D 6IA64E65[ H:E9 ‘:4E@C w65>2? 2?5 tC:< z2C=DD@? E96 2=E6C?2E6D] {2?56D<@8 2?5 z2C=DD@? 2C6 2>@?8 E96 7@FC $H656D H9@ 2=D@ A=2J65 😕 E96 a_`c ~=J>A:4D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 ~=:G6C t<>2?\{2CDD@? 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DH656?\@=J>A:4D\:?;FCJ\C6A=246>6?ED\_c4aha33g2bh7d`hb734fa_46`5feg6cQm:?;FCJ C6A=246>6?E |2C4FD y@92?DD@?k^2m]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! (:?E6C ~=J>A:4Di k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>:=2?\4@CE:?2\a_ae\H:?E6C\@=J>A:4DQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>:=2?\4@CE:?2\a_ae\H:?E6C\@=J>A:4Dk^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.