Moták and Gross to replace Rulík

Moták and Gross to replace Rulík. Czech national team began preparations with a win over Germany

18.04.2026 07:00 HotInfo

The Czech Ice Hockey Federation elected a new coaching staff for the national hockey team on Thursday, April 16. Zdeněk Moták will become head coach of the national team starting next season, after the May World Championship in Switzerland. His assistant will be Pavel Gross, with Jaroslav Kameš as goaltending coach. All staff members have two-year contracts; the coaches will choose a third assistant by the end of June. seznamzpravy.cz ↗ evropa2.cz ↗

Radim Rulík, who currently holds the coaching position, had already announced that after the World Championship he will move to Kladno in the Extraliga. Under his leadership, the Czech national team successfully began its preparation for the championship. In Karlovy Vary, it first defeated Germany 5:3, then won the rematch 4:1. In the first match, captain Jakub Flek scored twice, with forward Tomášek adding the second goal. In the second match, debutant goaltender Adam Brízgala made the saves. denik.cz ↗ irozhlas.cz ↗

After the win over Germany, Rulík described his successors as "a very good choice." Moták, who led Plzeň in the Extraliga last season, is looking forward to the new challenge and emphasized that this is the highest position attainable in a coaching career. The choice of Moták surprised even some national team players who had previously worked with him as a youth coach. Gross changed his work plans because of the national team and is taking on the assistant role with acceptance. Given that both coaches previously led rival teams against each other, their new collaboration represents an interesting shift in Czech hockey. irozhlas.cz ↗ idnes.cz ↗

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