Radim Rulík, head coach of Czechia's men's national ice hockey team since May 2022,[1] condemned the officiating after his team's 4-3 overtime defeat to Canada in the men's quarterfinals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The match was played on February 18, 2026, at the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy.[2][3]

Rulík told reporters the referees were "afraid to call" penalties against Canada. "I feel like everyone is afraid to call anything against Canada," he said in a postgame interview, according to a translation. He added that "the referees really worry me" and that what they allowed against Czechia was "unacceptable."

Rulík highlighted a third-period incident where forward Martin Nečas, of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes,[4] was hooked by Canada's Devon Toews in the neutral zone ahead of a breakaway, with no penalty called. He noted that such plays are routinely penalized in the NHL, which he reviews daily on replay.

The coach also referenced uncalled infractions involving David Pastrňák of the Boston Bruins[5] and Radko Gudas of the Anaheim Ducks,[6] claiming officials feared power-play goals from Czechia's top players. Rulík said his team sends video clips after games, which referees confirm as penalties, but no changes occur.

Rulík had previously criticised refereeing after Czechia's earlier win over Denmark in the tournament, saying the mix of NHL and European officials led to inconsistent calls. The men's Olympic tournament features 12 teams in three groups of four, with quarterfinals determining the four semifinalists.[7]

Canada advanced to the semifinals. Czechia, silver medallists at the 2024 IIHF World Championship under Rulík, relied on NHL stars including Pastrňák (career leader in goals for Czechia internationally) in their Olympic campaign.[1][7]

Sources

1. Czech Ice Hockey Association. "Radim Rulík novým trenérem národního týmu" (Radim Rulík new head coach of national team). 18 May 2022. https://www.czechhockey.cz/clanek/36124-radim-rulik-novym-trenerem-narodniho-tymu.html
2. Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee. "Santa Giulia Arena". Accessed 2024. https://www.milanocortina2026.org/en/olympic-and-paralympic-venues/santa-giulia-arena
3. Olympics.com. "Milano Cortina 2026 venues". Accessed 2024. https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/venues
4. NHL.com. "Martin Necas - Carolina Hurricanes". Accessed 2024. https://www.nhl.com/player/martin-necas-8480020
5. NHL.com. "David Pastrnak - Boston Bruins". Accessed 2024. https://www.nhl.com/player/david-pastrnak-8479314
6. NHL.com. "Radko Gudas - Anaheim Ducks". Accessed 2024. https://www.nhl.com/player/radko-gudas-8474580
7. IIHF.com. "Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament format". Accessed 2024. https://www.iihf.com/en/tournaments/olympics