Milan, Italy - Radim Rulík, head coach of the Czech Republic men's ice hockey team for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, condemned the referees following his team's quarterfinal defeat to Canada at Santa Giulia Arena.[1][2]

Rulík, appointed Czechia national team coach in June 2024 for the 2025 Worlds and 2026 Olympics, said the officials were "afraid to call" penalties against Canada.[3] He added that "the referees really worry me. What they’re allowing against us is unacceptable."

The coach cited an incident in the third period where forward Martin Nečas, of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, was hooked by Canada's Devon Toews in the neutral zone ahead of a breakaway, with no call made.[4][7] Rulík noted he reviews NHL games daily and such plays are penalized there.

Czechia features NHL stars including David Pastrňák of the Boston Bruins and Radko Gudas of the Anaheim Ducks.[5][6] The tournament features 12 teams in three groups; Czechia competed in Group A alongside Denmark, Norway and Switzerland, while Canada was in Group C with Sweden, Slovakia and Kazakhstan.[8]

Rulík had previously voiced similar concerns after Czechia's group stage win over Denmark, describing uneven officiating from a mix of NHL and European referees.

Canada advanced from the quarterfinals held during the Milano Cortina Olympics, which run from 6 to 22 February 2026 across venues in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.[1][2]

Sources

1. Olympics.com, "Milano Cortina 2026 Overview and Venues", accessed 2024, https://olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/
2. IIHF.com, "Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament Schedule", September 2024, https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2026/om
3. Czech Ice Hockey Association (Hokej.cz), "Rulík novým trenérem národního týmu na MS 2025 i olympijské hry 2026", 13 June 2024, https://www.hokej.cz/clanek/96185-rulik-novym-trenerem-narodniho-timu-na-ms-2025-i-olympijske-hry-2026
4. NHL.com, "Martin Nečas Player Profile", accessed 2024, https://www.nhl.com/player/martin-necas-8480020
5. NHL.com, "David Pastrňák Player Profile", accessed 2024, https://www.nhl.com/player/david-pastrnak-8479314
6. NHL.com, "Radko Gudas Player Profile", accessed 2024, https://www.nhl.com/player/radko-gudas-8471696
7. NHL.com, "Devon Toews Player Profile", accessed 2024, https://www.nhl.com/player/devon-toews-8478401
8. IIHF.com, "Groups drawn for Olympic ice hockey tournament", 11 September 2024, https://www.iihf.com/en/static/13292/olympics_2026_groups