Czechia will bring a team with a heavy CHL flavour to the world junior championship later this month in Minnesota.

Seventeen of the 26 players on Czechia’s preliminary roster, unveiled Wednesday, are playing Canadian major-junior hockey this season.

Notable names from that group include Buffalo Sabres first-round pick Radim Mrtka (Seattle Thunderbirds), 2026 NHL Draft first-round candidate Adam Novotny (Peterborough Petes), St. Louis Blues first-round pick Adam Jiricek (Brantford Bulldogs) and CHL first-overall import draft pick Tomas Poletin (Kelowna Rockets, New York Islanders, fourth-round pick).

Jiricek is one of three players from the CHL’s top-ranked Bulldogs on the Czech roster. Adam Benak, a Minnesota Wild prospect who is second in the OHL in scoring, and 2026 NHL Draft candidat

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