By Jan Korselt
PRAGUE, Dec 30 (Reuters) - New Jersey Devils forward Patrik
Elias and an ageing Jaromir Jagr will lead Czech Republic at the
2010 Vancouver Olympics as the team look to recapture the form
that won the hockey-mad nation a gold medal in 1998.
The squad, comprising mainly NHL players, also includes
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle and the Minnesota
Wild's Martin Havlat.
The Czechs will aim to better their third place at the last
Olympics and add to the gold won in Nagano by a squad led by
Jagr and Dominik Hasek.
Forward Jagr, 37, who left the NHL in 2008 to join Russian
club Avangard Omsk, is the only player left from that team.
"We are going to try to please people and come back with a
medal because anything else would be a failure for Czech
hockey," said coach Vladimir Ruzicka after naming his 23-man
preliminary squad.
The party include 16 NHL players, five who skate for Russian
teams and two from the Czech league. The roster will be
finalised on Jan. 21.
Ruzicka, who left out Vaclav Prospal of the New York Rangers
and Milan Hejduk of the Colorado Avalanche, named Elias as
captain and Jagr and Kaberle as deputies.
Jagr, who helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win Stanley Cups in
1991 and 1992, will be expected to generate goals for a team
facing tough competition at the group stage in Slovakia, Latvia
and Russia.
The Olympics start on Feb. 12.
Squad:
Goaltenders: Tomas Vokoun (Florida Panthers), Ondrej Pavelec
(Atlanta Trashers), Jakub Stepanek (HC Vitkovice Steel)
Defensemen: Miroslav Blatak (Salavat Yulayev Ufa), Jan Hejda
(Columbus Blue Jackets), Tomas Kaberle (Toronto Maple Leafs),
Filip Kuba (Ottawa Senators), Pavel Kubina (Atlanta Thrashers),
Zbynek Michalek (Phoenix Coyotes), Roman Polak (St Louis Blues),
Marek Zidlicky (Minnesota Wild)
Forwards: Petr Cajanek (SKA Petrohrad), Roman Cervenka (HC
Slavia Praha), Patrik Elias (New Jersey Devils), Martin Erat
(Nashville Predators), Tomas Fleischmann (Washington Capitals),
Martin Havlat (Minnesota Wild), Jaromir Jagr (Avangard Omsk),
David Krejci (Boston Bruins), Milan Michalek (Ottawa Senators),
Tomas Plekanec (Montreal Canadiens), Tomas Rolinek (Metallurg
Magnitogorsk), Josef Vasicek (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl).
(Reporting by Jan Korselt, writing by Michael Kahn, editing
by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
