"We Have a Lot of Work Ahead, but We’re Really Looking Forward to It," Says Jiří Mašík Ahead of the Final Preparations for the World Championship
The men's national team will begin their final preparations for the World Championship in Switzerland on Friday. During a three-day camp in Svitavy and Česká Třebová, the players will face a packed schedule. Head coach Jiří Mašík discussed the camp’s agenda.
The Players Appreciated It, Especially Since Some Hadn’t Played for a While
The men’s national team held their penultimate camp for the World Championship in Switzerland last weekend. However, due to the fifth final game of the CROSSDOCK Extraliga, fewer players attended. "Of course, the fifth final complicated our preparations significantly, as 13 players from the broader roster were involved in the final. After discussions, we decided on a one-day camp and extended the final camp in Česká Třebová to three days. So, we had two training sessions on Saturday in Pardubice," reveals the head coach, Jiří Mašík, describing the camp’s activities, which took place in Eastern Bohemia. Given the busy competition schedule, this was the first time the team had gathered since the Three Nations Tournament in February.
Despite the smaller number of players, the camp was beneficial, especially for those whose club season had ended earlier, allowing them to train at a higher intensity with others. "We are glad we got together; the guys got a feel for the larger rink and the balls used at the World Championship, and of course, we worked on some things for the tournament," Mašík explains. "The players appreciated it, especially since some hadn’t played for a while. The training tempo in the club or individual preparations isn’t the same as when they meet in the national team selection," mentions the head coach, who led the U23 team to gold medals at the last junior championship.
Performance Is Key, but We Also Consider the Player's Character and Role on the Team
The Czech national team will follow up on last weekend's camp with a three-day camp this week, where the final preparations will peak. "We will meet on Friday, have a short training session, and primarily a scrimmage among ourselves. We want to see the players in action on a large rink. On Saturday and Sunday, we’ll focus mainly on fine-tuning," describes the experienced coach about the final preparations. "We’ll work on the coordination of individual defenses, attacks, and lines, focusing on finishing, and we’ll dedicate a lot of time to power plays and penalty kills. We’ll also work on team bonding and ensuring that all players contribute to the team. We have meetings and interviews planned. We have a lot of work ahead, but we’re really looking forward to it. Even in Pardubice, you could see a positive tension and eagerness ahead of the World Championship. I believe it will continue and intensify," says the national coach.
On Saturday, the coaches will face a tough decision as they announce the final roster. "The broader roster won’t change, but on Saturday after the morning training session, we will announce the final roster that will go to the World Championship. That is always the hardest and most difficult moment in the entire cycle. All the players deserve to go, but unfortunately, we can’t take everyone," describes the head coach about the difficult responsibilities. "We have already established the main core, but there are still some question marks. Of course, performance is the most important, but we also consider the player’s character and how they fit into the team. We have plenty of notes on each player, and we have some tough decisions to make. After the nomination, we will explain each player’s role so they know what we expect from them," adds Mašík, who will be leading the team to defend their silver medal from the World Championship in Canada.
