WEHT Sweden Preview: Czechia Goes Senior-Heavy for an Olympic Dress Rehearsal
Czechia heads to Ängelholm (Nov. 5–8) with a far more complete, veteran-leaning roster than August’s Kloten, SUI opener, exactly what you’d expect with Milan-Cortina drawing closer. It’s the Czechs’ turn to show where the group sits against Sweden, Finland, and Switzerland with a roster that much more closely resembles an Olympic core..
*Two late roster notes: D Andrea Trnková is out (replaced by Karolína Kosinová), and Adéla Šapovalivová will miss this stop after playing last weekend for Wisconsin; she’s replaced by Boston University freshman Anežka Čabelová. (ČWHR reporting.)
Quick rewind: Kloten set the baseline
Highlights from Czechia-Finland in Kloten, SUI / WEHT Round 1
Czechia’s Opening Leg in Kloten played out like a three act stress test. Act 1 was a 5-2 wake up call against Finland: a slow first 10 minutes, a couple of miscues on exits, and too many clean looks off Finnish rushes. It wasn’t catastrophic, but it was enough to remind everyone that mistakes against the Finns will punish even small gaps in structure.
Act II flipped the script. Against Switzerland, the staff tightened the neutral-zone spacing and simplified entries on the power-play. The game still went the distance, but Kristýna Kaltounková buried the shootout winner and you could feel the tempo and confidence return. Lines were cleaner, puck support closer, and special teams more purposeful.
Act III was the best performance of the weekend: a 2-1 patient, road-style win over Sweden, sealed by Vendula Přibylová’s late strike. That one showcased the identity Carla MacLeod wants in February. Layered defending through the middle, quick first passes to kickstart transitions, and forwards rolling in waves rather than chasing stretch plays. Taken together, the early lessons, sharp response, and composed finish (despite two wins that die-hards would hope were a bit more polished with a 65% Olympic roster) sets the measuring stick for Ängelholm.
The storylines
1) Goaltending.
Klára Peslarová has continued to be a stalwart for Brynäs alongside her partner Norwegian Ena Nystrøm, consistently performing well in her first 10 SDHL appearances, as evidenced by a commendable save percentage .920, according to Elite Prospect's rolling split. However, the focus of this week's tournament shifts intriguingly to the back-up position. Brynäs currently ranks near the top of the SDHL standings. Despite a few setbacks, the team is rich in talent, providing an excellent environment for Peslarová to hone her skills through consistent play and meaningful starts, which is crucial for assessing her current form prior to the Olympics. With Michaela Hesová committed to Dartmouth in the NCAA, the spotlight turns to Daniela Nováková of Plzeň Wolves and Julie Pejšová from HC Milevsko, both hailing from Czechia’s domestic league. These players are poised to support Peslarová and may even start, offering a valuable opportunity for evaluation of the young netminders.
2) Blue line: Experience Everywhere
It’s a stacked, senior group. Sára Čajanová is quietly having a strong start for Brynäs (14 pts in 18 GP from the back end) and has looked electric on the powerplay alongside Viivi Vainikka and Noora Tulus. Dominika Lásková has settled at SDE after a long PWHL year fraught with recovery and desire for game-time post-injury. With Dominika finally back to looking like her old self, we expect she’ll be more impactful now than ever before, and this will be a great measuring stick. Captain Aneta Tejralová and Daniela Pejšová are back and are also are tuning up ahead of the PWHL’s late-November start, while Klára Seroiszková logs heavy minutes with Davos in Switzerland and is expected to log minutes on the backend. Expect cleaner breakouts than in the August tournament, and a more assertive PK.
Highlights from Czechia-Switzerland in Kloten, SUI / WEHT Round 1
(*Side note from the last stop: Noemi Neubauerová took spins on D in Kloten. It worked (at least we think so), but she’s listed at forward here, and her club form argues for it. Regardless, it may be interesting to see if Carla MacLeod decides to utilize her in this capacity later in the season should injuries arise.)
3) Forwards: as close to “Olympic ready” as we’ve seen
This is the A-group. The big storyline here: Katerina Mrázová makes her season debut, a welcome return after an injury-plagued PWHL year in Ottawa, where she managed 7 points in 14 games despite numerous setbacks (but who will forget her grit in the playoffs?). Czechia will rely on her play-driving abilities in the middle six. Not much expectation, other than hoping she uses these games to get her pace and speed back. Pretty soon, she’ll be back on the ice with Ottawa, where expectations will be higher than ever.
Kristýna Kaltounková, the No. 1 pick for the PWHL’s New York Sirens, showcased her clutch performance in Kloten’s shootout victory, and there’s zero doubt behind what she can do from the moment the puck hits the ice. Her pace and finishing skills are evident and no surprise, making this an excellent tune-up before the PWHL season commences. It would be ideal for her to enter her rookie season on the momentum of a strong international showing, and we imagine there will be an element of energy in her game we haven’t seen since World’s.
Tereza Vanišová and Denisa Křížová will represent PWHL Vancouver, and fans of the Pacific Northwest expansion team should keep a close watch on these two players. Vanišová ranked second in PWHL goals last season, while Křížová joined via expansion after winning the Walter Cup with Minnesota. With the league opening from November 21–25, this week provides crucial live-fire timing work before they return to their permanent team roles.
One player we’re always thrilled to watch is Natálie Mlýnková. Montréal’s second-round draft pick, she’ll be sharpening her skills alongside top wingers before her rookie season formally kicks off. Although Montréal has yet to sign any of their draft picks, it is not a cause for concern. Natálie will undoubtedly aim to demonstrate a strong performance before beginning her professional career, perhaps some feistiness going into this one!
A potential gamechange to keep your eye on is none other than Michaela Pejzlová. The forward is in most excellent form with HC Ambrì-Piotta, recently scoring an OT winner at Davos, showcasing the late-game touch needed in tight international matches. Currently sitting in the Top 3 in the Swiss women’s league in pts scored, Michaela is on a roll with no signs of slowing down, potentially making a significant contribution this week.
Elsewhere, Tereza Pištěková is performing well at SDE with 14 points in 16 games, and Vendula Přibylová is up to game speed at MoDo, both players in the SDHL. And one of the youngest and most exciting players, Barbora Juříčková, is excelling in Finland’s AuroraLiiga with 27 points in 15 games for HPK, ranking among the league leaders. If Czechia needs a player to step up, building around her current pace is a sensible strategy.
Highlights from Czechia-Sweden in Kloten, SUI / WEHT Round 1
*NCAA check-ins: Tereza Plosová (Minnesota) has emerged with 4g-1a-5pts in 10 games and frequently appears in Gophers game notes. Anežka Čabelová (BU), who replaces Šapovalivová this week, has scored her first NCAA goal and has featured heavily for BU. For context, Šapovalivová has a record of 5g-7a-12pts in 10 games at Wisconsin.
4) Special teams and “dress-rehearsal” lines
August’s opener highlighted two needs: cleaner exits and more direct entries on the PP against Finland’s pressure. With Mrázová back and Pištěková/Pejzlová/Juříčková in form in their respective leagues, don’t be surprised if Carla MacLeod leans into two balanced scoring units and a mobile first line Power Play. The staff experimented in Kloten; Ängelholm should look closer to “how we’d start in February.”
Opponents snapshot
Finland were perfect in Kloten and remain the pace car, expect their forecheck to test Czechia’s D mobility immediately. Switzerland mixed veterans with bubble players for this stage; they’re openly using November to sort Olympic seats. Sweden at home is always sticky, Czechia edged them in August; expect a quicker Swedish top-six rotation this time.
What success looks like this week
Winning the middle of the ice at 5v5
PP sharpness: more shot volume off the first look; fewer low-percentage seams.
One new goalie start: banking live reps behind Peslarová for depth.
Benchmarks, not box scores: pairing choices and PK rotations that read like what’s realistic in February.
Schedule notes (local adjustments TBD)
Ängelholm’s Lidl Hockey Games run Nov. 5–8 with the Czech opener slated against Switzerland, then Sweden and Finland in some order (finalized Swedish host schedule lists the four-team round robin this week). We’ll post exact puck drops on IG as they’re locked.
