Preview: Czechia’s New Era Begins Against Finland
Brian Idalski’s first international game will test veteran reliability, young-player readiness and how much of Czechia’s new system can withstand game pressure. After two days on the ice in Kloten, Czechia will open its 2026-27 Women’s Euro Hockey Tour schedule against Finland on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. ET, or 3:30 p.m. local time.
It will be the first international game behind the Czech bench for new head coach Brian Idalski. It is also the first opportunity for his staff to turn several weeks of teaching and evaluation into evidence against an opponent.
“We definitely want to learn and evaluate which veteran players we can still rely on and which younger players are ready to play at this level,” Assistant Head Coach Ivo Mocek told ČWHR on Tuesday. “When it comes to team stuff, we want to see how well they have been receiving and absorbing the new system and the information that comes with it.”
Two other teams in the four-nation field are working with new coaching staffs. Czechia is not alone in beginning the tournament with unanswered questions, although Wednesday will provide the first public look at its own progress.
The 23-player Czech roster contains an established international core led by players such as Klára Peslarová, Aneta Tejralová, Sára Čajanová, Tereza Vanišová, Natálie Mlýnková and Daniela Pejšová. It also includes seven new players: goaltender Aneta Šenková; defenders Ellen Jarábková and Aneta Paroubková; and forwards Anežka Čabelová, Tereza Gildainová, Julie Jebousková and Lucie Šindelářová.
That makes Wednesday an evaluation in two directions. The veterans must demonstrate that they can remain the dependable foundation of the team, while the younger and less-established players must show that their skill translates to senior international pace and pressure. For the younger group, readiness will be measured by puck decisions under pressure, positioning away from the puck, battles along the walls and the response to a difficult shift. Deployment will also be revealing seeing which players receive special-teams work, difficult matchups or meaningful minutes late in the game?
Idalski has identified defensive play and foundational habits as Czechia’s largest area for improvement. He has specifically discussed positioning, physical engagement and the willingness to defend with greater consistency. His stated goal at the July camp was also to evaluate the depth of the player pool across the coming four-year cycle.
Daniela Pejšová has said that elements of the new system were incorporated into every practice, although the team had not yet received the entire playbook. Her comments make Wednesday less a test of a finished product than of how well the first layer of information has been retained. Watch the five-player spacing, support on defensive-zone exits and Czechia’s structure immediately after turnovers. Those situations will reveal more about system absorption than a successful set play in isolation.
Finland brings its own mixture of experience and evaluation candidates. Its roster includes established players such as Jenni Hiirikoski, Nelli Laitinen and Sini Karjalainen on defense, with Susanna Tapani, Petra Nieminen, Jenniina Nylund, Noora Tulus and Viivi Vainikka up front.
There is also recent history between these teams.
Finland defeated Czechia 5-2 in the opening game of last season’s Kloten tournament. Czechia answered at the February Olympics with a 2-0 victory behind goals from Tereza Pištěková and Natálie Mlýnková and a 25-save shutout from Klára Peslarová. All three are back for Wednesday’s game.
The scoreboard will matter Wednesday. For a new staff building toward November’s World Championship and a longer four-year cycle, the important result will be discovering which players have earned the next opportunity.
