The Czech national team was formed following the breakup of
Czechoslovakia, as the country was split into the
Czech Republic and
Slovakia. The Czech Republic was recognized as the successor to Czechoslovakia and retained in the highest pool (A), while Slovakia was required to start international play in pool C.
See also Post-Cold War period of the IIHF world championships. The Czechs won the gold medal at the
1998 Winter Olympics. In 2024, the team was recognized with the
IIHF Milestone Award, given by the
International Ice Hockey Federation to a team that made a significant contribution to the development of international hockey. The 1998 Olympic hockey tournament was also the first the include
National Hockey League players. In the next three years, the team did not get a medal at the world championships—not even home at the
2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships held in
Prague and
Ostrava, thus keeping the "world championship home ice curse" alive. The following year, however, the Czechs won gold at
the 2005 tournament, the only world championship where, due to the
2004–05 NHL lockout,
all NHL players were available to participate. At the
2006 Winter Olympics, the Czechs won a bronze medal, defeating
Russia 3–0 (
roster) in the bronze medal game. At the
2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships, the Czechs earned silver, falling to
Sweden in the final, the only time the Czechs have lost the final game of the tournament. The Czech Republic won the
2010 World Championships in Germany. For the first time in history, the Czech Republic did not qualify for the quarterfinals at the
2022 Winter Olympics and finished in ninth place, their lowest placement in history. However, they won a bronze medal at the
2022 IIHF World Championship later the same year, ending its longest medal drought in IIHF tournaments history, which had lasted since 2012. In 2023, the Czech Republic finished in eighth place at the World Championship, which is the worst placement in history. At the
2024 IIHF World Championship, they ended their 14-year gold drought after winning it for the first time since 2010, also as hosts. ==Tournament record==