Former Red Wings Ready to Lead Czechs at Worlds

At one time they were thought of as big parts of the Detroit Red Wings future. Soon, their homeland will be looking to them to fill leading roles at the IIHF World Championship.

It’s a challenge that Filip Zadina is embracing excitedly.

“Last year I wasn’t completely healthy, so it was even harder,” Zadina said. The former Red Wings forward was unable to play in the Worlds as the Czechs won the title on home ice. He hasn’t played in the worlds since 2021.

That’s leaving him even more hungry to play a significant role in this year’s tournament.

🤝 𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒃𝒐 @HCD_offiziell #SpenglerCup #Est1923 #ThePeakOfHockey pic.twitter.com/7aa9wGsh2g

— Spengler Cup Davos (@spenglercup) December 26, 2024

“We’ll see how it goes now, but so far I feel good,” Zadina told Czech website iSport. In a 2-1 pre-tournament win over rivals Slovakia, Zadina scored one of the Czech goals.

There’s speculation that he’ll be used on the country’s top forward line alongside David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins, should Pastrnak make the decision to join the squad.

“If he came, it would be a huge plus for the Czech nation,” Zadina said.

In his first season with Davos of the Swiss National League, Zadina enjoyed a strong campaign. He was third on the club in goals (21) and points (34) despite missing nine games through injury. He’d add another nine points in 10 playoff games.

Former Red Wings Rearguard Also Playing

Among the NHLers already joining the club is former Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek of the Vancouver Canucks. He’ll be playing in his fifth worlds, but his first since 2022.

Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek, a member of last year’s gold medal winner, isn’t part of this year’s squad.

Na české soupisce pro Czech Hockey Games je šest nových jmen. 🇨🇿

➕ Karel Vejmelka, Daniel Vladař, Filip Hronek, David Špaček, Jakub Lauko a Daniel Gazda
➖ Šimon Zajíček, Ondřej Kacetl, Tomáš Cibulka, Marian Adámek, Jakub Galvas a Daniel Kurovský

Vstupenky nakupujte zde 👉… pic.twitter.com/oh2TgpZzNd

— Český hokej (@czehockey) April 25, 2025

Another familiar name on the roster is that of Hradec Kralove forward Kevin Klima. He’s the son of Petr Klima, a three-time 30-goal scorer for the Red Wings.

The younger Klima is among 14 players from the Czech Extraliga on the country’s roster. Zadina believes his home country’s pro loop is much stronger than it was when he last played in the league during the 2020-21 season.

“I think that the Czech and Slovak teams are improving in connection with the current situation with the KHL,” Zadina noted. “Players are returning home, the quality has improved and the young players see it.

“Then they get a chance in the national team and they are in good shape physically and speed-wise.”