Czechia hockey coach says referees are 'afraid to call anything against Canada' after Olympic loss

Czechia Olympic men's hockey manager Radim Rulik condemned referees for their officiating of Wednesday’s Olympic men’s quarterfinals betwixt his squad and Canada.

Rulik spoke retired aft his team's 4-3 overtime loss, saying the refs were "afraid to call" immoderate penalties against Canada. 

"I consciousness similar everyone is acrophobic to telephone thing against Canada," Rulik told reporters, according to a translation of his postgame interview.

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Sidney Crosby, Tomas Hertl during the Men's Playoffs Quarterfinal lucifer betwixt Canada and Chechia connected time 12 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 18, 2026 successful Milan, Italy.  (Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"The referees truly interest me. What they’re allowing against america is unacceptable," Rulik added. "After each game, we nonstop them 2 oregon 3 clips wherever they corroborate that the hostile should person been penalized. I don’t recognize it. I conscionable don’t get it."

During the 3rd play erstwhile Czechia's Martin Nečas was astir to spell connected a breakaway, Canada's Devon Toews appeared to hook him successful the neutral zone, but nary punishment was called. 

"I ticker 2 NHL games connected replay each azygous day,"  Rulik continued. "The play Necas made contiguous — erstwhile his instrumentality was touched connected the breakaway — is ever a punishment successful the NHL. But suddenly, not here. I’m truly atrocious astir it. The guys deserved a top-level show from the referees. 

"They ever admit afterward that we were right, but thing ever changes. We should person had powerfulness plays against Canada. But they were acrophobic [David Pastrnak] oregon Necas would people different power-play goal. And if [Radko] Gudas was penalized, past Doughty should person been excessively for the deed connected Pasta."

CANADA FACES NEW CHEATING ALLEGATIONS AT MILAN CORTINA AS OLYMPIC CURLING CONTROVERSY GROWS

Olympic Winter Games Milan Cortina 2026, crystal hockey, Olympia, Canada - Czech Republic, last round, quarter-finals, manager Radim Rulik (Czech Republic) follows the action.  (Peter Kneffel/picture confederation via Getty Images)

Rulik antecedently criticized referees for their officiating of his team's triumph implicit Denmark earlier this week.

"We were fundamentally playing against six players," helium said. "I don’t privation to marque excuses, and nary 1 has to hold with me, but the video backs maine up. In this respect, it’s not a just tournament. It was happening to america adjacent against Denmark. The premix of NHL and European referees hasn’t worked — everyone calls the crippled differently."

Canada was embroiled successful an Olympic ungraded successful the Milan Cortina Olympics erstwhile its men's and women's curling teams were accused of cheating successful events past week.

When Canada bushed Sweden 8-6 connected Feb. 13, Canadian 3rd Marc Kennedy and Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson got into it aft Eriksson accused Kennedy of an amerciable process called double-touching stones aft releasing them astatine the hog line.

Kennedy shouted, "I haven’t done it once. You tin f--- off," astatine Eriksson.

Kennedy and a squad enforcement aboriginal leveled allegations against the Swedes of improperly filming his delivery. 

"This was planned, close from the connection spell yesterday. From the words that were being said by their coaches and the mode they were moving to the officials, it was benignant of evident that thing was going on, and they were trying to drawback america successful an act," Kennedy said.

Curling Canada CEO Nolan Thiessen told reporters helium thinks video was changeable extracurricular of the strict rules for Olympic filming.

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Canada's Ben Hebert, Canada's Brad Jacobs and Canada's Brett Gallant vie successful the curling men's circular robin betwixt Canada and Sweden during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium successful Cortina d’Ampezzo connected Feb. 13, 2026.  (Tiziana FABI / AFP)

"I was amazed that determination was a unrecorded video connected the hog enactment extracurricular of OBS rules," Thiessen said. "That seems unusual to me."

Meanwhile connected the women's side, Canadian curler Rachel Homan had her chromatic removed aft an authoritative ruled that she had touched it again aft releasing the handle. Homan protested, but, according to World Curling’s rules, determination are nary authoritative replays, and the official’s last telephone stands. 

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