International Ice Hockey Federation

Ruzicka for Gulas

Ruzicka for Gulas

Czech late athlete replacement due to injury

Published 15.08.2018 16:15 GMT+11 | Author Martin Merk
Ruzicka for Gulas
Czech forward Martin Ruzicka with the World Championship trophy in 2010. Photo: Matthew Manor / HHOF-IIHF Images
Czech national team forward Milan Gulas suffered a knee injury in yesterday’s exhibition game against Finland and will be replaced by Martin Ruzicka.

The Czech Ice Hockey Association informed today that the knee injury Gulas suffered in the exhibition game is more serious than assumed at first and will prevent him from participating in the Olympic Winter Games. He will be sidelined several weeks.

Gulas is the scoring leader of the Czech Extraliga and had never played in a major international tournament. He was a final cut before two World Championships and now misses the Olympics after injuring his ligaments in the third period of the last exhibition game.

The Czechs applied for a late-athlete replacement that was approved by the IIHF.

32-year-old veteran Ruzicka will travel today and join the team in Korea tomorrow. The Ocelari Trinec forward has previously played in two IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships winning gold in 2010 and will for the first time participate in the Olympics.

He’s the scoring leader of his team and the second-best goal scorer of the league with 28 goals and 53 points from 46 games.

 

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