Jan Mysak named captain of Czech Republic WJC squad

MONTREAL – Jan Mysak is the third Canadiens prospect to be officially named to a roster for the 2021 World Junior Championship – and the first to rep his homeland with a “C” this holiday season.

The Czech Republic announced its leadership trio on Tuesday, and Mysak will captain his 24 countrymen who will compete in Edmonton alongside assistants Adam Najman and Radek Kučeřík.

A native of Litvinov, Czech Republic, Mysak will be making his second appearance at the tournament. He played five games for the host country in 2020, recording one goal, one assist, and an even differential.

Mysak has played 11 games on loan for HC Litvinov in the Czech Extraliga this season, registering one assist. Over three seasons with Litvinov, he’s played 68 games, putting up eight goals for 17 points. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound centerman also played 22 games for the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs in 2019-20, notching 15 goals for 25 points.

The 18-year-old was the Canadiens’ second-round pick (48th overall) at the 2020 NHL Draft. The other two Montreal prospects taking part in the 2021 edition of the tournament are Kaiden Guhle (Canada) and Cole Caufield (United States).

With the Czech team having traveled to Edmonton prior to their final roster announcement, Mysak and his teammates are already following bubble protocols and making preparations ahead of their first game of the World Juniors. The annual tournament gets underway on December 25 and will run until January 5.

Photo courtesy of Brandon Taylor/ProAm Images