Tomáš Vokoun says no to World Championships

The Czech national men's team continues its tune-up for this year's World Championship in Slovakia, taking on Switzerland in a pair of games in Litvínov on Friday and Saturday.

Tomáš Vokoun won't repeat this act in 2011.

They have added eight NHLers to their roster, but the big news right now is who's not coming. Czech website iSport.cz is reporting that Tomáš Vokoun, the star of last year's gold-medal-winning team, who previously made a verbal commitment to join the team following the end of the NHL season, is now not coming.

"Tomáš Vokoun isn't coming," said coach Alois Hadamczik. "His reason is that he doesn't have a contract and does not know where he will play next season. He has to deal with his family in Florida."

The starting job will now go to either Ondřej Pavelec of the Atlanta Thrashers or Jakub Štěpánek of the KHL's SKA St. Petersburg. "That's the next thing we have to decide. We have a few more days." Jakub Kovář of Mountfield České Budějovice might now stick around as the team's third stringer.


Besides Pavelec, also joining the team will be defencemen Marek Židlický and Radek Martínek, and forwards Patrik Eliáš, Martin Havlát, Milan Michálek and Jakub Voráček. More NHLers might arrive after the first round of the playoffs.

Radek Dvořák, who is suffering from a concussion, will also not join the team.