Czech hockey coach Radim Rulik slams referees after Canada’s loss

Czech Republic Olympic men’s hockey coach Radim Rulik condemned referees for their officiating in Wednesday’s Olympic men’s quarter-finals between his team and Canada.

Speaking out after his team’s 4-3 overtime loss, Rulik said the referees were “afraid to call” penalties against Canada.

“I feel like everybody is afraid to call something against Canada,” Rulik told reporters, according to a translation of his postgame interview.

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“The referees really worry me. What they allow against us is unacceptable,” Rulik added. “After every game we send them two or three clips where they confirm that the opponent should have been penalized. I don’t understand it. I just don’t understand it.”

In the third period, when the Czech Republic’s Martin Nečas was about to break free, Canada’s Devon Toews appeared to hook him in the neutral zone, but no penalty was called.

“I watch two NHL games on replay every single day,” Rulik continued. “The play Necas made today – when his stick was touched on the breakaway – is always a penalty in the NHL. But suddenly not here. I’m really sorry. The boys deserved a top-level performance from the referees.

“They always admit afterwards we were right, but nothing ever changes. We should have had a power play against Canada. But they were scared [David Pastrnak] or Necas would score another power-play goal. And if [Radko] Gudas was penalized, then Doughty should have gone for the hit on Pasta.”

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Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey Olympia Canada – Czech Republic Final Round Quarter Finals Coach Radim Rulik (Czech Republic) follows the action. (Peter Kneffel/image alliance via Getty Images)

Rulik has previously criticized referees for their officiating over his team’s win over Denmark earlier this week.

“We basically played against six players,” he said. “I don’t want to make excuses and nobody has to agree with me, but the video backs me up. In this respect, it’s not a fair tournament. It happened to us even against Denmark. The mix of NHL and European referees has not worked – everyone calls the game differently.”

Canada was embroiled in an Olympic scandal at the Cortina Olympics in Milan when its men’s and women’s curling teams were accused of cheating in events last week.

When Canada beat Sweden 8-6 on Feb. 13. Canadian third Marc Kennedy and Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson got into it after Eriksson accused Kennedy of an illegal procedure called double-touching stones after dropping them at the pig line.

Kennedy yelled, “I haven’t done it once. You can f— off,” to Eriksson.

Kennedy and a team manager later made allegations against the Swedes of improperly filming his delivery.

“This was planned from the very beginning yesterday. From the words that were spoken by their coaches and the way they ran to the officials, it was kind of obvious that something was going on and they were trying to catch us in the act,” Kennedy said.

Curling Canada’s executive director, Nolan Thiessen, told reporters he believes video was shot outside of the strict rules for Olympic filming.

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Canada’s Ben Hebert, Canada’s Brad Jacobs and Canada’s Brett Gallant compete in the men’s curling round robin between Canada and Sweden during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo on February 13, 2026. (Tiziana FABI/AFP)

“I was surprised that there was live video on the pig line outside the OBS rules,” Thiessen said. “It seems strange to me.”

Meanwhile on the women’s side, Canadian curler Rachel Homan had her stone removed after an official ruled she had touched it again after releasing the handle. Homan protested, but according to World Curling rules, there are no official replays and the official’s final call stands.