Czechia Survive Scare, China Dominate Para Ice Hockey – Milano Cortina 2026 Day 1
MILAN, Italy – The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games opened Saturday with a compelling day of Para ice hockey action at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Two games provided a glimpse of the competitive intensity to come, with Czechia narrowly defeating Japan 3-2 and China dominating Germany 12-0.
The Czech Republic, bronze medalists at the most recent World Championships, found themselves in a surprisingly tight contest against Japan. Despite controlling possession and outshooting their opponents, they needed a late goal to secure the victory. Japanese goaltender Wataru Horie proved to be a significant obstacle, stopping 27 of 30 shots fired his way. Itsuki Ito consistently threatened the Czech defense in transition, showcasing Japan’s offensive capabilities.
“We had some expectations of how the game should go and it didn’t, so we’re a little disappointed that we didn’t score a little more and that the game was so close,” said Czech head coach Jakub Novotny. “Japan did a great job defending and being as accurate in their shots as they were. But we were the better team and, luckily, we scored one more goal, and that’s what we took away.”
Japan drew first blood, capitalizing on an early opportunity. At , with 8:46 remaining in the opening period, Kazuyoshi Nittsu scored the game’s first goal, assisted by Shosei Utai after a setup from Itsuki Ito. The Czechs responded swiftly, hitting the post shortly after before captain Radek Zelinka leveled the score at 6:06, with Zdenek Habl providing the assist. Zelinka continued to be a driving force, setting up Michal Geier to give Czechia a 2-1 lead with 3:56 left in the first period.
The second period saw Japan equalize once more. Ito, exploiting a fast break initiated by Masahiro Matsushita, skillfully maneuvered the puck under his sled and beat Czech goalie Patrik Sedlacek at 9:51. However, Czechia regained the lead on a power play. Lukas Kapko’s pass to Geier deflected off Horie and fell back into the path of Kapko, who slotted it into the open net for a 3-2 advantage.
Despite a flurry of eight shots on goal in the third period, the Czechs were unable to extend their lead, largely due to Horie’s continued stellar performance. The narrow 3-2 victory underscored the competitive nature of the tournament and the challenges Czechia will face as they aim for a medal in Milan.
In the day’s second match, China delivered a dominant performance, overwhelming Germany with a final score of 12-0. The Beijing 2022 bronze medalists demonstrated their intent to contend for a top-three finish at Milano Cortina 2026.
China’s captain, Zhidong Wang, who scored two goals in the game, expressed his ambition. “I hope I can score a goal in every game,” Wang said. “I am very excited and happy because the game went very well. We want to stay calm in the next games and see how the other strong teams will behave. We worked collaboratively and did everything the coach asked of us.”
Wang opened the scoring at 6:16, finishing a play involving Yifeng Shen and Zhanfu Zhu. He doubled the lead less than three minutes later, again assisted by Shen. Dianpeng Qiu and Jintao Tian added to the onslaught, giving China a commanding 5-0 lead after the first period. Qiu continued his impressive form in the second period, scoring twice more to complete a hat trick, while Hongyu Chen extended the lead to 8-0.
The third period saw Wenxu Liu and Tian each score twice, solidifying China’s resounding victory. Wang, Shen, Zhu, and Zhi Lyu all finished the match with four points each. Yanzhao Ji recorded a clean sheet for China, stopping all five shots he faced, while German goalkeeper Simon Kunst made 24 saves.
German captain Malte Brelage acknowledged the team’s need for improvement. “Against teams like the United States, China, these guys, we need to protect our home, play more defensively; these are the things we need to focus on more for the next games,” Brelage stated. “Being further back, securing the goal and all that. We have to be faster and feel safer at home. Those are the two things we have to focus on.”
Akari Fukunishi, the only female player participating in these Games, was listed as a substitute for Japan but did not see ice time on Saturday.
The opening day concluded with anticipation for the upcoming matches between the United States and Italy, and Canada and Slovakia. The complete schedule and results for the Paralympic Para ice hockey tournament can be found here.