Czech Republic beats France at the 2010 Ice Hockey World Championship

The Czech national team began the 2010 Ice Hockey World Championship in Germany as expected, with a victory over France. The French side was easily brought back down to earth, losing 6–2 (2–0, 2–0, 2–2) in a match that was never in doubt.

Coach Vladimir Ruzicka’s Czech team impressed with a commanding performance against France, led by Czech superstar Jaromir Jagr. In an ideal opening match, the eleven-time world champions from the Czech Republic comfortably beat underdogs France 6–2 (2–0, 2–0, 2–2) on Sunday afternoon in front of 3,132 delighted fans in Mannheim. The Czech Republic, which had been knocked out in the quarter-finals at the Olympic Games in Vancouver, was never in serious danger of losing its match against France.

Date: 30/09/2026

The 38-year-old superstar Jaromir Jagr, who spent 17 years earning his living in the NHL in the United States, is currently under contract with Avangard Omsk in Russia. Jagr was in outstanding form against France, repeatedly setting up his teammates with superb passes and excellent vision, including for Petr Hubacek’s goal for 1–0 in the first minute and Miroslav Blatak’s goal for 6–2 in the 60th minute. The other goals in the clear opening win over France at the 2010 Ice Hockey World Championship came from Jiri Novotny (12th minute), Petr Gregoriak (24th), Karel Rachunek (26th) and Lukas Kaspar (47th). France’s two goals were scored by Yorick Treille in the 47th minute and Laurent Meunier in the 49th. The Czech Republic thus made an emphatic statement of its title ambitions in its very first match at the 2010 Ice Hockey World Championship in Germany.

Christian Bathen