PRAGUE – The Czech Ice Hockey Association named 26 players who will travel to Switzerland for the 2009 IIHF World Championship.

National hero Jaromir Jagr will play for the first time since the 2006 Olympics in Turin for the Czech national team and is one of the stars on the team coached by former world champion Vladimir Ruzicka.

The team also includes five NHL players with defenceman Marek Zidlicky and forwards Michael Frolik, Ales Hemsky, Ales Kotalik and Rostislav Olesz. Nine players come each from the Czech Extraliga and from the Russian KHL.

Czech national team as of April 20

Goalkeepers: Lukas Mensator (Karlovy Vary), Martin Prusek (Dinamo Riga, KHL), Jakub Stepanek (Vitkovice).

Defencemen: Michal Barinka, Angel Krstev (both Vitkovice), Miroslav Blatak (Salavat Yulayev Ufa, KHL), Petr Caslava (Pardubice), Zdenek Kutlak (Ambrì-Piotta, SUI), Ondrej Nemec (Karlovy Vary), Karel Rachunek (Dynamo Moscow, KHL), Vladimir Sicak (Ceske Budejovice), Marek Zidlicky (Minnesota, NHL).

Forwards: Petr Cajanek (Dynamo Moscow, KHL), Roman Cervenka (Slavia Prague), Michael Frolik, Rostislav Olesz (both Florida Panthers, NHL), Ales Hemsky, Ales Kotalik (both Edmonton Oilers, NHL), Jaroslav Hlinka (Linköping, SWE), Marek Kvapil (Vitkovice), Zbynek Irgl, Josef Vasicek (both Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL), Jaromir Jagr, Jakub Klepis (both Avangard Omsk, KHL), Jan Marek, Tomas Rolinek (both Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL).