The Ducks will be represented by at least three players at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.

There, Lukáš Dostál and Radko Gudas will reprise their roles from their 2024 World Championship triumph for Czechia while prospect Damian Clara will man the net for host nation Italy.

Dostál made an immense leap forward last season for the Ducks, when he routinely saved goals above expected as the team’s most outstanding and most consistent player. Gudas took a step back on the blue line from his superb first season on Katella Ave., but also assumed the role of captain for the first time, continued to deepen his community presence and played through injuries.

Both men participated in Czechia’s gold-medal victory on home soil in the spring of 2024, when Dostál dominated the tournament, including a shutout in the final and another in the quarterfinal round. Gudas contributed to that excellence as part of the Czech defense corps, and the team effort even extended beyond the ice.

“It was a very special moment for our team and for our country as well. We haven’t been able to do that in, I think, 40 years,” Gudas said. “Everybody in the Czech Republic was cheering for us and it got the whole country together rooting for one thing.”

For Dostál, it was a springboard toward a season that established him as an NHL starter and may make him a wealthy man as he negotiates a new contract during his pending restricted free agency. He edged out a pair of more established NHL netminders for the gig in goal last spring.

“Getting the chance, being the youngest, people might have thought I might not be able to handle it, but I really wanted to prove everybody wrong, to show that ‘I’m here, I’m ready,’” Dostál said.

Clara, a 20-year-old prospect goaltender whose journey has taken him from Italy to Austria to Sweden to San Diego, will almost assuredly be the lone North American pro among the Italians.

“I hope I can give my best for the team and give my best for the nation,” Clara said.

With competition opening up beyond the traditional seven or so powers in ice hockey, the Italians hope to join the Swiss, Germans and other rising European sides. While Clara said he felt the program had ground to cover to close the gap on even those up-and-comers, he was enthused at some talent in the pipeline and hoped to be an exemplar within the program.

“I hope I can be a little bit of a role model in that you don’t have to start out big, you just have to go somewhere, try your luck and give it your all,” Clara said. “I know I’m not supposed to be here, given where I came from.”

On Monday, each of the 12 qualifying countries named half a dozen participants, with the bulk of the rosters to be determined ahead of the February games. That could send additional Ducks to Italy. Most notably, new addition Chris Kreider skated for the United States at 4 Nations Face-Off, where promising pivot Leo Carlsson filled a depth role for Sweden.

Could we have a first-time major championship winner crowned at Oakmont Country Club on Father’s Day evening in Western Pennsylvania? That certainly seems possible.

Sam Burns fired a one-under 69 one day after a five-under 65 to claim a 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open. Three other players remained within three shots when closing day wrapped up on Saturday evening.

We’ve got an interesting leaderboard at Oakmont.

Adam Scott is the only player within seven shots of the lead with a major championship. It’s very possible that we could be five-wide or more when we get to the back nine. However, it looks like an aggregate score of under par will win this tournament. The carnage has not necessarily been outrageous.

Buckle in for Sunday at the U.S. Open.

U.S. Open Sunday tee times

7:52 a.m. – Cam Davis
8:03 a.m. – Matthieu Pavon, Jordan Smith
8:14 a.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Harris English
8:25 a.m. – Ryan McCormick, Taylor Pendrith
8:36 a.m. – Johnny Keefer,Michael Kim
8:47 a.m. – James Nicholas, Brian Harman
8:58 a.m. – Philip Barbaree, Jr., Sungjae Im
9:14 a.m. – Niklas Norgaard, Denny McCarthy
9:25 a.m. – Daniel Berger, Tony Finau
9:36 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Andrew Novak
9:47 a.m. – Adam Schenk, Mackenzie Hughes
9:58 a.m. – Justin Hastings (a), Matt Fitzpatrick
10:09 a.m. – Collin Morikawa, Rasmus Højgaard
10:20 a.m. – Ryan Fox, Corey Conners
10:36 a.m. – Patrick Reed, Laurie Canter
10:47 a.m. – Jon Rahm, Tom Kim
10:58 a.m. – Maverick McNealy, Xander Schauffele
11:09 a.m. – Si Woo Kim, Jhonattan Vegas
11:20 a.m. – Aaron Rai, Trevor Cone
11:31 a.m. – Jordan Spieth, J.T. Poston
11:42 a.m. – Brooks Koepka, Thomas Detry
11:58 a.m. – Jason Day, Chris Kirk
12:09 p.m. – Keegan Bradley, Sam Stevens
12:20 p.m. – Matt Wallace, Ryan Gerard
12:31 p.m. – Ben Griffin, Victor Perez
12:42 p.m. – Russell Henley, Emiliano Grillo
12:53 p.m. – Max Greyserman, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
1:04 p.m. – Nick Taylor, Scottie Scheffler
1:20 p.m. – Chris Gotterup, Marc Leishman
1:31 p.m. – Cameron Young, Robert MacIntyre
1:42 p.m. – Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Thriston Lawrence
1:53 p.m. – Tyrrell Hatton, Carlos Ortiz
2:04 p.m. – Viktor Hovland, J.J. Spaun
2:15 p.m. – Adam Scott, Sam Burns

Overview

Located five miles from downtown Boston, Tufts University is a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the highly-competitive New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Tufts students participate in 30 varsity sports, 20 club sports and a number of intramural sports. Tufts Athletics has won thirteen NCAA team championships since 2010 and has finished in the top 10 of the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup in each of the last 10 years, including winning the Director’s Cup in 2021-2022 as the top Division III Athletic Department in the nation. Tufts Athletics oversees the Physical Education Department and manages all athletics facilities, including the Steve Tisch Sports & Fitness Center which opened in 2012. The Department of Athletics provides student-athletes a dynamic, transformational experience on and off the field. They experience the joy of personal growth inherent in high level competition, while cultivating lifelong connections with teammates, the Tufts community and the world around us

What You’ll Do

Assists the Head Coach in all aspects of running an NCAA Division III men’s ice hockey program by educating and coaching student-athletes, recruiting highly selective prospective student-athletes, developing and implementing practice sessions and game strategies, and supporting student-athletes in their personal, academic and athletic growths and development at Tufts.

Essential Functions:

– Educate and coach student athletes

– Practice organization

– Assist in running clinics and other fundraising efforts

– Recruiting highly selective prospective student-athletes

– Secondary assignment assigned by director of athletics

Additional Information

The department’s budgeted salary is targeting the low to mid-point of the salary range.

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree and prior coaching experience;
  Strong leadership, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to develop and relate to student-athletes in an extremely competitive academic environment;
• Dedication to the full academic, athletic and social development of student-athletes;
• Commitment to gender equity, rules compliance, diversity and inclusion and the mission of Tufts University; and
• Valid US driver’s license and ability to travel.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience coaching defensive line or defensive backs
• Prior experience coaching at the collegiate level
• Prior competitive playing experience

About Tufts University

Located five miles from downtown Boston, Tufts University is a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the highly-competitive New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Tufts students participate in 30 varsity sports, 20 club sports and a number of intramural sports. Tufts Athletics has won eleven NCAA team championships since 2010 and has finished in the top 10 of the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup in each of the last eight years, including winning the Director’s Cup in 2021-2022 as the top Division III Athletic Department in the nation. Tufts Athletics oversees the Physical Education Department and manages all athletics facilities, including the Steve Tisch Sports & Fitness Center which opened in 2012. The Department of Athletics provides student-athletes a dynamic, transformational experience on and off the field. They experience the joy of personal growth inherent in high level competition, while cultivating lifelong connections with teammates, the Tufts community and the world around us.

Connections working at Tufts University