Czech captain apologizes mid-game for devastating hit on Canadian hockey player
Even at the highest level of competition, there’s room to show humanity.
That’s what appeared to happen during a game between Canada and Czechia during the round robin play in women’s ice hockey on Monday.
During the first intermission, Canadian forward Sarah Fillier was about to do an interview with journalist Jackie Redmond.
Right before the interview, Czechia captain Aneta Tejralova interjected to apologize to Fillier.
Redmond originally thought the apology may have been on behalf of Tejralova’s teammate, Kristyna Kaltounkova. During the first period, Kaltounkova levelled Canadian star Marie-Philip Poulin with a hard hit.
After a big hit on the ice, Marie-Philip Poulin will not be returning back to the ice for the remainder of the game against Czechia pic.twitter.com/c3TgsOcaqM
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 9, 2026
The bodycheck left Poulin in a lot of pain. She later exited the game and did not return. Canada won the game 5-1.
Poulin was later ruled out of Canada’s game against the United States on Tuesday.
While that was one theory behind the impromptu apology, it appears to have been for something unrelated.
Earlier in the PWHL season, Tejralova, who plays for the Seattle Torrent, rocked Fillier of the New York Sirens with a devastating, open-ice hit.
Seattle Torrent defender Aneta Tejralova assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for this MASSIVE hit on New York Sirens star Sarah Fillier
A reminder that opposite direction, open-ice hits are still illegal in the PWHL
h/t @RobertTiffin pic.twitter.com/0nWOi2xphf
— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) December 28, 2025
Such hits are outlawed in the PWHL, and Tejralova was handed a two-game suspension.
Fillier avoided injury and actually returned to play for the following power play.
That seems to have prompted the apology from Tejralova.
Hey @grok , why this apology?
— Sumant (@IntradayTrade11) February 10, 2026
While part of the audio is unclear, Terjralova was heard saying, “I didn’t mean it, sorry. Are you okay?”
“Oh, no, no, you’re good, no worries,” Fillier responded.
“Good luck the rest of the way,” she said.
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If that doesn’t embody the Canadian Olympic spirit, I’m not sure what does.
The Georgetown, Ontario, native has two goals and three assists in the early going during Olympic action. Fillier was a member of the Canadian team that took home gold at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.