When the Czech Republic won the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics, the first in which NHL players were made eligible, it had one of the biggest big-game goaltenders in Dominik Hasek. Last week, the Czech Ice Hockey Association opened the door for Hasek and several teammates to recapture that old golden magic.

The Czechs announced a list of 60 candidates for the 2010 Games in Vancouver. On it are Hasek and six members from the gold-medal winning team of 11 years ago -- Roman Hamrlik, Jaroslav Spacek, Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka, Martin Rucinsky, and Milan Hejduk.

Should Hasek make the squad, he would be 45 when the Olympic tournament begins in February. It would be his fifth Olympic appearance, following 1988 (Calgary), 2002 (Salt Lake City) and 2006 (Torino). This season Hasek is playing for his hometown team of HC Moeller in Pardubice in the Czech Republic Extraliga.

Though Hasek was the biggest surprise, Jagr's name carries the most star power on the list. He is the ninth-leading scorer in NHL history with 1,599 points, and tops among all European-born-and-trained skaters. He last played in the NHL in 2007-08 with the New York Rangers and currently plays for Avangard Omsk in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League.

The candidate list is long on experience.

Twenty were part of the Czech Republic entry four years ago in Torino, and 14 skated in 2002 in Salt Lake City. The 2006 squad defeated Russia for the bronze medal, the 10th time the country has medaled in 20 Olympic appearances dating back to 1920 as Czechoslovakia.

The list of players was announced by head coach Vladimir Ruzicka, the captain of the 1998 gold medal-winning team, and assistants Josef Jandac and Andrew Weissmann. Former NHL players Petr Svoboda and Petr Klima will act as consultants to Ruzicka.

A surprising omission was Robert Lang, the captain of the 2006 team who is currently playing for the Phoenix Coyotes. David Vyborny, Jakub Voracek, Petr Prucha and Pavel Brendl were also left off the long list.

Thirty-two players on the candidate list are active in the NHL. Another 13 each come from the top leagues in the Czech Republic and Russia, and two are playing in Sweden.

"The Olympics is played in Canada on the narrower rink. I cannot say how the final roster will look. If it will have four, seven or even eight hockey players from Europe. It depends on further developments," Ruzicka said in a statement on the Czech Ice Hockey Association Web site translated to English. "First, we made a wider nomination list. Now we will watch how the players will go."

Of the 60 candidates, only two have never had national team experience -- goaltenders Ondrej Pavelec of the Atlanta Thrashers and former St. Louis Blues prospect Marek Schwarz.

A report on the Czech Ice Hockey Association Web site stated that the official roster would be revealed on Jan. 18, though the 23-man roster must be turned in to the International Ice Hockey Federation before the end of December.

The Czech Republic is sixth in the IIHF's 2009 world rankings.

2010 Czech Republic Olympic team candidates

Goalkeepers (8): Tomas Vokoun (Florida), Alexander Salak (Florida), Dominik Hasek (Pardubice), Miroslav Kopriva (Kladno), Lukas Mensator (Karlovy Vary), Marek Schwarz (Mlada Boleslav), Jakub Stepanek (Vitkovice Ostrava), Ondrej Pavelec (Atlanta)

Defensemen (19): Roman Hamrlik (Montreal), Jaroslav Spacek (Montreal), Michal Barinka (Vitkovice), Frantisek Kaberle (Kladno), Ondrej Nemec (Karlovy Vary), Petr Caslava (Timra), Miroslav Blatak (Ufa), Karel Rachunek (Dynamo Moscow), Jan Hejda (Columbus), Tomas Kaberle (Toronto), Lukas Krajicek (Tampa Bay), Filip Kuba (Ottawa), Pavel Kubina (Atlanta), Radek Martinek (NY Islanders), Zbynek Michalek (Phoenix), Roman Polak (St. Louis), Michal Rozsival (NY Rangers), Marek Zidlicky (Minnesota), Martin Skoula (Pittsburgh)

Forwards (33): Radek Dvorak (Florida), Michael Frolik (Florida), Rostislav Olesz (Florida), Marek Kvapil (Vitkovice), Petr Hubacek (Vitkovice), Jaromir Jagr (Omsk), Jakub Klepis (Omsk), Jan Marek (Magnitogorsk), Tomas Rolinek (Magnitogorsk), Jan Bulis (Mytischi), Jiri Novotny (Mytishchi), Zbynek Irgl (Yaroslavl), Josef Vasicek (Yaroslavl), Ales Kotalik (NY Rangers), Vaclav Prospal (NY Rangers), Roman Cervenka (Slavia Prague), Martin Rucinsky (Sparta Prague), Martin Straka (Plzen), Jaroslav Hlinka (Linkoping), Jaroslav Bednar (Nizhny Novgorod), Petr Cajanek (St. Petersburg), Jiri Hudler (Dynamo Moscow), Patrik Elias (New Jersey), Martin Erat (Nashville), Tomas Fleischmann (Washington), Martin Hanzal (Phoenix), Martin Havlat (Minnesota), Milan Hejduk (Colorado), Ales Hemsky (Edmonton), David Krejci (Boston), Milan Michalek (San Jose), Tomas Plekanec (Montreal), Petr Sykora (Minnesota)

Contact Rocky Bonanno at rbonanno@nhl.com