Michal Kempny now has a Stanley Cup Final and Winter Olympics goal to his name.
The 35-year-old defender struck for Czechia in the first period to put his nation up 2-0, blasting home a shot from the point at 13:04 past France goaltender Martin Nekar.
Czechia would quickly cede the lead though to the underdog French in the second period. France, shut out 4-0 by Switzerland to start their tournament, gave the Czechs an upset scare, taking a 3-2 lead, but ultimately fell 6-3 in regulation.
Kempny played 18:15 of ice time in the win, second-most among all Czech defensemen. In addition to his goal, he added an assist on a David Pastrnak tally while recording a plus-2 rating and three shots on goal.
The former Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks blueliner is playing his first season in the SHL with Brynäs IF, where he is teammates again with several former Caps, including franchise legend Nicklas Backstrom. In 31 games this year, Kempny has recorded 13 points (6g, 7a).
Kempny’s NHL career came to an end after the 2021-22 season, where he played 15 games with the Capitals. He attempted to restart in the league with the Seattle Kraken during the 2022-23 campaign but never made it out of the AHL and eventually left midseason to play for HC Sparta Praha in his native Czechia.
Kempny’s last big goal on hockey’s biggest stage came during Game 4 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, where he fired a one-timer past Marc-Andre Fleury. The Capitals would win the series in Game 5, lifting their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
The Czechs will be back in action for their final game in Group A play against Switzerland on Sunday.
