2026 Olympic men’s hockey team preview: Slovakia

Feb 9, 2026, 10:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 6, 2026, 13:57 EST

2026 Olympic men’s hockey team preview: Slovakia

Credit: George Walker IV-USA TODAY Sports

Slovakia first competed as an independent country at the 1994 Winter Games and finished in the top six three times in its first five attempts. But after a pair of 11th-place finishes in 2014 and 2018, hopes were not too high heading into China.

And then, everything came together. The Slovaks managed to pull off a shocking third-place finish, proving that, sometimes, hard work can beat skill. Having a red-hot Juraj Slafkovský didn’t hurt, either.

But with NHLers back in the fray, Slovakia’s road back to the final four looks much more difficult. They lack the true depth that made their 2010 team – the one that nearly won bronze – so dangerous. There aren’t many active NHLers anymore from Slovakia as the country finds itself in a difficult spot.

Finding that magic from four years ago might be a challenge – but Slovakia is ready for it.

LOOKING BACK TO 2022

Slovakia got off to a difficult start four years ago. They went 1-2 in the round-robin, getting stomped on by Finland and Sweden before eventually beating Latvia 5-2 in the final game. That helped the Slovaks finish eighth in the group stage and face the ninth-seeded Germans. Slovakia really found its form then, winning 4-0 in a dominant effort. They then beat the United States 3-2 in the quarterfinal, needing a shootout to pull off the upset. The Slovaks would lose again to the Finns, but would then get revenge on Sweden with a 4-0 shutout victory to win bronze – their best result ever.

It was a moment nobody will soon forget. Sure, the exclusion of NHLers helped Slovakia, but it proved that they could band together to pull off a miracle run. Interestingly enough, Slovakia wasn’t high enough in the IIHF standings to automatically advance to the 2026 tournament and needed a qualification-round victory in 2024 to help start the bronze medal defense run in Italy.

OFFENSE

The golden era of Slovak hockey, headlined by the likes of Marián Gáborík, Marián Hossa, and Pavol Demitra, is a fond but distant memory at this point. Today, the nation’s offensive hopes rest largely on just one guy: Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovský.

As Slovakia’s lone active top-six NHLer, the pressure is immense. But the 6-foot-3 winger has risen to the occasion this season. Currently in the midst of a breakout season with 45 points, Slafkovský is on pace for a 30-goal, 65-point campaign. While a public rift with the Slovak federation was evident last year, it’ll be good to see Slafkovský back in his nation’s colors. If Slafkovský can replicate his 2022 Olympic MVP form, he’ll be the undisputed engine of this team.

But the depth behind him leaves so much to be desired. Former NHL forward Adam Ružička will likely serve as the No. 1 center. Off-ice concerns cut his NHL career short in 2023-24, but he has been quite productive through two years in the KHL. Look for 35-year-old Tomáš Tatar, who has 927 games of NHL experience to his credit, to also play on the first line, although his best days are well, well behind him. It’s not going to be a sexy top unit, but there’s plenty of NHL experience to choose from – not to mention a ton of size out of Slafkovský and Ružička (less so out of Tatar).

The youngest forward on the team is 20-year-old Dalibor Dvorský. He doesn’t have a ton of top-level national team experience, but he played 21 World Juniors games over four years. Dvorský has primarily played in St. Louis this year and has continued to grow his confidence as the season has worn on. He’ll undoubtedly be Slovakia’s No. 1 center in four years.

Injuries have limited Martin Pospíšil to just nine games this season between the NHL and AHL. But when he’s healthy, he’s an absolute menace who outworks everyone and rarely loses a physical battle. Pospíšil was injured during the 2024 World Championship, but he had been the team’s best player before that.

Pavol Regenda, a 6-foot-4 forward with the San Jose Sharks, has been on an absolute tear as of late, averaging half a goal per game through 16 outings. If he can stay hot, watch out. Oliver Okuliar is the only other player with an NHL affiliation, as Florida owns his rights. The 6-foot-2 forward has had a solid year in the SHL and has been one of Slovakia’s best forwards internationally over the past two years. Look for him to earn a spot in the top six.

It’s been a long time since Peter Cehlárik played in the NHL with Boston. But since then, he has been one of Slovakia’s most consistent producers, including at the 2022 Olympics. He’s a near shoo-in to challenge for a top-six spot. Other players with the potential to make some noise at this tournament include Matúš Sukeľ, who has nine points in five games with Slovakia, and national team veteran Libor Hudáček, who plays with speed, physicality and an excellent shot.

DEFENSE

The Slovaks will have three NHL defensemen at their disposal – Simon Nemec (New Jersey), Erik Černák (Tampa Bay), and Martin Fehérváry (Washington). Funny enough, Nemec is the Olympic veteran of the group, despite being just 21. Nemec made a good impression in a more limited role at the 2022 Olympics, in what was an extremely jam-packed international hockey season for him. He has had his ups and downs during his pro career, but Nemec will be one of Slovakia’s key offensive defenders.

On the veteran front, Černák missed significant time with a hand injury this season and hasn’t produced a lot on the scoresheet. But he’ll be an absolute force physically for Slovakia, logging a ton of minutes while shutting down opponents. Slovak fans still talk fondly about his play at the 2019 World Championship – they know how effective he can be. Fehérváry, meanwhile, is an all-around defender who likes to hit, move the puck and can handle difficult defensive matchups with ease. He’s also tracking for the best offensive production of his NHL career, so the timing of this event is perfect.

One defenseman who might be familiar to NHL fans is Martin Marinčin. He was more of a depth guy during his seven-year tenure. But four years ago, Marinčin was vital to the team’s success. He hasn’t played much international hockey since then, but has spent the past few years using his frame to intimidate opponents in the top Czech league. The same goes for former New York Rangers prospect Peter Čerešňák. He takes up a ton of space at 6-foot-3 while still being quite mobile. You might remember his huge performance back in China four years ago – he had five assists in his best national team performance to date.

The rest of Slovakia’s blueline will focus on strong defensive-zone play. Patrik Koch played in the NHL just two years ago, and while his experience was brief, he earned the opportunity because of multiple years of strong play with the men’s national team. Michal Ivan has a bit more offensive skill, but he isn’t afraid to get rugged, either. And then there’s Martin Gernat, who, at 6-foot-4, plays a strong physical game while also being excellent with the puck.

While the Slovaks lack a true minute-munching, offensive weapon from the point, they make up for it with size. There isn’t a single blueliner on this team under 6-foot-1, and there are more 6-foot-4 defenders than any other size. Look for them to be a nuisance to get around.

GOALTENDING

Slovakia had two active NHL goaltenders back in 2010 and 2014: Jaroslav Halak and Peter Budaj. Now, they have zero, so if you think Canadian goaltending has taken a step back, just look to Slovakia.

Minnesota Wild third-stringer Samuel Hlavaj is expected to hold down the fort this time around. Hlavaj had a solid first year in North America last season but has had a more difficult 2025-26 campaign. But that’s to be expected – Iowa simply isn’t a good team. That said, Hlavaj has proven time and time again that he can steal games for the Slovaks, including his tremendous run at the Olympic qualifiers. Hlavaj shouldn’t have any issue securing the crease in Italy.

As for the backup, 30-year-old Stanislav Škorvánek has plenty of national team experience over the past few years, including a strong showing at the 2023 World Championship when he allowed just five goals in four games. He has been outstanding in the top Czech league this year, with eight of his 24 wins being shutouts. If things go south for Škorvánek, he’s fully capable of holding down the fort.

The fun pick on this team is Adam Gajan, the Chicago Blackhawks prospect who stole the show at the 2023 World Juniors. He was one of the hottest goalies in college hockey to start the season, and while his numbers have cooled off (he enters the Olympics riding a five-game losing streak), he does have a bright future in net. Gajan will have a realistic chance at being the No. 1 in 2030, but he’ll just be along for the ride in Italy.

COACHING

After serving as an assistant coach in 2014 and 2022, Vladimír Országh is back – but this time, he’s the leading man. The former NHL forward never made the Olympics as a player, but did play in five World Championships and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Former coach Craig Ramsay was known more for coaching a North American, NHL-style, emphasizing speed and getting shots on net by any means necessary. Országh is more of a cycle-play coach, which could work in some cases but seemed to hurt Slovakia at the World Championship in May. This is a much stronger lineup, though, so we’ll see what comes from it.

BURNING QUESTION

Can the scoring depth stand up?

Slovakia won’t have the luxury of steamrolling teams with four hot lines. We know the big names will be counted on to score – Slafkovský, Dvorský, Cehlárik, etc. But beyond that, this is the time when Regenda, Pospíšil, Hudacek, Sukeľ, and Miloš Kelemen will need to step up and show that the Slovaks aren’t to be messed with. They didn’t have a ton of skill back in 2022, but Slafkovský was an absolute machine, especially on the power play. Expect much of their offense to come on the man advantage, but if Slovakia’s bottom three lines can’t pick up the slack, it might not matter much.

PREDICTION

While a win over Finland definitely isn’t out of the question, it seems safe to pencil Slovakia in as the No. 3 seed in Group B. They’ll do a re-seed for the qualification round, and then there’s a real chance they could beat a team like Germany, Latvia, Denmark, or France. The problem? The first three are bringing their best rosters in tournament history, while Slovakia’s group is a big step down from their ’90s-’00s glory days. This is shaping up to be a difficult tournament for the Slovaks, with a return to the medal round looking unlikely.

FULL ROSTER

GOALTENDERS
Samuel Hlavaj (Minnesota Wild)
Adam Gajan (Chicago Blackhawks)
Stanislav Škorvanek

DEFENSEMEN
Erik Černák (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Martin Fehérváry (Washington Capitals)
Šimon Nemec (New Jersey Devils)
Peter Ceresnak
Martin Gernát
Michal Ivan
Patrik Koch
Martin Marincin

FORWARDS
Juraj Slafkovský (Montreal Canadiens)
Dalibor Dvorský (St. Louis Blues)
Martin Pospíšil (Calgary Flames)
Pavol Regenda (San Jose Sharks)
Tomas Tatar
Peter Cehlarik
Marek Hrivík
Libor Hudáček
Miloš Kelemen
Adam Liska
Oliver Okuliár (rights owned by Florida Panthers)
Adam Růžička
Matus Sukel
Samuel Takáč

PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE

Feb. 11 vs. Finland: 10:40 AM ET
Feb. 13 vs. Italy: 6:10 AM ET
Feb. 14 vs. Sweden: 6:10 AM ET

SPONSORED BY bet365

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