Slovakia Aims for Olympic Hockey Return Amid Qualifying Challenge

Author:

Anastasia Petkov

|Published: August 28th, 2024

As Slovakia prepares for a chance to return to the Winter Olympics, coach Craig Ramsay has been rallying his team to defend their bronze medal from Beijing 2022—and perhaps even surpass it.

Despite the return of NHL stars to the Olympic stage, Slovakia's focus is on securing their spot in Milan 2026 during this week's qualifying tournament.

Slovakia is hosting one of three Olympic qualifying tournaments, competing against Austria, Hungary, and Kazakhstan in Bratislava. Although key players like Juraj Slafkovsky and Erik Cernak are absent, the Slovak team is still favoured to advance, with NHL players like Simon Nemec and Tomas Tatar leading the charge.

The tournament is set against a backdrop of uncertainty regarding Russia's participation, which has been in question due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The IIHF has set a deadline of February 2025 to decide on Russia's eligibility, potentially opening up an additional Olympic spot for a second-place qualifier.

Despite the challenges, Ramsay remains confident in his team's ability to succeed.

"I have a lot of faith in my boys," he said. "When they get playing our style and our system of speed and aggression, I think we can beat anybody."

The stakes are high, but Slovakia's focus is clear: secure their place in Milan and prepare to compete on the Olympic stage once again.