Slovakia’s Olympic Hockey Team Defying Odds in Milan Semifinals

Slovakia's young hockey team has surprised everyone by reaching the Olympic semifinals in Milan, led by 21-year-old Juraj Slafkovsky who previously helped the country win bronze in 2022. This time, with NHL players participating, the underdog squad is proving they can compete against the world's best talent.

MILAN — At just 21 years old, Juraj Slafkovsky is experiencing Olympic success for the second time. The young star earned tournament MVP honors in 2022 when he guided Slovakia to its first-ever Olympic medal — a bronze in Beijing — at age 17.

The difference this time around is significant: NHL stars are competing in Milan, raising the competition level dramatically. Yet Slovakia has once again advanced to medal contention by securing a semifinal spot.

“It’s probably 100 times better,” Slafkovsky commented following their quarterfinal victory over Germany. “You’ve got the best players over here, and we managed to come here and go to semifinals. It’s big for me, big for our country.”

The semifinal appearance caught everyone off guard. With Slafkovsky at 21, Dalibor Dvorsky at 20, and Simon Nemec at 22, this tournament was expected to serve as preparation for future competitions like the 2028 World Cup of Hockey and 2030 Olympics in the French Alps.

Yet Slafkovsky and Dvorsky have emerged as the leaders of hockey’s most compelling underdog story in Milan.

“In a tournament like this, underdogs can bite really hard, so we are really happy where are right now,” said Pavol Regenda, who netted two goals in the quarterfinal win against Germany. “Coming into the tournament, seeing the roster, I don’t think anybody believed us. And probably neither did we.”

Slovakia previously competed at this level a generation earlier, when stars like Zdeno Chara, Marian Hossa, Marian Gaborik, Pavol Demitra and Miroslav Satan were at their peak performance. The country experienced a talent shortage before this current group of Slovak players developed.

Slafkovsky represents the forefront of this new wave, now in his fourth NHL campaign with the Montreal Canadiens and playing under a fresh eight-year, $60.8 million deal. He tops Slovakia’s scoring with seven points, ranking fifth overall in Olympic scoring.

“He is a great player,” defenseman Martin Fehervary stated. “We didn’t have that type of player for a long, long time in Slovakia. We just got to be really, really happy and thrilled that we’ve got that type of player.”

Dvorsky, who suits up for the St. Louis Blues, has contributed six points across four contests and plays a major role in Slovakia’s semifinal berth. They face an undefeated United States team on Friday. However, coach Vladimir Orszagh and his roster have emphasized that their achievements stem from team unity rather than individual excellence.

“If we want to be successful, it just can’t be about a couple guys,” Orszagh explained. “Our team is not about a couple guys. Our team is about the 22 guys or 25 guys that we have on the roster. They work, they stick together on the ice and every day somebody else is a hero. But, for me, all the guys are heroes.”

Slovakia defeated Finland’s Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho during preliminary play, then overcame Germany’s Leon Draisaitl in the quarterfinals. This caliber of opposition wasn’t present four years ago, making players appreciate competing on this international platform with global attention.

“You can’t compare that,” Nemec observed. “This is the fastest hockey I ever played. It’s different tournament, and we came here to defend the bronze medal and we’re still in that mix. It’s good for us.”