The Coat of arms of Slovakia is the badge used on the players jerseys. |
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| Association | Slovak Ice Hockey Federation |
|---|---|
| General Manager | Otto Sýkora |
| Head coach | Vladimír Vůjtek |
| Assistants | Peter Oremus |
| Captain | Zdeno Chára |
| Most games | Ľubomír Sekeráš (152)1 |
| Most points | Miroslav Šatan (115)1 |
| IIHF code | SVK |
| IIHF ranking | 10 |
| Highest IIHF ranking | 3 (2004) |
| Lowest IIHF ranking | 10 (2011) |
| Team colours | |
| First international | |
| Bohemia 12–0 Slovakia (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany; February 1, 1940)2 |
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| Biggest win | |
| Slovakia 20–0 Bulgaria (Poprad, Slovakia; March 18, 1994)2 |
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| Biggest defeat | |
| Bohemia 12–0 Slovakia (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany; February 1, 1940)2 |
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| IIHF World Championships | |
| Appearances | 17 (first in 1994) |
| Best result | Gold: 1 - (2002) |
| Olympics | |
| Appearances | 5 (first in 1994) |
| International record (W–L–T) | |
| 227–165–48 | |
| World Championships medal record | ||
| World Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 2000 Russia | Slovakia |
| Gold | 2002 Sweden | Slovakia |
| Bronze | 2003 Finland | Slovakia |
The Slovak men's national ice hockey team is the national ice hockey team of Slovakia and is controlled by the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation. As of March 2010, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the world governing body of hockey, ranks them as the seventh strongest national team in the world. It is one of the most successful national ice hockey teams in the world. The team's general manager is Peter Bondra and their head coach is Glen Hanlon.
In the last sixteen years, Slovakia has won three medals at the World Championships, including a gold medal in 2002 in Sweden. In winter Olympic games, Slovakia's highest achievement is 4th place in Vancouver 2010. In the tournament they won against favourites Russia and Sweden, and lost against Canada in the semifinals and against Finland in the bronze medal game.
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The Slovak national team was formed following the breakup of Czechoslovakia, as the country was split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. For years, the Czechs kept control over how the national team was run, and even had quotas instituted to ensure a minimal participation of Slovak players on the Czechoslovakian national team. While the Czechs were allowed to compete at the highest pool (A), the IIHF ruled that because fewer players of the former Czechoslovak team were Slovaks, Slovakia would be required to start international play in Pool C. However, Slovakia's play in the lower pools won it promotion to pool A by 1996. See also Post-Cold War period of the IIHF world championships.
In the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Slovak team was unable to use its National Hockey League (NHL) players in the preliminary round due to a scheduling conflict. This affected all of the smaller countries, but devastated the Slovak team as most of their players were coming from NHL teams. The NHL had decided to only allow their players to participate in the final medal round, and thus Slovakia failed to qualify finishing a disappointing 13th. This turn of events was troubling to the entire hockey community, and the rules were changed for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.
Notable Slovak national team members and current NHL players include Marián Gáborík of the New York Rangers; brothers Marián Hossa and Marcel Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks and Dinamo Riga, respectively; Miroslav Šatan; and the tallest player in NHL history, Zdeno Chára. In the late 1990s, the St. Louis Blues placed Ľuboš Bartečko, Michal Handzuš, and Pavol Demitra on the same line. This trio became known as the "Slovak Pack," and were able to communicate in their native language without the opposition knowing what they were saying, unless of course they also spoke/understood Slovak.
| Year | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Vienna, Austria | 10th place |
| 1997 | Helsinki / Turku / Tampere, Finland | 9th place |
| 1998 | Zürich / Basel, Switzerland | 7th place |
| 1999 | Oslo / Lillehammer / Hamar, Norway | 7th place |
| 2000 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | Silver |
| 2001 | Cologne / Hanover / Nuremberg, Germany | 7th place |
| 2002 | Gothenburg / Karlstad / Jönköping, Sweden | Gold |
| 2003 | Helsinki / Tampere / Turku, Finland | Bronze |
| 2004 | Prague / Ostrava, Czech Republic | 4th place |
| 2005 | Innsbruck / Vienna, Austria | 5th place |
| 2006 | Riga, Latvia | 8th place |
| 2007 | Moscow / Mytishchi, Russia | 6th place |
| 2008 | Quebec City / Halifax, Canada | 13th place |
| 2009 | Bern / Kloten, Switzerland | 10th place |
| 2010 | Cologne / Mannheim / Gelsenkirchen, Germany | 12th place |
| 2011 | Bratislava / Košice, Slovakia | 10th place |
| 2012 | Helsinki, Finland / Stockholm, Sweden | |
| 2013 | Stockholm, Sweden / Helsinki, Finland |
The following is the Slovak roster in the men's ice hockey tournament of the 2010 Winter Olympics.[1]
| No. | Pos. | Height | Weight | Birthdate | Birthplace | 2009–10 team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | G | Peter Budaj | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | 91 kg (200 lb) | 18 September 1982 | Banská Bystrica | Colorado Avalanche (NHL) |
| 41 | G | Jaroslav Halák | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | 82 kg (180 lb) | 13 May 1985 | Bratislava | Montreal Canadiens (NHL) |
| 35 | G | Rastislav Staňa | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | 88 kg (190 lb) | 10 January 1980 | Košice | Severstal (KHL) |
| 7 | D | Ivan Baranka | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | 91 kg (200 lb) | 19 May 1985 | Ilava | Spartak Moscow (KHL) |
| 33 | D | Zdeno Chára – C | 206 cm (6 ft 9 in) | 116 kg (260 lb) | 18 March 1977 | Trenčín | Boston Bruins (NHL) |
| 68 | D | Milan Jurcina | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) | 111 kg (240 lb) | 7 June 1983 | Liptovský Mikuláš | Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) |
| 14 | D | Andrej Meszároš | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | 100 kg (220 lb) | 13 October 1985 | Považská Bystrica | Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) |
| 44 | D | Andrej Sekera | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | 91 kg (200 lb) | 8 June 1986 | Bojnice | Buffalo Sabres (NHL) |
| 77 | D | Martin Štrbák | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | 96 kg (210 lb) | 15 January 1975 | Prešov | HC MVD (KHL) |
| 17 | D | Ľubomír Višňovský | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | 84 kg (190 lb) | 11 August 1976 | Topoľčany | Edmonton Oilers (NHL) |
| 23 | F | Ľuboš Bartečko | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | 86 kg (190 lb) | 14 July 1976 | Kežmarok | Färjestad (SEL) |
| 8 | F | Martin Cibák | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | 89 kg (200 lb) | 17 May 1980 | Liptovský Mikuláš | Spartak Moscow (KHL) |
| 38 | F | Pavol Demitra – A | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | 91 kg (200 lb) | 29 November 1974 | Dubnica nad Váhom | Vancouver Canucks (NHL) |
| 10 | F | Marián Gáborík | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | 90 kg (200 lb) | 14 February 1982 | Trenčín | New York Rangers (NHL) |
| 26 | F | Michal Handzuš | 196 cm (6 ft 5 in) | 98 kg (220 lb) | 11 March 1977 | Banská Bystrica | Los Angeles Kings (NHL) |
| 91 | F | Marcel Hossa | 192 cm (6 ft 4 in) | 100 kg (220 lb) | 12 October 1981 | Ilava | Dinamo Riga (KHL) |
| 81 | F | Marián Hossa – A | 187 cm (6 ft 2 in) | 95 kg (210 lb) | 12 January 1979 | Stará Ľubovňa | Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) |
| 82 | F | Tomáš Kopecký | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | 91 kg (200 lb) | 5 February 1982 | Ilava | Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) |
| 24 | F | Žigmund Pálffy | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) | 82 kg (180 lb) | 5 May 1972 | Skalica | HK 36 Skalica (SVK) |
| 92 | F | Branko Radivojevič | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | 94 kg (210 lb) | 24 November 1980 | Piešťany | Spartak Moscow (KHL) |
| 18 | F | Miroslav Šatan | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | 87 kg (190 lb) | 22 October 1974 | Topoľčany | Boston Bruins (NHL) |
| 15 | F | Jozef Stümpel | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | 101 kg (220 lb) | 20 July 1972 | Nitra | Barys Astana (KHL) |
| 20 | F | Richard Zedník | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | 91 kg (200 lb) | 6 January 1976 | Banská Bystrica | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL) |
Defenceman Richard Lintner was initially selected, but was replaced by Ivan Baranka.[2]
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Date of Birth | Club | ||
| 25 | Peter Hamerlik | January 2, 1982 | HC Oceláři Třinec | ||
| 31 | Rastislav Staňa | January 10, 1980 | Severstal Cherepovets | ||
| 41 | Peter Budaj | September 18, 1982 | Colorado Avalanche | ||
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Date of Birth | Club | ||
| 6 | Tomas Starosta | May 20, 1981 | HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk | ||
| 7 | Richard Lintner | November 15, 1977 | HC Dinamo Minsk | ||
| 12 | Peter Fruhauf | August 15, 1982 | HC 05 Banská Bystrica | ||
| 15 | Dominik Graňák | June 11, 1983 | Rögle BK | ||
| 29 | Vladimír Mihálik | January 29, 1987 | Norfolk Admirals | ||
| 43 | Ivan Majeský | September 2, 1976 | Skellefteå AIK | ||
| 44 | Andrej Sekera | June 8, 1986 | Buffalo Sabres | ||
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Date of Birth | Club | ||
| 4 | Marek Zagrapan | December 6, 1986 | HC Severstal | ||
| 10 | Milan Bartovič | April 9, 1981 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | ||
| 14 | Miroslav Zálešák | July 31, 1980 | HK 36 Skalica | ||
| 17 | Michal Macho | January 17, 1982 | BK Mladá Boleslav | ||
| 18 | Miroslav Šatan | October 10, 1974 | HC Slovan Bratislava | ||
| 19 | Ivan Čiernik | October 30, 1977 | Kölner Haie | ||
| 20 | Tomáš Bulík | August 27, 1985 | HC 05 Banská Bystrica | ||
| 23 | Tomáš Tatar | December 1, 1990 | Grand Rapids Griffins | ||
| 26 | Richard Pánik | February 7, 1991 | Norfolk Admirals | ||
| 27 | Andrej Podkonicky | May 9, 1977 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | ||
| 28 | Stanislav Gron | October 28, 1978 | HC Košice | ||
| 34 | Vladimir Dravecký | June 3, 1985 | HC Košice | ||
| 71 | Marek Svatoš | June 17, 1982 | Colorado Avalanche | ||
| 81 | Roman Kukumberg | April 8, 1980 | HC Slovan Bratislava | ||
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