Slafkovsky, young core putting Slovakia back on map at Olympics

MILAN -- The kids are more than alright for Team Slovakia.

The Next Generation for Slovakia has become the Now Generation during the men's hockey tournament at the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortino 2026.

A cadre of young guns, led by 21-year-old forward Juraj Slafkovsky, has delivered the Slovakians into the semifinals for just the second time during Olympics involving NHL players.

They are the outsiders, crashing a party of traditional hockey superpowers.

Their opponent, the United States, has reached the semifinal stage in four of the six Olympic tournaments involving NHL players. Team Canada has won gold in each of the past two Olympics involving NHL players and Team Finland has made the final four in five of the six.

The brash, young Slovaks don't care.

Most were blooded in the bronze medal Olympic campaign four years ago at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, punching above their weight throughout that tournament. Others are turning heads in the NHL.

They say they are ready for what is arguably the biggest game in the country's rich hockey history.

Part of it is naivete, but part of it is the confidence from bronze four years ago. There were no NHL players at those Games, but a medal is still a medal, especially when it is a first for your country in the sport.

"I love it that we have the youngest team," said Slafkovsky. "I like being underdogs. I like being young and just trying to prove ourselves. So far it has been working.

"I want a medal."

The road to such glory starts against Team USA at Santagiulia Arena on Friday (3:10 p.m. ET; Peacock, NBC, ICI Tele, CBC Gem, CBC [JIP], TSN [JIP], RDS2).

In that game, the Slovaks young guns must step up again.

It'll start with Slafkovsky, the star-in-waiting for the Montreal Canadiens, who has seven points (three goals, four assists) in this tournament. He had seven goals four years ago, on his way to being named MVP of the tournament at the Beijing Olympics.

But others will join the fray.

Dalibor Dvorsky has three goals and three assists in the four games.

The 20-year-old, who plays for the St. Louis Blues, has the most points by an NHL rookie in an Olympic tournament, passing Alex Ovechkin (2006 with Russia) and Sami Vatanen and Olli Maatta (2014 with Finland), each of whom had five points.

Adam Ruzicka, 26, has two goals and two assists, as does Pavol Regenda, a 26-year-old forward for the San Jose Sharks.

Defenseman Simon Nemec, at 22, has played the second-most minutes on the team (87:53) behind veteran NHLer Martin Fehervary (88:28).

Slafkovsky and Nemec (New Jersey Devils) were taken with the first two picks of the 2022 NHL Draft.

Goalie Samuel Hlavaj, 24, has a .932 save percentage.

"We have so many young players, it is crazy," the goalie said.

While playing in the American Hockey League this season, Hlavaj said he has been following teammates who have already made their way to the NHL. He says he knew these Olympics could be special for his country.

"I knew our young guys were really good," he said. "You can see in the NHL that all our young guys are playing good. I wasn't worried about them."

One of the keys this time around is that the up-and-comers have meshed with the holdovers who had carried the banner during the fallow period between Slovakia's Golden Generation, which peaked with a fourth-place finish at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and this Next Generation.

"It's just a learning process year by year and everyone is getting better," said 28-year-old defenseman Erik Cernak. "During this Olympics, everyone is looking great.

"We are playing like a team, like a family and I think that is important too for us."

Coach Vladimir Orszagh, who played with the Golden Generation players, including at five World Championships from 2001-05 and the World Cup of Hockey 2004, says his team is a band of brothers. Their strength lies in their unity, as much as their skill.

Former NHLer Tomas Tatar is the captain of this group.

The 35-year-old admits his best hockey is behind him. But he remains an important part of this team, riding shotgun for Slafkovsky on the top line and serving as a bridge between old and new in Slovak hockey.

The smile on his face has been omnipresent throughout his stay in Italy.

Yes, the Slovaks are winning and, of course, he is elated.

But it goes deeper.

There is pride when contemplating what lies ahead for the national team. The knowledge that this campaign could be the start of something special for hockey in his country.

"I'm a little older and I am happy that Slovak hockey is in good hands," he said.