Gajan hopes to build on Olympic experience for Blackhawks

For Adam Gajan, being part of Team Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics was invaluable.

No, the Chicago Blackhawks goaltending prospect didn’t play in any of the games for Slovakia, which finished fourth in the tournament, but that wasn’t the point. It was a great experience, one the 22-year-old takes with him as he embarks on his professional career.

“I think it was great being on the ice with all the NHL guys that have that experience," Gajan said at Blackhawks development camp last month, "not just with my team but also seeing all the other NHL players, how they prepared for games and everything. It was really beneficial for me to spend those two weeks there.”

Indeed, there are benefits in practicing against Slovakian teammates in the NHL, including forwards Juraj Slafkovsky of the Montreal Canadiens, Martin Pospisil of the Calgary Flames and defensemen Martin Fehervary of the Washington Capitals, Simon Nemec of the Flames and Erik Cernak of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Gajan will try to reap the benefits of that experience at training camp in September. He would like to end up in Rockford, the Blackhawks' American Hockey League affiliate; he played one game with Rockford last season, making 36 saves in a 4-2 loss to Chicago, the Carolina Hurricanes' AHL affiliate, on April 12. 

“There are a lot of really nice tools there," Rockford goaltending coach Matt Smith said. "He’s an excellent skater and he’s pretty athletic, so for me, those are two tools that can really project nicely at the NHL level. So for him, the first year, the biggest thing is about learning and trying to grow each day, as cliche as that sounds. That’s the biggest thing and making sure he’s maturing as a pro, and we’ll see where it goes.”

Gajan was selected to the Slovakia Olympic team after his strong second season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. After going 7-12-1 with a 3.33 goals-against average, .885 save percentage and one shutout in 21 games in 2024-25, Gajan improved to 19-13-1 with a 2.25 GAA, .908 save percentage and two shutouts in 33 games last season.

“Obviously, it’s an honor for him to be one of the players and goaltenders from his home country," Minnesota-Duluth goaltending coach Brant Nicklin said. "It was a goal of his and anytime you work toward and certainly based on Year 1, it wasn’t a guarantee that would be the case. With his play and work he earned that opportunity.”

Nicklin said part of Gajan’s second-season improvement was him getting more comfortable with his surroundings and backing off his hockey-only approach a bit.

“He was very hyperfocused on trying to maybe do everything that he had to individually do for hockey maybe a little more the first year," Nicklin said. "I had to get him out of the rink and say, ‘This isn’t necessarily helping you.'

“In Year 2 he started golfing, getting around his teammates more. He became a little more engaged with where he was at that given time. It gets real once you leave college and sign that pro contract. I think he found a place where he was enjoying where he was at, and that helped from one year to the next.”

Gajan has been to four development camps, but this will be his first training camp. He knows very well, however, what he wants to accomplish. 

“I think the first year I’ll figure it out," he said, "but I also probably talk to some guys who have been through the experience and just compete every day.

“I know for me as a goalie, there’s a long way to make it in the NHL, especially as a full-time goalie and hopefully starting goalie one day. That’s my goal and I know it’s far, but I just (want to) show that I’m getting better every day and have a great year in probably the AHL and just getting better every day. That’s the most important thing.”