In the inaugural game of the men’s tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Team Slovakia grabbed a sensational 4-1 win over gold-medal holder Team Finland. Montreal Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky continued his exceptional Olympics career netting two goals, with St. Louis Blues’ Dalibor Dvorsky and Kontinental Hockey League forward Adam Ruzicka also scoring for the Slovaks.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey Tournament
Finland outshot the Slovaks since the early stages, but failed to cope with the opposition’s perfect defensive game that left them little room for manoeuvre. Samuel Hlavaj was monumental between the pipes for Slovakia, stopping 39 shots and being the best player on the ice with Slafkovsky.
Team Play Beats Big Names
The Finns amassed an almost full-NHL lineup for the Olympics, with several superstars highlighting a strong roster, with Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, and Artturi Lehkonen leading the way, yet they failed to score more than one goal to a team with a mere seven men in the National Hockey League and an American Hockey League goalie. This game was a perfect demonstration that names stop to matter once the teams hit the ice.
Former NHL forward Vladimir Orszagh, in his debut as a head coach at such a level, iced a team that fought for every inch on the ice, bold enough to play physical against a team much bigger than them and with a more hyped roster, a factor that ultimately led the Slovaks to grab the win. A perfect defensive organization and calm play across all three zones gave the team a strong chance, as strong individual offensive performances sealed the deal for Orszagh’s men, who deservedly celebrated their win.
Juraj Slafkovsky Is the Real Deal
Slafkovsky ended the 2022 Winter Olympics with seven goals in seven games and it looked like he just started over, netting two goals in this tournament’s first game. The 21-year-old forward was outstanding; not only did he score twice, but he looked unstoppable at times. No matter what forces the Finns threw at him, they couldn’t strip the puck out of his blade. Not to talk about his goals, both of which were beautiful. other.
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First, he punished a mistake by the Finn defense – in style, of course, effortlessly skating around an opponent and then putting the puck in the empty net after outplaying Juuse Saros. Then he scored the 3-1 goal that pretty much sealed the game with a pinpoint shot that rattled the crossbar before going in right over Saros’ right arm. For those in attendance, Slafkovsky’s elegance, skating, agility, and skill were worth the price of admission on their own.
Goaltending No Weak Point for the Slovaks
The Finns didn’t have their best game, but Hlavaj was outstanding between the pipes. An experienced international player despite being only 24, the netminder stopped 39 shots out of 40, with Finland’s goal arriving only with the man advantage. His team’s cautious approach certainly served him well, but he still impressed with a strong performance that left people wondering which goalie has more than 450 games of NHL experience and which has none.
It was just one game, but perhaps it may be the right time for the Minnesota Wild to have a closer look to their Slovak netminder in the pipeline. Moreover, in such a short tournament, a hot goalie can be very valuable to any team, and Hlavaj looked like one, at least tonight, in a strong performance.
The Slovaks currently lead Group B with three points, and their next game will be on Friday, Feb. 13 against host Italy at 6:10 a.m. (EST).
