Slovakia men's national ice hockey team

The Slovak men's national ice hockey team is one of the best national ice hockey teams in the world. As of 2008, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the world governing body of ice hockey, ranks them as the eighth best national team. The team is operated by the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation under general manager Peter Bondra, and head coach Ján Filc. In the last six years, Slovakia has won three medals at the World Championships, including a gold medal in 2002. Slovakia has a total of 12,375 hockey players (0.23% of the population).

History

The Slovak national team was created after Czechoslovakia was split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. For years, the Czechs kept control over how the Czechoslovakian national team was run, and limited how many Slovak players were on the team.[source?] When the country became two, the Czech Republic team was allowed to compete at the highest pool (A), and the IIHF ruled that because fewer players of the former Czechoslovak team were Slovaks, Slovakia have to start international play in pool C, the lowest group. However, Slovakia's play in the lower pools won it promotion to pool A by 1996.

Olympic record

World Cup record

  • 1996 - Did not qualify
  • 2004 - Lost in quarter-finals

World Championship record

 
Slovakia's team at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
  • 1994 - Finished in 21st place (winner of the "Pool C")
  • 1995 - Finished in 13th place (winner of the "Pool B")
  • 1996 - Finished in 10th place
  • 1997 - Finished in 9th place
  • 1998 - Finished in 7th place
  • 1999 - Finished in 7th place
  • 2000 - Won silver medal
  • 2001 - Finished in 7th place
  • 2002 - Won gold medal
  • 2003 - Won bronze medal
  • 2004 - Finished in 4th place
  • 2005 - Finished in 5th place
  • 2006 - Finished in 8th place
  • 2007 - Finished in 6th place
  • 2008 - Finished in 13th place
  • 2009 - Finished in 10th place

World Championship 2009 Roster

Goaltenders
# Player Date of Birth Club
25 Ján Lašák April 10, 1979   Moeller Pardubice
31 Rastislav Staňa January 10, 1980   Severstal Cherepovets
41 Jaroslav Halák May 13, 1985   Montreal Canadiens
Defensemen
# Player Date of Birth Club
6 Peter Smrek February 16, 1979   Lasselsberger Plzeň
7 Ivan Baranka May 19, 1985   Spartak Moscow
12 Ivan Švarný October 31, 1984   Litvínov
15 Dominik Graňák June 11, 1983   Färjestad
29 René Vydarený May 6, 1981   České Budějovice
43 Jaroslav Obšut September 3, 1976   Luleå
44 Andrej Sekera June 8, 1986   Buffalo Sabres
48 Boris Valábik February 14, 1986   Atlanta Thrashers
Forwards
# Player Date of Birth Club
4 Jiří Bicek December 3, 1978   EHC Biel
10 Milan Bartovič April 9, 1981   Bílí Tygři Liberec
14 Štefan Ružička February 17, 1985   Spartak Moscow
17 Michal Macho January 17, 1982   MHC Martin
19 Rastislav Pavlikovský March 2, 1977   Sibir Novosibirsk
20 Juraj Štefanka January 28, 1976   Vítkovice
23 Ľuboš Bartečko (C) July 14, 1976   Luleå
26 Michal Handzuš (A) March 11, 1977   Los Angeles Kings
27 Ladislav Nagy (A) June 1, 1979   Severstal Cherepovets
28 Peter Ölvecký May 20, 1985   Minnesota Wild
34 Tomáš Surový September 24, 1981   Linköping
71 Juraj Mikúš February 22, 1987   36 Skalica
81 Marcel Hossa October 21, 1981   Dinamo Riga
92 Branko Radivojevič November 24, 1980   Spartak Moscow

2002 Gold Medallists

Goalies: Ján Lašák, Rastislav Staňa, Miroslav Šimonovič.

Defensemen: Jerguš Bača, Ladislav Čierny, Radoslav Hecl, Richard Lintner, Dušan Milo, Peter Smrek, Martin Štrbák, Ľubomír Višňovský.

Forwards: Ľuboš Bartečko, Peter Bondra, Michal Handzuš, Miroslav Hlinka, Ladislav Nagy, Vladimír Országh, Žigmund Pálffy, Rastislav Pavlikovský, Róbert Petrovický, Peter Pucher, Radovan Somík, Jozef Stümpel, Miroslav Šatan, Róbert Tomík, Marek Uram.

Slovakia Men's National Ice Hockey Team Media

References