After claiming two victories in the 2025 World Junior Championship (WJC), Slovakia looks to build off that at this year’s tournament in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They will face an uphill battle, though, with only six players returning from last year’s team.
Slovakia’s Forwards
Ján Chovan, Tomáš Chrenko, Jakub Dubravik, Alex Gaso, Michal Liščinský, Alex Mišiak, Samuel Murin, Adam Nemec, Tobias Pitka, Tomáš Poběžal, Andreas Straka, Michal Svrček, Tobias Tomik, Lukas Tomka
A group that will sorely miss their top two performers from last year’s tournament, in two St. Louis Blues prospects, Dalibor Dvorsky and Juraj Pekarcik, the Slovakian forward group will rely on players who play solid two-way games this year. They do not have a player who will stand out as someone who lights up the scoresheet, but they have plenty of players who should catch the eye of fans in the tournament.
Beginning with a player who could set themselves up to improve their draft stock, Tomáš Chrenko has played at the highest level in Slovakia this season and has looked solid in doing so, and will likely be relied on offensively alongside his teammate with HK Nitra and younger brother of Simon Nemec (New Jersey Devils), Adam Nemec. Amongst the returners from last year’s tournament in the forward group are Ján Chovan (Los Angeles Kings) and Tomáš Poběžal. Poběźal will be looking to bounce back from a subpar showing at last year’s tournament. When it comes to special teams, Michal Svrček (Detroit Red Wings) will be among those looked to on the power play. At the same time, guys like captain Tobias Pitak, and Samuel Murin should be solid penalty killers and defensive players.
Overall, the forward group that Slovakia will have at this year’s tournament will likely be missing the firepower from last year, but will still be tough to play against with the two-way style of game many of the forwards play.
Slovakia’s Defensemen
Adam Beluško, Michal Čapoš, Andrej Fabuš, Adam Goljer, Adam Kalman, Filip Kovalčik, Matúš Lisý, Luka Radivojevic
Only one defenseman from last year’s team will be returning this year, with Luka Radivojevic being the lead man from the backend of the ice for Slovakia. With the departure of Maxim Strbak (Buffalo Sabres), Radivojevic will be relied upon more this year. After being passed up at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, he has been rock solid at both ends of the ice in his first collegiate season at Boston College. He brings a mix of offensive production and a strong defensive game to an inexperienced defensive group. He is likely to run the “quarterback position” on the top power play unit this year.
Related: Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
Another 2026 draft-eligible player from Slovakia who could end up being someone to keep an eye on is Adam Goljer. Goljer has been playing in the top league in Slovakia this season and has produced well with solid ice time for a younger player. The rest of the defensive grouping brings a mix of size, defensive-minded play, and a bit of offense. A player to watch from the backend in the tournament is the youngest on the roster, Filip Kovalčik. He is not draft-eligible until the 2027 Draft, but he has plenty of upside.
Overall, the Slovakian defense is much like the forward grouping in the sense that they play a two-way game with a solid defensive mindset. They will need some added production from the likes of Radivojevic and Goljer.
Slovakia’s Goaltenders
Roberto Leonardo Henriquez, Alan Lendák, Michal Prádel
For a team that will likely lack offensive firepower, Slovakia’s goaltending will need to be top-notch if they want to compete in this year’s tournament. They are led by three netminders who are all playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL), two of whom are returners from last year’s team (Alan Lendák and Michal Prádel). While Lendák saw action in two games last year, it is expected that Prádel will be the starting goaltender this year.
After being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the third round of the 2025 Draft, Prádel returned to the Tri-City Storm after passing up going to the Regina Pats (Western Hockey League) after being picked by the Pats in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft, and has fully taken the reins as the number one netminder. He will be needed to play at his best for Slovakia to keep his team in games this year and have a chance to pull off a couple of victories.
