After dropping their quarterfinal game to Finland at the 2025 World Junior Championship (WJC), Slovakia has a handful of holes to fill in its roster. With a solid mix of returners and newcomers, who are a few players to keep an eye on as Slovakia looks to get back into the mix for a medal at the 2026 WJC?
C Tomas Chrenko
After splitting time between three Slovakian leagues last season, Tomas Chrenko has made the jump full-time to Slovakia’s highest league this season. He has looked solid for HK Nitra this season, while still showing some adjustments that need to be worked out in his game. He has shown strong playmaking and a willingness to go to the dirty areas of the ice, even as a smaller center.
Related: Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
Chrenko has had plenty of international experience for Slovakia, but none at the Under-20 level. He has played in the last two U18 WJC tournaments and totalled 13 points in 13 games, including eight points alone in last year’s tournament. With the flashes of offensive skill and fiestiness he shows, Chrenko is considered a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. He could end up being relied upon to help fill the void left by players like Dalibor Dvorsky and Juraj Pekarcik (both St. Louis Blues prospects).
F Adam Nemec
One of Chrenko’s teammates with HK Nitra is a name that New Jersey Devils fans know. Adam Nemec is the younger brother of Devils youngster Šimon Nemec. The younger Nemec is expected to take on a big role for the Slovakian team this year. He plays a bit more of a two-way game than Chrenko does, and plays with great pace at both ends of the ice.
His numbers at the U18 level were not as “jump off the screen” as Chrenko’s, but Nemec has been a solid player at the international level, having six points in 14 games played across two U18 WJC’s. The chemistry the two players have will likely be relied upon at this years U20 tournament.
G Michal Pradel
After seeing Samuel Urban, last year’s starter of four of the six games, age out of the tournament, it is likely that 2025 third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings, Michal Pradel, will be the number one netminder for Slovakia this year. Pradel was part of the team last year but did not get into game action, sitting behind Urban and Alan Lendak.
Where Pradel sticks out compared to Lendak, who is returning this year as well, is that his development seems to have taken another jump this season. Pradel has taken over the reins as the full time number one starter for the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League (USHL), and has looked really good in doing so, putting up a .916 save percentage (SV%), 2.46 goals-against average (GAA) and a 9-9-3 record for the Storm. It is likely that Pradel will be challenged quite a bit throughout the tournament, so he will need to be at the top of his game.
D Luka Radivojevic
Playing in his third U20 WJC this year, Luka Radivojevic is going to be relied upon from the backend of the ice for Slovakia. After surprisingly not being drafted in the 2025 Draft, Radivojevic took his game from the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL to the college level at Boston College, where he has put up nine assists in 16 games.
Radivojevic brings a strong two-way game to the ice, having great playmaking skills and vision when he is on the ice. Whether it is in the defensive or offensive zone, he is constantly in the middle of the play. Offensively, while the goal-scoring numbers are currently not there, he has no problem firing the puck and staying involved from the point. As one of the most experienced defensemen on this year’s Slovakian roster, he will certainly be an x-factor and impactful player.
Skill at All Three Levels for Slovakia
The Slovakian roster has plenty of skill and experience at all three levels to give them a chance to compete at this year’s WJC. The biggest question mark is how everyone and everything meshes and if they can hold up against tough competition. If things work out for Slovakia, they have a chance to get themselves to the quarterfinal round yet again.
