Slovak fans in Riga, Latvia, on May 12, 2023. (source: TASR - Martin Baumann)
The Slovak ice hockey team is preparing to compete in the upcoming Ice Hockey World Championship. Ice hockey is one of the country's most popular games and is considered Slovakia's national sport.
This year will be the 86th competition under the administration of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Sportsnet notes. The world championship is the sport's premier international competition and will take place this year in Finland and Latvia, specifically in the towns of Tampere and Riga.
The championship was originally scheduled to take place in St Petersburg, Russia, but the IIHF changed the venue. Russia and Belarus are barred from competing because of their participation in the war against Ukraine.
Slovakia's place
Slovakia will start the competition in Group B, meaning fans and visitors will be able to catch the Slovak team at the Arena Riga, located in Latvia, Riga. In the opening stage, Slovakia will play Czechia, Latvia, Canada, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Slovenia and Norway.
The Slovak team's challenge will begin with a match against local rivals Czechia on May 12 at 15:20 CET.
Marek Hrivík is the Slovak team captain. He was also the captain at the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022, where he led the team to a bronze medal. The captain is supported by two assistant skippers, Peter Cehlárik and Matúš Sukeľ, writes Hockeyslovakia.
Slovakia has won just one Ice Hockey World Championship to date, in 2002.
Watch Slovakia in action
Slovakia will play Czechia, Latvia, Canada, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Slovenia and Norway between May 12 and May 23, at the in Arena Riga.
The public broadcaster RTVS broadcasts Slovakia's hockey matches.
Slovakia vs. Czechia – May 12, 15:20 CET
Slovakia vs. Latvia – May 13, 19:20 CET
Slovakia vs. Canada – May 15, 15:20 CET
Switzerland vs. Slovakia – May 18, 19:20 CET
Kazakhstan vs. Slovakia – May 19, 19:20 CET
Slovenia vs. Slovakia – May 21, 15:20 CET
Slovakia vs. Norway – May 23, 11:20 CET
The match system
The four leading teams from each group will advance into the play-offs.
In the second round, the team that wins its starting group will play against the fourth-placed team in the other group, and the second-placed team will play the third-placed team from the other group (1A - 4B, 2A - 3B, 3A - 2B, 4A - 1B).
If the two hosting countries, Finland and Latvia, happen to meet each other in the process, the second-round format will change. In that case, teams from the same group will play each other in the second round (1A - 4A, 2A - 3A, 1B - 4B, 2B - 3B).
During the last two world championships in hockey, Slovakia took eighth place each time.
In 2023, most predictions place Slovakia in fourth place in the group, and the IIHF sees it similarly. In its first edition of the Power Rankings, published on May 11, the IIHF placed coach Craig Ramsay's team in eighth place with the caption: "Eighth-place parade, anybody?"
Players representing Slovakia
Goalies:
Samuel Hlavaj (HC Slovan Bratislava)
Dominik Riečický (HC Košice)
Stanislav Škorvánek (HK Dukla Michalovce)
Defenders:
František Gajdoš (HK Nitra)
Mário Grman (HC Vítkovice Ridera/Česko)
Michal Ivan (Bílí Tygři Liberec/Česko)
Adam Jánošík (BK Mladá Boleslav/Česko)
Samuel Kňažko (Columbus Blue Jackets/NHL)
Patrik Koch (HC Vítkovice Ridera/Česko)
Dávid Mudrák (HKM Zvolen)
Mislav Rosandič (Mountfield HK/Česko)
Attackers:
Peter Cehlárik (Leksand IF/Švédsko)
Viliam Čacho (HK Dukla Trenčín)
Marek Hrivík (Leksand IF/Švédsko)
Libor Hudáček (HC Oceláři Třinec/Česko)
Martin Chromiak (Ontario Reign/AHL)
Miloš Kelemen (Arizona Coyotes/NHL)
Andrej Kudrna (HC Litvínov/Česko)
Róbert Lantoši (BK Mladá Boleslav/Česko)
Mário Lunter (BK Mladá Boleslav/Česko)
Oliver Okuliar (Mountfield HK/Česko)
Richard Pánik (HC Lausanne/Švajčiarsko)
Pavol Regenda (Anaheim Ducks/NHL)
Matúš Sukeľ (HC Litvínov/Česko)
Alex Tamáši (HC'05 Banská Bystrica)
Coach:
Craig Ramsay
