World Championships in Hockey 2025: Which AHL players can come to represent Slovakia?
New York. Slovak hockey players entered the third week of preparation for MS in hockey 2025 So far with one player from the two largest North American competitions.
The team was strengthened by striker Adam Sýkora from Hartford in AHL. The 20-year-old striker, who played 71 matches in the current season, joined the team on Tuesday.
During the week he will participate in the training and probably should catch the two last preparatory matches against France.
« I come up with the best feelings and desire to fight for a seat for the World Cup. I got this opportunity and I am grateful for it. It’s beautiful that I can fight for the World Championship, » Sýkora said.
Except Sýkora will be the second reinforcement Goalkeeper Samuel Hlavaj, who in the current season defended the colors of the team Iowa Wild on the « Farm » Minnesota. He should join the team next week. Informed about the general manager Miroslav Šatan.
However, this is all the time before the start of the championship from overseas reinforcements so far.
A difficult situation in the NHL
Slovakia will not strengthen the championship or “traditional” leaders from the past. Marek Hrivík, Peter Cehlárik, Martin Marinčin and Libor Hudáček renounced their participation for various reasons.
« We are not very positive about it yet. The more we have to focus on the players who are here, do a bunch and get systemal things, » said Peter Frühauf assistant at the meeting.
The situation does not look favorably in the NHL. While Slovakia represented up to five players from the world’s best league last year at the Czech Championship, none of them can confirm participation in Sweden.
The only player who was free at the beginning of the playoffs for the needs of the representation was Martin Pospíšil. But the striker Calgary did not go through a medical examination and his start at the tournament thwarted the injury.
Due to health complications, the defender Martin Fehérváry will not present in Sweden. He had to undergo knee surgery and prematurely ended the season even though Washington is a playoff participant.
Juraj Slafkovský (Montreal), Erik Černák (Tampa), Šimon Nemec and Tomáš Tatar (both New Jersey) are currently playing in the 1st round of the knockout part.
The closest to the drop out is the three Slafkovský, Nemec and Tatar. After two matches, Montreal loses 0: 2 against Washington, Devils the same result against Caroline.
If both teams with Slovaks lose their home games, the season may end on Sunday, respectively. on Monday.
Fans look into AHL
Thus, reinforcements from the lower American Hockey League (AHL) appear more positively towards the representation. General manager Miroslav Šatan revealed at the first meeting that « they are interested in AHL players ».
In the year 2024/2025 played at least one match in the league up to 16 Slovak skaters and one goalkeeper.
Table: Slovak hockey players in the regular AHL season in the season 2024/25
The competition is currently playing playoffs, which is different from the NHL. The first six teams from the Atlantic Division secured a reservation for the knockout part, five teams from the North and Central Division and seven teams from the Pacific Division.
The first round of the playoffs is played for two winning meetings. Better of the couple will advance to the 2nd round, where the spider is subsequently formed 16 teams.
The eight -final and quarterfinal series will win a three -winning team (a maximum of five matches). The conference finals and the Calder Cup final will be played in a classic format for four winning duels (maximum seven matches).
The AHL season ended after the regular season with three Slovaks. Goalkeeper Samuel Hlavaj will be part of the national team, defender Jozef Viliam Kmec and striker Jakub Demek (both Henderson) must fulfill club duties.
VEGAS Golden Knights plays playoffs NHL, so she kept a pair of Slovaks in the so-called. Taxi team.
This means that they train outside the main team and are waiting for the list of players who can get a chance for injuries in the first team. For this reason, their representation cannot call them in preparation for the World Championship.
The first players can be free next week
In the first round of the AHL playoffs, which is played for two winning matches, Alex Čiernik (Lehigh Valley), Dalibor Dvorský (Springfield), Samuel Honzek (Calgary), Martin Chromiak (Ontario), Samuel Kňažko (Cleveland) and Pavol Regend (San Jose).
Right in the first part of the playoffs, the club season for one of the two Chromiak-Regenda will end. Ontario and San Jose will play a series.
Both are in the viewfinder of the representation. Chromiak represented Slovakia at the World Championships in Hockey 2023 in Latvia, with the leadership of the national team, according to assistant coach Petr Frühauf, made contact.
The first matches have been played by Dvorský (win 2: 1 over Providence) and Honzek (loss 3: 4 pp over Coachella Valley). Čiernik spent the first match of the knockout part only as a healthy substitute.
Assuming that the clubs with the Slovaks in the line -up fall out in the first round, they can be free for the representation as early as April 28.
Filip Mešár and Oliver Okuliar secured the direct advance to the second round. Their teams Laval and Charlotte are waiting for their rivals who will come from the opening round of the playoffs.
The couple will play the first playoff matches first on April 28. Theoretically, it could thus be able to start the world championship in Sweden, but more likely that the clubs mentioned in the playoffs will get far.
NHL organizations, which can hold players in « taxi teams », such as Kmec or Demeka, can also enter the process.
The NHL playoffs are playing the current Dvorský St. Louis, Chromiak’s Los Angeles, Montreal and Okuliar Florida.
Then it will depend on the skill of the general manager to agree with the club to release the player for the needs of the representation.
