Olympic Glory: Slovakia Secures Semifinal Spot at Milan-Cortina Games

Slovakia Reaches Olympic Semifinals in Thrilling Victory

Updated February 18, 2026 at 09:20 AM ET | Published February 18, 2026 at 08:37 AM ET. Follow all the action from the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games across our platforms! Medal Table | Special Section | Broadcast Schedule

For the second consecutive Olympic Games, Slovakia has earned a chance to compete for a medal. Juraj Slafkovsky’s team delivered a commanding 6-2 victory over Germany on Wednesday morning, becoming the first team to secure their place in the semifinals.

Having won bronze in Beijing in 2022, Slovakia now boasts a record of three wins against one loss in the men’s hockey tournament. If the top seeds prevail in their quarterfinal matchups on Wednesday, Slovakia is projected to face the United States in the semifinals. However, a Swedish upset over the Americans could see them battle Finland instead.

Slafkovsky on the Win and Road Ahead

“It’s incredible,” said Slafkovsky after the win. “This tournament pits the best against the best, and we’ve managed to place ourselves among the top four so far. There’s still a long way to go to win a medal, and we really want it. We’ll do everything we can to achieve it.”

He continued, “It’s probably going to be the toughest game any of us have ever played. We’ll be facing excellent teams. We’ll need to stay united and be focused every second.”

Staying Connected with Montreal

Slafkovsky revealed he’s been exchanging texts with his Montreal Canadiens teammates throughout the tournament, as most have returned to practice in Brossard during the NHL pause. “I know they’re watching, and I’m happy. I hope they’ll cheer for Slovakia a little bit.”

Game Highlights: Slovakia vs. Germany

Slovakia’s offensive prowess was on full display against Germany, led by a stellar performance from Pavol Regenda, who scored two goals and added an assist. Milos Kelemen, Oliver Okuliar, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Tomas Tatar also found the back of the net for Slovakia. Slafkovsky extended his point total to seven for the tournament with an assist on Tatar’s empty-net goal.

Samuel Hlavaj was solid in net, stopping 25 shots, while Lukas Reichel and Frederik Tiffels scored the lone goals for Germany. Slovakia’s defensive strategy focused on a physical and tight game against Germany’s Leon Draisaitl, effectively limiting his offensive impact. Draisaitl showed some frustration, ultimately registering only one assist.

Dominating First Period

Slovakia controlled the first period, and their efforts paid off when Regenda redirected a shot from Erik Cernak to open the scoring.

Second Period Surge

Early in the second period, Slafkovsky briefly caused concern for both Slovakia and Canadiens fans when he stumbled into Moritz Seidfer’s leg and collided awkwardly with the boards. After a moment on the ice, he returned to the bench with an ice pack on his neck. Fortunately, he recovered quickly and celebrated Kelemen’s goal shortly after. Kelemen had stolen the puck from Lukas Kalble and scored a beautiful goal.

Okuliar increased Slovakia’s lead just 33 seconds later, capitalizing on a skillful passing play with Libor Hudacek. Dvorsky then extended the lead to 4-0 with a powerful wrist shot.

Germany Responds, Slovakia Closes It Out

Draisaitl finally broke through Slovakia’s strong coverage late in the second period, giving German fans something to cheer about. However, any hopes of a comeback were dashed early in the third period when a deflection landed directly on Regenda’s stick, and he quickly fired it home for his second goal of the game. Tiffels managed to reduce the deficit to 5-2, but Tatar sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.

International Ice Hockey Federation – For more information on the Olympic hockey tournament.