World Junior Preview: Slovakia May Actually Have a Chance

Slovakia is always a fascinating team at the World Juniors. They work hard, they always have a few players who surprise and nobody really expects anything more. Look at their 2015 tournament when they somehow pulled off the bronze medal against Sweden, for example.

Once again, this year’s iteration has more questions than answers, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Seeing how the guys from HK Orange, Slovakia’s version of the US National Development team Program, translate against top competition is always a spectacle on its own. Can the players playing in North America fit in well with the team? Will the goaltending crumble or will they be the talk of the show?

We never truly know until the tournament is well underway, but Slovakia has some things to look forward to this year.

Goaltending: Let’s start with the bad news. For starters, the goaltending isn’t that good. The good news, that’s exactly what people said before Denis Godla had his superstar performance back in 2015 in Canada. St. Cloud State University goaltender David Hrenak could be the guy who gets the most playing time for Slovakia, given he’s playing in the NCAA, which features stronger competition than the Slovak league can offer. Hrenak doesn't have much exposure to donning the Slovakian sweater, having only played four games at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2015 before getting part of a game at the 2016 Under-18's. Hrenak was the third goalie for Slovakia at the 2016 games, but wasn’t brought back in 2017 thanks to a more crowded crease. This is finally his year to get the job done.

Defencemen: Slovakia has surprisingly had some good defencemen grace their blue line the past few years, which has helped with their goal support. One of the players that will keep scouts interested is Michal Ivan, currently in his first season in North America with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. He's played against men the past two years and even started the season in Slovakia, but he's made a name for himself early with the Titan and thus given him a chance to get drafted this year.

Returning to the team are Martin Fehervary and Martin Bodak. Fehervary has the potential to hear his name called in the first three rounds of the NHL Draft and a good showing in Sweden so far furthers that notion. He played in both the U18 and U20 World Juniors last season, skating as a top four guy both times. Meanwhile, Bodak ripped up the Finnish junior league last year before coming over to the Kootenay Ice this season, potting nine points in the first quarter of the season. His breakthrough moment came at the 2015 Hlinka Memorial tournament when the puckmoving defender grabbed five points in four games.

The rest of the defensive group will see players with chemistry coming from HK Orange. Included in that is Vojtech Zelenak, who has represented the Slovaks at various U17 and U18 tournaments in the past. Outside of that, the team will be needing to resort to a trap style game if they hope to keep shots away from their goalies because the experience at a high level simply isn't there.

Forwards: Slovakia’s depth up front may be the best part about Slovakia’s roster, and it’s all led by Calgary Flames prospect Adam Ruzicka. The 18-year-old is ripping up the Sarnia Sting this year, a team that's surpassing all expectations heading into the halfway point. Ruzicka is a big power-forward with with a good international stat line at various levels, and this will be his second time playing at the World Juniors. He’ll be given lots of opportunities to produce for Slovakia, but he’ll need some help.

The help could come in the form of Hamilton Bulldogs forward Marian Studenic. New Jersey's fifth-round pick in 2017, Studenic has had to carry the Bulldogs at points this year in what can be seen as a rebuilding campaign for them. Studenic looked good at last year's World Juniors, but failed to record a single point. Then there is Milos Roman, a potential top 40 pick in the upcoming NHL Draft. Roman put up two points as a 17-year-old in last year's tournament and has hovered around a point-per-game with the WHL's Vancouver Giants. Roman was exceptional at the 2015 and 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournaments and will likely be a key player at the Under-18's this Spring, too.

Slovakia’s depth with players playing in North America is deeper than usual, and Samuel Bucek and Jakub Lacka help contribute to that. Bucek is one of the USHL’s top forwards this year after playing in the QMJHL a season ago. While Bucek hasn't represented his nation since the end of 2016, that was a great year for him internationally and he'll be given lots of chances to up his resume.  Lacka, a star for the Central Illinois Flying Aces, should be able to pot a few goals and will act mainly as a secondary scoring option for the Slovaks. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies forward Patrik Hrehorčák could make an impact, too. His experience of playing on North American ice could give him an advantage over his European counterparts and his U18 performance in April was impressive, too.

On the HK Orange side of things, Erik Smolka has been far and away Slovakia's best player in many games. A solid play maker, he and Alex Tamasi have contributed on many of the team's goals this season and could do the same in Buffalo.

Projection: Slovak fans seem quite split about the team this year. For some, this is one of the strongest teams they’ve had in a long time. For others, it’s a moot point because they won’t make it out of the quarterfinals. The reality is, it’s likely going to be a busy night for the back end each and every game and their best chance at a win comes against Denmark on New Year’s Eve. But don’t discount the team that sees many of its core players stick together for years.

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