Slovakia men's national ice hockey team
The Slovak men's National Ice Hockey team is one of the major ice hockey national teams in the world. As of 2007, the International Ice Hocky Federation (IIHF), the world governing body of hockey, ranks them as the sixth best national team just ahead of the United States. The team is controlled by the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation. In the last six years, Slovakia has won three medals at the World Championships including a gold in 2002. Slovakia has a total of 12,375 players(0.23% of its population). Their head coach is Július Šupler, and the general manager is former National Hockey League (NHL) player Peter Šťastný.
The Slovak national team was formed following the breakup of Czechoslovakia split the country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. While the Czechs were allowed to compete at the highest pool (A), the IIHF ruled that because fewer players of the former Czechoslovak team were Slovaks, Slovakia would be required to start international play in pool C. However, Slovakia's play in the lower pools won it promotion to pool A by 1996. See also Post-Cold War period of the IIHF world championships .
In the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, the Slovak team was unable to use it's NHL players in the preliminary round due to a scheduling conflict. The NHL would allow their players to participate in the final medal round, and thus Slovakia failed to qualify finishing a disappointing 13th. This turn of events was troubling to the entire hockey community, and the rules were changed for the 2006 Winter games in Torino.
Olympic record
- 1994 - Finished in 6th place
- 1998 - Finished in 10th place
- 2002 - Finished in 13th place
- 2006 - Finished in 5th place (see roster)
World Cup record
World Championship record
- 1994 - Finished in 21st place (winner of the "Pool C")
- 1995 - Finished in 13th place (winner of the "Pool B")
- 1996 - Finished in 9th place
- 1997 - Finished in 8th place
- 1998 - Finished in 7th place
- 1999 - Finished in 7th place
- 2000 - Won silver medal
- 2001 - Finished in 7th place
- 2002 - Won gold medal
- 2003 - Won bronze medal
- 2004 - Finished in 4th place
- 2005 - Finished in 5th place
- 2006 - Finished in 8th place
- 2007 - Finished in 6th place