Martin Pospisil and Team Slovakia continued their Olympic push with a gritty 3-2 win over Italy on Friday - their second victory of the tournament and another step toward making some noise in Milano Cortina 2026.
Pospisil, who centered the line alongside Milos Kelemen and Pavel Regenda, logged 14:01 of ice time and registered one shot on goal. While he didn’t hit the scoresheet in this one, his presence down the middle was steady - a familiar role for the 24-year-old who’s no stranger to international play.
Slovakia got goals from Libor Hudacek, Matus Sukel, and Adam Ruzicka, with each tally coming at key moments to keep Italy chasing. Between the pipes, Stanislav Skorvanek turned aside 20 shots to secure the win. Italy didn’t go quietly - Matt Bradley and Dustin Gazley each found the back of the net - but it wasn’t enough to overcome Slovakia’s balanced attack.
Italy split the goaltending duties: Davide Fadani made 28 saves on 30 shots, and Damian Clara came in to stop seven of eight. But Slovakia’s pressure, especially in the second period, proved to be the difference.
Next up for Slovakia: a big one against Sweden early Saturday morning (4:10 a.m. MT), as they wrap up their preliminary round. That matchup could go a long way in determining seeding - and momentum - heading into the knockout stage.
For Pospisil, this Olympic run is another chapter in what’s been a steady climb through the international ranks. This is his fifth time donning the Slovak sweater on the world stage.
He played a key role in helping Slovakia qualify for the Olympics back in 2024, notching three points in three games during the qualifiers. That same year, he showed up in a big way at the IIHF World Championship, putting up seven points in seven games.
He’s been representing Slovakia since his teenage years, skating at both the U18 and U20 levels, and now he’s back at the Olympics - a testament to his resilience, especially considering what he’s battled through this season.
After being sidelined by injury earlier in the year, Pospisil returned to the ice in January and has since played in seven games with the Calgary Flames. Drafted in the fourth round back in 2018, he’s now up to 151 NHL games, with 12 goals and 49 points under his belt. Not flashy numbers, but he’s carved out a role as a reliable two-way forward - and that’s exactly what Slovakia’s counting on in this tournament.
As the Olympic schedule tightens and the stakes rise, keep an eye on Pospisil. He’s not always the headline, but he’s often part of the heartbeat - the kind of player every successful team needs in a tournament like this.