There won’t be a celebration in Bratislava this time around, as Slovakia fell to Finland 6-1 in the bronze medal match on Saturday.
For much of the game, it was a tight 2-1 contest, but Finland broke it open midway through the third period with two quick goals in just 42 seconds. They then solidified their victory with a couple of empty-netters.
San Jose Sharks’ winger Pavol Regenda logged 18:49 on Slovakia’s second line, putting in a commendable effort despite the loss. Standing tall at 6-foot-3, Regenda had an impressive Olympics, tallying three goals and five points over six games while averaging 15:43 on the ice. He was a key presence on the power play, often stationed right in front of the net.
Before the tournament, Regenda reflected on what another medal would mean for Slovakia, especially after being part of the team that clinched bronze in 2022. That triumph was celebrated with great fanfare in Bratislava’s town square.
Despite not medaling this time, Slovakia’s performance was commendable. In the first Olympics featuring NHL players since 2014, Slovakia pulled off a stunning upset over Finland with a 4-1 win during the round-robin stage, ultimately emerging as the surprise winner of Group B, ahead of hockey heavyweights like Finland and Sweden.
As Regenda returns to the NHL, the San Jose Sharks are eager to see if he can translate his Olympic scoring prowess back to the league, or continue his strong start in San Jose, where he’s already netted eight goals in 16 games.
Alongside Regenda, Sweden’s Alex Wennberg and Switzerland’s Philipp Kurashev will also return home without a medal. This leaves Canada’s Macklin Celebrini as the sole medalist from the Sharks at the 2026 Olympics. Celebrini and Team Canada are set to face off against the United States for the gold medal at 5:10 AM PT on Sunday.