He was smiling, joking – he had a reason for it. Under his leadership, the Slovaks played the role of favorites in the home tournament and achieved the desired goal.
Photo: fb hockey slovakia
The head of the Slovakian shift team, Craig Ramsay.
Craig Ramsay was also understandably happy about Slovakia’s ice hockey players advancing to the 2026 Olympics in Milan.
His selection, made up of players from the NHL, AHL, KHL and European leagues, gradually defeated Austria, Hungary and Kazakhstan, and although it was not a completely sovereign ride, the home team finally celebrated progress and the ninth participation in the Olympic hockey tournament in the era of independence.
“I am definitely satisfied with the overall result. In the match against Kazakhstan, we started well and had other chances to lead by more goals.
The opponent then improved the game, we lost Regenda for 10 minutes, Roman replaced him excellently. Thanks to the reliable Hlavaj, we managed the end and we can be happy about the accomplished goal,” said Ramsay.
Hlavaj was one of the best players at the tournament and it is no coincidence that this season he nailed his position and became the clear number one in the national team.
While at last year’s WC in Latvia they alternated with Stanislav Škorvánek, at the championship in the Czech Republic he was already the preferred choice of the coaches and the first goalkeeper. He caught all three matches in Bratislava.
“In key moments, he kept the team up with important saves, in all matches. He also showed quality passing, but I don’t really like it when the goalkeeper has the puck so often and tries to play. Anyway, he showed that he doesn’t have a problem with that either.
Does he have a chance in the NHL? Definitely yes. He is tall, he can move the puck well, he learned a lot from Jan Lašák. We’ll see how his career continues,” he said about Hlavaj.
Photo: ČTK / Paprskář Pavel
head Samuel Hlavaj at the World Cup 2024 in the Czech Republic.
The seasoned coach, who will celebrate his 74th birthday next year, has been leading the Slovaks since 2017. Before qualifying, he extended his cooperation with the association for another year, currently he has a contract until the end of the 2024/2025 season.
Logically, the question was directed at him, whether he will stand on the Slovak relay team at the Olympic Games in Milan, where the Slovaks will defend the sensational bronze medal from Beijing.
The tournament in Italy will be extraordinary, for the first time before the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, hockey players from the best league in the world – the NHL – will appear.
And that’s a huge challenge for someone like Ramsay, who has been in the pro league as a player and coach for nearly four decades.
“Milan? That would mean another year and a half as a coach, ajajaj… But it is something that is hard to refuse. However, it will be seen how I will be (health-wise) in the coming years.
Returning to the Olympics with Slovakia, putting together a strong team and playing against the best hockey players in the world is a big attraction,” Ramsay admitted.
His eyes light up when he remembers his success in Beijing. When he talks about the Slovak national team, which defied the favorites in China and played an excellent tournament, you can feel his pride.
“We showed great hockey in Beijing. It fills me with pride, how the team is able to motivate itself to high-quality performances, especially when it is necessary. I would like to be a part of it again,” he wished.
When asked when he will make a verdict on whether he will lead the Slovaks in Milan as well, he joked: “I will decide a week before the Olympics…”
The Canadian coach is currently enjoying his vacation, as he said, he and his wife Susan are going to travel around Slovakia.
Ramsay will return to work in about two months. The traditional event – the German Cup, which will take place in Landshut this year – awaits Slovaks from November 6 to 10.
Source: sportweb.pravda.sk
