Slovakia earns the biggest defeat in its hockey history: 'The best loss of my life'

A late goal might put Slovakia into the Olympic quarterfinals as the winner of Group B in a tiebreaker, even after losing 5-3 to Sweden.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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In a surprising turn of events, Slovakia's 5-3 loss to Sweden in the men's hockey tournament at the 2026 Olympics might actually work in their favor. Despite the defeat, a late goal by 20-year-old Dalibor Dvorský has given Slovakia the goal differential tiebreaker over Sweden and Finland in Group B, potentially allowing them to claim first place and an automatic bye to the quarterfinals if Finland beats Italy later.

Why it matters

Slovakia is traditionally an international hockey underdog, but with a roster that includes six NHL players, they are hoping to make a statement at the Olympics. The performance of their star forward Juraj Slafkovský, who is tied for the tournament scoring lead, has been a bright spot, and this unexpected result could give the team a major boost heading into the knockout rounds.

The details

With Sweden leading 5-2 late in the third period, Slovakia was awarded a power play. Coach Vladimír Országh called a timeout to calm his top players, and Slafkovský was able to set up Dvorský for a goal with 39 seconds remaining. This made the final score 5-3 to Sweden, but crucially gave Slovakia the goal differential tiebreaker over their Group B rivals.

  • With 8:14 remaining in regulation, Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond gave Sweden a 5-2 lead with a spectacular between-the-legs goal.
  • With 2:38 left in regulation, Raymond was called for slashing, giving Slovakia a power play.
  • With 39 seconds remaining, Dalibor Dvorský scored to make the final score 5-3 to Sweden.

The players

Dalibor Dvorský

A 20-year-old rookie with the St. Louis Blues who scored a late goal in Slovakia's 5-3 loss to Sweden.

Juraj Slafkovský

A star forward for Slovakia who is tied for the tournament scoring lead with 6 points in 3 games, including a goal in the loss to Sweden.

Lucas Raymond

A Detroit Red Wings forward who scored a spectacular between-the-legs goal to give Sweden a 5-2 lead late in the game.

Vladimír Országh

The head coach of the Slovak national hockey team.

Martin Fehérváry

A defenseman on the Slovak national hockey team.

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What they’re saying

“It's the best loss of my life, probably.”

— Dalibor Dvorský (New York Times)

“There was not much talking about it.”

— Juraj Slafkovský (New York Times)

“I think it's really important to be as one team, especially for a team like us. We don't have as big names like Sweden or like Canada, right? But we got Slaf-goal-sky.”

— Martin Fehérváry, Defenseman (New York Times)

“What a game. I've never celebrated a loss. Everything has a first time.”

— Juraj Slafkovský (New York Times)

What’s next

If Finland beats Italy in regulation later on Saturday, Slovakia will claim first place in Group B and earn an automatic bye to the quarterfinals of the Olympic hockey tournament.

The takeaway

This unexpected result showcases Slovakia's resilience and the emergence of young star Juraj Slafkovský as a force to be reckoned with on the international hockey stage. Even in defeat, the team has found a way to put themselves in position to advance deep into the tournament, proving that they can compete with the hockey powerhouses.