Buffalo 2025 Team Preview: Get to know Slovakia

Slovakia is one of the eight teams competing at the 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool, which will take place from 24-31 May in Buffalo, New York, USA. Hosted in conjunction with USA Hockey at LECOM Harborcenter, the tournament will feature three days of group play followed by three days of playoff contests. 

The top five finishers from the event will earn qualification spots for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. The bottom three finishers will be forced to compete at the Paralympic Winter Games Qualification Tournament that will take place later in 2025.

Here is all you need to know about Slovakia.

Background 

Slovakia, seeded No. 6, has one of the fastest-growing Para ice hockey programmes and is proving a force to be reckoned with, having stayed in the A-Pool for a second consecutive season for the first time in history. A four-time medalist at the B-Pool level, Slovakia pulled a stunner in the A-Pool event last year with an upset of Korea in the preliminary round, and then went on to beat Italy in the playoffs before achieving its highest-ever finish of sixth place. It is looking to return to the Paralympic stage after making its Winter Games debut in the sport in Beijing in 2022.

World Championships History

2024: 6th place (A-Pool)
2023: Silver (B-Pool)
2021: 8th place (A-Pool)
2019: Silver (B-Pool)
2016: Bronze (B-Pool)
2015: Bronze (B-Pool)

🥅 A PENALTY SHOT AND A TIED HOCKEY GAME! 🚨

🇸🇰 Team Slovakia's Martin Joppa outsmarts the Korean goalie and makes it a 2-2 game in the final period!@HockeyCanada | @ParaSport | #Calgary2024 | #ParaIceHockey

— Para Ice Hockey (@paraicehockey) May 7, 2024

Athlete to Watch

Previously an ice hockey goaltender before a car accident changed his life in 2005, Martin Joppa has been Slovakia’s star forward during its entire meteoric rise and continues to be so with every World Championships. Last year in Calgary, he scored two goals two games in a row, proving to be the deciding factor in both of Slovakia’s victories. 

Matchup to Watch 

Slovakia faces Czechia in the opening game of the tournament at 10:00 local time on Saturday, 24 May. Not only will this epic European matchup kick off the event, but it will also be a crucial early game for Slovakia if it is looking to remain in the A-Pool and avoid having to play in the Paralympic Qualification Tournament later in the year. If Slovakia can sneak past Czechia, it has a strong chance at winning two of its three games in the group stage.

Game Schedule

Saturday, 24 May
10:00 - Czechia vs. Slovakia

Sunday, 25 May
13:30 - Slovakia vs. USA

Tuesday, 27 May
17:00 - Norway vs. Slovakia

More information about the Buffalo 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships can be found here.