In the first Olympics featuring NHL players in a dozen years, the first star of the tournament comes from the AHL.
That’s the goalie from Iowa playing for Slovakia, Samuel Hlavaj. And no, he hasn’t even been good in the AHL this year.
Hlavaj ranks 44th in save percentage in AHL action this season, at 88.4%.
You wouldn’t have known it watching on Wednesday when Slovakia took on Finland.
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The Finnish team has NHL players in all but one of its roster spots. Slovakia has just seven current NHL players.
And there was Hlavaj, standing on his head. He had 38 saves, a new Slovak Olympic record.
Slovakia 4, Finland 1.
The tournament’s first upset needed just a single game.
It just needed a goalie to level up in a major way on the biggest stage in world hockey.
It doesn’t get much cooler than this.
i love the olympics because you’ll get a guy who has an .884 save percentage in the AHL looking like one of the greatest goalies in the world
— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) February 11, 2026
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There’s no telling if Hlavaj can keep this up.
But there is something true about postseason and tournament hockey: The team with the goalie on a heater is dangerous.
Hlavaj is locked in. And because of that, Slovakia could surprise.
