On the morning following the team’s 7-0 pre-tournament loss to Canada, the Slovak national U-18 team announced its roster for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which starts on Monday.

“We’re very grateful for the game against Canada despite the unfavorable result,” said Slovak coach Mardin Dendis. “We got a taste of the pace that awaits us, and we gained a lot of valuable knowledge that we’ll be able to use towards the tournament.”

“I think we put heart into the game today,” said forward Michal Plančár. “We need to work on some tactical things, and if we do that, we should do better. We’re only focusing on the next game. We’re not looking beyond that.”

Plančár, who plays junior hockey in Finland, is one of 13 players based outside of Slovakia on the team. They include two who play major-junior and one who plays junior A in Canada, one who plays in the USHL and two more who play high-school or midget AAA hockey in the United States. Of those based in Europe, four play in Finland, two in neighboring Czechia and one in Sweden.

All of the players on the team were born in 2008 except for 16-year-old Oliver Ozogány, who plays for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. For all of the players, this is their first Hlinka Gretzky Cup but three – goaltender Samuel Hrenák and defensemen Adam Goljer and Filip Kovalčík – were part of the Slovak team that finished fourth at the most recent IIHF U-18 World Championship.

“We’re very excited,” Dendis continued. “For me personally, this is the third Hlinka Gretzky Cup. For the guys, it’s the first, but we feel that they’re really motivated to play in front of the home fans. We’re all looking forward to it.”

Goaltenders: Denis Čelko (HC Oceláři Třinec, CZE), Samuel Hrenák (HK Dukla Trenčín).

Defensemen: Tibor Baran (Windy City Storm, USA), Roderik Černák (HC Slovan Bratislava), Tomáš Dedík (HOBA Bratislava), Jakub Floriš (Lukko Rauma, FIN), Adam Goljer (HK Dukla Trenčín), Filip Kovalčík (HK Dukla Trenčín), Michal Maršálek (Boston Hockey Academy, USA), Dávid Stančík (HC Košice).

Forwards: Lucian Bernát (Tappara Tampere, FIN), Juraj Jonas Ďurčo (Charlottetown Islanders, QMJHL), Samuel Hybský (HKM Zvolen), Jonáš Kopačka (Lidingö Vikings, SWE), Alexej Kubat (HC Olomouc, CZE), Matúš Lukáčik (Prince George Spruce Kings, BCHL), Ivan Matta (HK Dukla Michalovce), Adam Obušek (HOBA Bratislava), Oliver Ozogány (Tri-City Storm, USHL), Michal Plančár (SaiPa Lappeenranta, FIN), Juraj Rausa (HKM Zvolen), Kristián Rezničák (HK Dukla Trenčín), Matej Stankoven (Brampton Steelheads, OHL), Ondrej Tariška (KalPa Kuopio, FIN), Tobias Zvolenský (HKM Zvolen).