When Czechia announced its 24-man roster for this summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Thursday, the player that received the most attention was 16-year-old Vladimír Dravecký Jr – a dual Czech-American citizen with Slovak parents who will be eligible for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Dravecký was born in the United States while his father, Slovak hockey player Vladimír Dravecký Sr., was a member of the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs, a farm team of the Los Angeles Kings. In 2014, when Junior was seven years old, his father began playing in the Czech Extraliga for Oceláři Třinec and, incredibly, he still plays there today at age 39. Junior thus became a naturalized Czech citizen.
Over the past couple of seasons, Dravecký Jr represented Slovak U17 and U18 national teams at unofficial events, and last season he played in Slovakia for HC Košice to try to gain eligibility to represent his parents' homeland.
So when he appeared on the Czech roster this year, some Slovaks wanted to know what happened.
Dravecký Jr had already offered this explanation:
-I have lived in the Czech Republic since I was six years old. It is the country where I have spent most of my life. It is where I learned to play hockey, where I feel at home and where I have the most friends. I was born in the US, so I have an American passport, but I don’t feel at home in the United States, even though it is my native country.
Considering my roots, I received an offer to represent Slovakia, I played for them several times in youth categories and at one point I seriously considered this possibility. That’s also why I spent the last year in Slovakia so that one day I could choose freely. I want to play international hockey and I wasn’t feeling much interest from Slovakia at the moment, which, of course, I fully respect.
Because I am a person who has lived in the Czech Republic for many years, I have gone through all the schools here and I have played for a Czech club since elementary school, I consider my decision to be natural. I am at home in Třinec, I understand the Czech language, and 90 percent of all my hockey experiences are connected with the Czech Republic.
I don’t feel any grudge against Slovakia. I have always felt more Czechoslovak inside and there will always be a big part of Slovakia in me. There’s no other way.
Pressed for a reply, the Slovak Ice Hockey Association offered this to journalist Matej Derej of Denník Šport:
-Regarding Vladimír Dravecký Jr., for whom the upcoming season is crucial for his hockey future, we were counting on his availability for the prestigious Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August and the U18 World Championship, which we openly communicated to him.
The Slovak Ice Hockey Association, after difficult negotiations with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), managed to arrange the granting of an exception so that Dravecký could be part of the Slovak national team without playing in Slovakia for 16 consecutive months. The IIHF granted the request so that he would not be deprived of the opportunity to represent his country.
However, the SIHA did not automatically guarantee the player a place in the team at the expense of other players. The Slovak national team is chosen by a team of experienced coaches based on the need to use players in certain game situations, according to their current form and not based on their name, the club they play for, or draft forecasts.
Vladimír Dravecký Jr. decided to represent the Czech Republic despite the efforts and communication of SIHA representatives with the player himself, his parents and his agent. We wish him much success in his future career.
It should be noted that Dravecký Jr has committed to playing for Rögle BK in Sweden for the 2024-25 season.