Hlavaj to Start for Slovakia Against Sweden in Olympic Matchup

Samuel Hlavaj will start in goal for Slovakia against Sweden on Saturday at the 2026 Winter Olympics. This follows his outstanding performance Wednesday, where he stopped 39 shots in a 4-1 upset win over Finland. Hlavaj has spent most of the 2025-26 campaign with AHL Iowa, posting a 5-9-4 record, a 3.24 GAA, and an .884 save percentage over 18 starts. Sweden has their backs against the wall Saturday, and will likely need to defeat Slovakia by two goals to guarantee advancement into the quarter-finals.