2026 Olympics: Tatar on Slafkovský & Potential Chemistry

At the Winter Olympics in Sochi 2014, he was among the youngest players in the selection. He scored a goal in four games and assisted in one.

However, the Slovaks lost all the meetings of the regular season – 1:7 against the USA, 1:3 against Slovenia and 0:1 after separate raids against Russia. In the round of 16, they were sent out by the Czechs after the result 3:5.

One of the two monuments in the current nomination for Olympic Games 2026 there is also TOMÁŠ TATAR. After 12 years, he returns to the games as the leader of the Slovak hockey team.

“I think every athlete is excited to be able to participate in the Olympics. It’s a huge experience and an honor to represent your country,” he says.

At the meeting of the national team, he answered the questions of the journalists present.

You are one of the two players from the current nomination who experienced the Olympics in Sochi 2014. What are your memories of the Games?

I don’t remember much about it, because I was young and I counted on the fact that another chance would come. The tournament didn’t go well for us, we lost three games and quickly went home.

It was all very fast – arrival, matches, flight back. The performances were not good and the criticism was justified. It is a collective sport and the result is about everyone.

VIDEO: Tomáš Tatar before the 2026 Olympics

After twelve years, players from the NHL are also returning to the Olympics. What does the opportunity to experience such a tournament again mean to you?

It is an excellent opportunity to meet the guys again at such an event. I think every athlete is excited to participate in the Olympics. It is a great experience and an honor to represent your country.

The Olympics is an extraordinary event. If someone had told me in Sochi that after that NHL players would not be able to go to the Olympics, I would have been very disappointed. Unfortunately, that was the development – once the league didn’t let us go, then covid came.

As players, there wasn’t much we could do about it. Coming back after such a long time is a big deal. For every player, it is the top tournament where you can represent the country.

In 2014 at the Olympics in Sochi, you were 24 years old, you were among the youngest players in the selection. Today you are one of the oldest. What did you take from the leaders of the team at the time?

Players like Zdeno Chára or Marián Hossa are role models for me. They gave me a lot. I ask them for their opinions on how to conduct things, how to react. I try to take an example from them.

During your last participation in the national team, you were the captain of the team. If the same opportunity were to come, are you ready to take over the captaincy?

Leaders must do it together. It’s never about one person. Older or designated players need to stick together and set things up to make the cabin work as well as possible.

It’s not just about me. The selection of players for such tasks is also up to the implementation team and coaches. I try to respect everyone and I don’t want to put anyone above others.

It is important that communication works and that everyone in the cabin feels comfortable and can speak openly.

The tournament will be short and intense. Will it be important to add a cohesive cabin from the start?

Certainly yes. The running of the cabin is very important for the team’s success. The advantage is that we mostly know each other, even if younger guys come.

We already had a meeting in the summer because of the Olympics, so the wider selection is known. We are good friends, it is not a completely new environment.

In terms of hockey, it is a short tournament and you have to train things quickly, which is not easy, especially when players from the NHL arrive later. But humanly there should not be a problem.

Slovakia will probably not have as many stars as Canada or the USA. Could the collective be your greatest strength?

When NHL players come, Canada or the USA have selections full of the best players in the world. It’s a great test, especially for guys who haven’t played against them before. They can try it out and compare.

But it’s a collective sport – it’s not about one individual. When you perform well as a team, results can come.

The coach Vladimír Országh mentioned the goal of the top eight, that is, advancement to the quarterfinals. What are your personal ambitions for the tournament?

The key is to master the group. Then it’s about one match that can come out. You have to go step by step. First, progress from the group, then we will set other goals and prepare for the opponent.

After moving to Switzerland, you talked about a new taste for hockey. Do you also feel it towards the national team?

There was always that space for me in the national team. In the club, I now have about 20 minutes on the ice, which is a lot compared to the last season in North America. The player is more in the match, more in the situations.

But it’s still about timing the form for a short tournament. Just a few goals and you feel better. It is short and erratic. It’s not about the individual, it’s about team success.

In Zug, you mostly started as a center. You have not played in this position for many years, in the NHL at all. How did you feel? Do you think you could play center forward in the Olympics?

I feel good there, in some moments maybe even better than on the wing. It is rather a question for the coaches, where they will want to use me. It’s good to know that I can also play center. Formations are up to the coaches, but variability is an advantage.

Goalkeeper Adam Gajan said that he has only watched players like you on TV for the last few years and now he will play with you at the Olympics. How do you want to help young players fit into the team?

I want everyone to feel equal in the cabin. Generational change is normal. Young people need to feel accepted. If they are good people, it won’t be a problem.

I, too, once hesitated about how to treat older players, whether I should poke or kick (laughs). They created a great environment for me and we want to do the same.

In New Jersey, you mentored defender Šimon Nemec. Are you still following his progress?

Definitely. I tried to help him off the ice, on the ice the performances have to speak. I follow him and the whole team. I’m glad he’s doing well, despite his injuries.

He has what it takes to be an important defenseman in the NHL. I am happy to see that other Slovaks are also doing well. They are settling into the NHL and have a future ahead of them.

Juraj Slafkovský and Pavol Regenda are also in good form. Are you ready to supply them with good passes?

I hope they will throw them at me too (laughs). I don’t know how the formations will be put together. The guys are in great shape.

Regenda scores a lot of goals in a short time and with less time on the ice, that’s admirable. I am happy when Slovaks are doing well in the NHL.

During the current season, you were troubled by an injury, for which you also missed several duels in Zug, Switzerland. How are you doing healthily?

Yes. I had minor problems in December, I also missed the tournament in Slovakia, but I did everything to come back after the international break. I rehabilitated it well. Maybe I still feel it a little, but it doesn’t limit my movement. I feel fine.

You recently had your first child – daughter Thia. How did it change your view of hockey and life?

Very much. It’s not just about hockey anymore. My wife and I had a plan to give our career the maximum first, and then the family would come – and it did. We are very happy, both wife and daughter are healthy. It is an incredible joy that a person will understand only when he experiences it.

Was it suddenly harder than usual to leave this time?

Yes. The child changes from week to week. I will be in touch with the family. But it’s my job, I have to take it into account. At the same time, it is a huge honor for me to go to the Olympics. The family understands.

Are you looking forward to finally getting a good night’s sleep during the Olympics?

I’m a good sleeper, so I sleep even when the little one cries. I’m rather sorry to leave.

Will your family come to the tournament to support you in person?

Not yet, we don’t have the documents ready.

You have a daughter at home, you play over 20 minutes in matches. How is your body coping? Do you feel the difference compared to the years when you were younger?

I think I take very good care of my body. That’s also why I didn’t have many serious injuries. Now I missed about ten games for the first time and mentally it was bothering me.

But when you play a lot and take care of yourself, you feel good. What you take away in the summer comes back to you during the season. I still feel good.

Hockey Group B at the 2026 Olympics