Slovenia, which finished a surprising seventh at its first men's Olympic tournament in 2014, aspires to success in World Championship competition this season.
photo: © Vanna ANTONELLO
Don’t look now, but Slovenia made a clean sweep of promotions on the men’s side of IIHF events last year. The Slovenes will be playing in the top level of the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship – and Division I Group A of the U20 and U18 championships as well. The last time they did that was back in 2013.
Admittedly, there is one disappointing factor. In the Men’s Final Olympic Ice Hockey Qualification, Slovenia was unfortunately unable to punch its ticket to Milano Cortina 2026 as host Latvia topped Group E to advance. Still, the Slovenes do have a good recent memory related to Italy.
At last year’s Division I Group A tournament in Bolzano, Slovenia finished second to Hungary in the standings. The top two teams earn promotion. While the Hungarians had 11 points off a 3-1-0-1 record, Slovenia, Italy, and Romania finished in a three-way tie with nine points. That meant creating a mini-standings between the three teams to see who would get second place. Slovenia, by virtue of wins over Romania (6-0) and Italy (2-0), took second and earned a place at the big table for 2025. Rok Ticar, the ageless wonder playing in his 12th Worlds, led the team with four goals. And 37-year-old goalie Gasper Kroselj was sensational, posting a 96.0 save percentage.
But 2025 will pose a greater challenge for Slovenia, which will compete in Group A in Stockholm, Sweden, along with Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Latvia, Slovakia, and the hosts, Tre Kronor. Most likely, the Slovenes’ best chance of staying up will be to defeat France when they play on the penultimate day of the group stage (19 May).
Earning promotion at the Worlds has been a challenge for Slovenia, but staying up equally so. They are a classic “elevator team,” often too good for Division I Group A but not quite good enough to be a top level team year-in, year-out. Since 2002, Slovenia has played up ten times and been demoted eight times. Only twice have they moved up and stayed up, but both times it was only for one extra year (2002-03, 2005-06). Their challenge in 2025, of course, will be to stay up a third time.
Nonetheless, the fact that this country appears at all in the top division is a remarkable accomplishment. Currently, Slovenia has just 97 registered male players. Their best-known hockey export remains legendary 37-year-old Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar.
There is some basis for optimism in the junior ranks.
Bled, Slovenia, hosted last year’s WM20 Division I Group B tournament, and the Slovenes didn’t disappoint the home fans. They went a perfect 5-0 to earn promotion, highlighted by a final-day 5-3 win over Ukraine to seal thei first-place finish. Filip Sitar, who finished tied for second in the tournament with five goals, scored twice, including the first period’s only goal and then the game-winner early in the third to break a 3-3 tie. Goalie Lan Kavcic played every minute in the tournament and recorded two shutouts to go with a sparkling 1.20 GAA.
Two players from the team, defender Rozle Bohinc and forward Miha Bericic, also played at the senior Worlds as well. Slovenia will now play in Division I Group A in 2025, and a win there would mean a trip to the IIHF World Junior Championship, something they have never achieved. Since 2004, after the IIHF split Division I into A and B, Slovenia has played in Division I Group A 12 times, being demoted seven times and never finishing higher than third.
Lastly, the U18 national team, playing in the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship Division I Group B in Tallinn, Estonia, also earned promotion for Slovenia. Their achievement was highlighted by a 4-1 record, anxiously achieved after losingtheir opener to Korea 5-3. After that, however, they were perfect, notably against Lithuania, when they won 5-2 to keep the Lithuanians in second place.
Slovenia scored a whopping 29 goals in the tournament, nearly twice as many as any other team, and they had four of the top six scorers in the tournament, including Nik Christian Petrovic, who led the scoring derby with seven goals and 13 points. Four players from this team also played at the U20, including Petrovic, Zan Spari Leben, Maj Tursic Seckar, and Matic Percic.
As with the World Juniors, the Slovenes have never played a top-level U18 Worlds. In the early 2000’s they were consistently in Division I Group A, but finished a heartbreaking second four years running before being demoted. They have never gotten closer.
All in all, it was an impressive 2023-24 season for Slovenia. Three promotions, another chance to play in the top level of the Worlds, and two other chances to make history coming up. There are no guarantees, but 2024-25 promises to be a special time for Slovenia.
Admittedly, there is one disappointing factor. In the Men’s Final Olympic Ice Hockey Qualification, Slovenia was unfortunately unable to punch its ticket to Milano Cortina 2026 as host Latvia topped Group E to advance. Still, the Slovenes do have a good recent memory related to Italy.
At last year’s Division I Group A tournament in Bolzano, Slovenia finished second to Hungary in the standings. The top two teams earn promotion. While the Hungarians had 11 points off a 3-1-0-1 record, Slovenia, Italy, and Romania finished in a three-way tie with nine points. That meant creating a mini-standings between the three teams to see who would get second place. Slovenia, by virtue of wins over Romania (6-0) and Italy (2-0), took second and earned a place at the big table for 2025. Rok Ticar, the ageless wonder playing in his 12th Worlds, led the team with four goals. And 37-year-old goalie Gasper Kroselj was sensational, posting a 96.0 save percentage.
But 2025 will pose a greater challenge for Slovenia, which will compete in Group A in Stockholm, Sweden, along with Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Latvia, Slovakia, and the hosts, Tre Kronor. Most likely, the Slovenes’ best chance of staying up will be to defeat France when they play on the penultimate day of the group stage (19 May).
Earning promotion at the Worlds has been a challenge for Slovenia, but staying up equally so. They are a classic “elevator team,” often too good for Division I Group A but not quite good enough to be a top level team year-in, year-out. Since 2002, Slovenia has played up ten times and been demoted eight times. Only twice have they moved up and stayed up, but both times it was only for one extra year (2002-03, 2005-06). Their challenge in 2025, of course, will be to stay up a third time.
Nonetheless, the fact that this country appears at all in the top division is a remarkable accomplishment. Currently, Slovenia has just 97 registered male players. Their best-known hockey export remains legendary 37-year-old Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar.
There is some basis for optimism in the junior ranks.
Bled, Slovenia, hosted last year’s WM20 Division I Group B tournament, and the Slovenes didn’t disappoint the home fans. They went a perfect 5-0 to earn promotion, highlighted by a final-day 5-3 win over Ukraine to seal thei first-place finish. Filip Sitar, who finished tied for second in the tournament with five goals, scored twice, including the first period’s only goal and then the game-winner early in the third to break a 3-3 tie. Goalie Lan Kavcic played every minute in the tournament and recorded two shutouts to go with a sparkling 1.20 GAA.
Two players from the team, defender Rozle Bohinc and forward Miha Bericic, also played at the senior Worlds as well. Slovenia will now play in Division I Group A in 2025, and a win there would mean a trip to the IIHF World Junior Championship, something they have never achieved. Since 2004, after the IIHF split Division I into A and B, Slovenia has played in Division I Group A 12 times, being demoted seven times and never finishing higher than third.
Lastly, the U18 national team, playing in the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship Division I Group B in Tallinn, Estonia, also earned promotion for Slovenia. Their achievement was highlighted by a 4-1 record, anxiously achieved after losingtheir opener to Korea 5-3. After that, however, they were perfect, notably against Lithuania, when they won 5-2 to keep the Lithuanians in second place.
Slovenia scored a whopping 29 goals in the tournament, nearly twice as many as any other team, and they had four of the top six scorers in the tournament, including Nik Christian Petrovic, who led the scoring derby with seven goals and 13 points. Four players from this team also played at the U20, including Petrovic, Zan Spari Leben, Maj Tursic Seckar, and Matic Percic.
As with the World Juniors, the Slovenes have never played a top-level U18 Worlds. In the early 2000’s they were consistently in Division I Group A, but finished a heartbreaking second four years running before being demoted. They have never gotten closer.
All in all, it was an impressive 2023-24 season for Slovenia. Three promotions, another chance to play in the top level of the Worlds, and two other chances to make history coming up. There are no guarantees, but 2024-25 promises to be a special time for Slovenia.