Vladimir Orszagh to lead Slovakia at Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics
Through the year 2026, the Slovak path toward the Winter Olympics will form a new chapter in the book behind the coaching bench. Former
NHL
forward Vladimir Orszagh was appointed head coach after many years of international and professional experience.
The decision follows his interim head coach role at the 2025 IIHF World Championship and is another signal from the Slovak hockey authorities toward planning.
With NHL players returning for the Olympics, Slovakia now hopes to regain the bronze medal-winning form under his stewardship from 2022.
Vladimir Orszagh's journey from player to Olympic coach
In his first act as the full-time head coach, replacing an ailing Ramsay toward the end of the 2025 World Championship, Vladimir Orszagh now takes the helm for the upcoming Olympics.
Slovakia ranked 11th out of 16 in that tournament-they were hardly at their best-but it gave Orszagh that great international experience. He knows the national setup well as the former assistant coach to Ramsay during the 2018 Olympics and several World Championship campaigns.
Orszagh's coaching bio will tell you that he spent the 2022-23 season coaching in the top-tier league in Slovakia, Banská Bystrica, in his second season.
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As a player, he had a solid career, producing 119 points in 289 NHL contests from 1997 through 2006 with the New York Islanders, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues. Orszagh competed internationally for Slovakia five times at the World Championships and also at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
Early, rather than mature, 2026 Olympic roster composition in balance with a mix of experience and youth
Slovakia has already named six Olympic roster players worthy of mention for having NHL years behind them as defense, while promising forwards are being named to the team.
Erik Cernak, Martin Fehervary, and Simon Nemec will take care of the blue line, while the offensive line of Martin Pospisil, Juraj Slafkovsky, and veteran Tomas Tatar will soak up the glory. With a few more announcements to come later this year, this core group already shows that Slovakia wants to mix the old with the young on the big stage.
The event to be held from February 11 to 22 will be the return of Slovakia to NHL-level Olympic-level competitions.
The team will seek, under Orszagh, to follow in the footsteps of finishing 3rd at the event in 2022 or any better ranking.
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Vladimir Orszagh's promotion brought about a major turn for Slovakian ice hockey, melding experiences from different segments of both on-ice and coaching. With NHL players expected to come back into the Olympic arena in 2026, the preparations under the Orszaghs' leadership will be intensely scrutinized.
The challenge lies in propelling forward a legacy left by Craig Ramsay while developing a respectable road to success for the national team.
FAQs
1. Why did Vladimir Orszagh replace Craig Ramsay?
Ans- Orszagh started as an interim coach when Ramsay went into illness during the 2025 World Championship and was then reinstated to the full-time position.
2. What NHL experience does Vladimir Orszagh have?
Ans- Orszagh represented the Islanders, Predators, and Blues in the NHL for nine seasons, putting up 119 points in 289 games.
3. When will the rest of Slovakia's Olympic roster be announced?
Ans- The complete roster is forwarded to be finalized and announced later in 2025.
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