Slovenian hockey is back at the top table – and looking to build on last year’s successful campaign in Sweden.
A 13th-place finish at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Ice Hockey Championship represented the first time since 2005 that the country had escaped relegation from the elite pool.
Head coach Edo Terglav, a winger on that 2005 team, pointed out that success was achieved with a team in transition.
“We took some risks last year. We had 12 new guys at the World Championship, some of them were still junior age, but we got the result we wanted,” he said.
“Over the past couple of years, we decided to put more younger guys into the system. We understood that we had to work to get them better, so they were ready to replace some of the older guys who are coming to the end of their careers.
“It’s important to give them that exposure and it went well. In the last two years we won promotion to the top league, then we stayed there.”
Terglav, 46, was speaking at the IIHF European Cup of Nations tournament in Edinburgh earlier this year. Working with another youthful roster, he led his team to second place behind Ukraine but ahead of Poland and host nation Great Britain.
And he was happy with his team’s progress towards Switzerland in May. “This is the first step towards the World Championship,” he said. “We only have two tournaments during the year, so these games are very welcome.”
Rising stars
The February roster added some experience to the team that played European Cup of Nations in November, with the long-serving likes of Robert Sabolic, Rok Ticar and captain Blaz Gregorc added to the Edinburgh roster.
But it’s the scoring form of Olimpija Ljubljana’s Marcel Mahkovac that continues to catch the eye. He had 4 (2+2) in February, and seven points from five games through the international season. That builds on a team-leading 1+3 in Sweden. Not bad for a 22-year-old who made his IIHF debut in the 2024 promotion campaign.
Further afield, 19-year-old defender Jan Golicic, drafted by Tampa Bay in 2024, is one of his country’s brightest prospects. With a huge frame for a young man – 196 cm, 91 kg – he was noted as a hard-hitting, destructive player. But he’s adding some offensive components to his game and this season he has recorded the most productive of his three campaigns in the QMJHL to date.
Although Slovenia has a small player pool, the national federation is excited about the prospects in the system.
“These are passionate hockey players,” said Terglav approvingly. “They are very professional from a young age.
“Maybe that’s the difference from other countries with a lot more players. It’s important that we take care of these players, we’re in regular contact with them and their coaches to make sure that they are progressing well.
“We’re like a small family, trying to take care of each other. It’s not always easy with a lot of young players outside of Slovenia. But bringing young guys to tournaments like this gives them experience – and so far, the plan is working.”
Olympic ambition
As Slovenia’s tournament in Scotland came to an end, the hockey world’s attention was turning towards the Winter Olympics in Milan. In 2014 and 2018, Slovenia was part of that showcase and competed well against the world’s powerhouses.
Now Terglav, who was an assistant coach in PyeongChang, is hoping that his new generation can follow in the footsteps of Anze Kopitar & Co and get back to the Games.
“If you look at the development process, I think it takes maybe two Olympic cycles to build this team,” he said. “We’re in a good place to push, those young guys who are now maybe 21 or 22, they’ll be approaching their peak in a few years.
“I hope in two or three years we can be right there where we want to be. It starts now with trying to stay at the top level for the next couple of years, but we’re happy with what we’re doing right now.
“We’re getting some more new guys onto the team already and with some luck we can maybe be better than last year.”
A 13th-place finish at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Ice Hockey Championship represented the first time since 2005 that the country had escaped relegation from the elite pool.
Head coach Edo Terglav, a winger on that 2005 team, pointed out that success was achieved with a team in transition.
“We took some risks last year. We had 12 new guys at the World Championship, some of them were still junior age, but we got the result we wanted,” he said.
“Over the past couple of years, we decided to put more younger guys into the system. We understood that we had to work to get them better, so they were ready to replace some of the older guys who are coming to the end of their careers.
“It’s important to give them that exposure and it went well. In the last two years we won promotion to the top league, then we stayed there.”
Terglav, 46, was speaking at the IIHF European Cup of Nations tournament in Edinburgh earlier this year. Working with another youthful roster, he led his team to second place behind Ukraine but ahead of Poland and host nation Great Britain.
And he was happy with his team’s progress towards Switzerland in May. “This is the first step towards the World Championship,” he said. “We only have two tournaments during the year, so these games are very welcome.”
Rising stars
The February roster added some experience to the team that played European Cup of Nations in November, with the long-serving likes of Robert Sabolic, Rok Ticar and captain Blaz Gregorc added to the Edinburgh roster.
But it’s the scoring form of Olimpija Ljubljana’s Marcel Mahkovac that continues to catch the eye. He had 4 (2+2) in February, and seven points from five games through the international season. That builds on a team-leading 1+3 in Sweden. Not bad for a 22-year-old who made his IIHF debut in the 2024 promotion campaign.
Further afield, 19-year-old defender Jan Golicic, drafted by Tampa Bay in 2024, is one of his country’s brightest prospects. With a huge frame for a young man – 196 cm, 91 kg – he was noted as a hard-hitting, destructive player. But he’s adding some offensive components to his game and this season he has recorded the most productive of his three campaigns in the QMJHL to date.
Although Slovenia has a small player pool, the national federation is excited about the prospects in the system.
“These are passionate hockey players,” said Terglav approvingly. “They are very professional from a young age.
“Maybe that’s the difference from other countries with a lot more players. It’s important that we take care of these players, we’re in regular contact with them and their coaches to make sure that they are progressing well.
“We’re like a small family, trying to take care of each other. It’s not always easy with a lot of young players outside of Slovenia. But bringing young guys to tournaments like this gives them experience – and so far, the plan is working.”
Olympic ambition
As Slovenia’s tournament in Scotland came to an end, the hockey world’s attention was turning towards the Winter Olympics in Milan. In 2014 and 2018, Slovenia was part of that showcase and competed well against the world’s powerhouses.
Now Terglav, who was an assistant coach in PyeongChang, is hoping that his new generation can follow in the footsteps of Anze Kopitar & Co and get back to the Games.
“If you look at the development process, I think it takes maybe two Olympic cycles to build this team,” he said. “We’re in a good place to push, those young guys who are now maybe 21 or 22, they’ll be approaching their peak in a few years.
“I hope in two or three years we can be right there where we want to be. It starts now with trying to stay at the top level for the next couple of years, but we’re happy with what we’re doing right now.
“We’re getting some more new guys onto the team already and with some luck we can maybe be better than last year.”