Gang, the 2026 Winter Olympics start in about a month in scenic Italy, and we’ve seen a flurry of national teams announce their rosters for the men’s hockey tournament.

On Thursday, Slovakia unveiled their roster, featuring seven National Hockey League players, including Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky, Tampa Bay’s Erik Cernak and New Jersey’s Simon Nemec. Conspicuous on the roster was Calgary Flames forward Martin Pospisil, despite having played zero NHL games this season due to injury. (He had originally been named to the Olympic roster in June.)

On the Slovak national team’s website, here’s how Pospisil’s situation was framed: (via Google Translate)

(Editor’s Note: Miroslav Satan is the general manager of the national team.)

Pospisil last played in a pre-season game on Oct. 1, leaving early after getting clipped in the face area during a post-whistle scrum. He participated in a practice shortly afterwards, but left early after taking contact and hasn’t been part of a practice since. He’s been working his way back, to the point where he’s skating alone and has a stall in the Flames locker room again. Recently, when discussing Devin Cooley’s contract, Flames GM Craig Conroy indicated that Pospisil wouldn’t go on the club’s eastern road trip so he could continue skating on his own, with the hope that he could rejoin team practices when they return from the trip.

We’ll see if Pospisil can keep progressing in his injury recovery and have the opportunity to play for Slovakia at the Olympics.

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