Calgary Flames forward Martin Pospisil recorded an assist as Team Slovakia defeated Team Austria by a 2-1 score on Thursday in their tournament opener at the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s ice hockey qualifying tournament in Bratislava.
Pospisil picked up the primary assist on defenceman Martin Gernat’s opening goal for the Slovaks at the 12:16 mark of the second period. The 24-year-old forward threaded the puck through a narrow seam right into the slot, where Gernat found it and rifled a quick shot past Austrian goaltender David Kickert.
Kristian Pospisil, Martin’s older brother, picked up the secondary assist on Gernat’s first goal of the tournament. The 31-year-old Gernat was originally drafted by the Edmonton Oilers with a fifth-round pick in 2011, although he never played for the team.
Martin Gernat breaks the deadlock at 32:16 for Slovakia. Martin Pospisil with the primary assist. pic.twitter.com/2NbpCuzPSF
— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) August 29, 2024
The two Pospisil brothers started on Team Slovakia’s third line with Pavol Regenda, who skated in five games with the Anaheim Ducks during the 2023-24 season. The younger Pospisil finished the game with a team-high four shots on goal and a plus-one rating.
The Flames originally selected Pospisil in the fourth round (No. 105 overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. The Zvolen, Slovakia product spent parts of five seasons with the AHL’s Stockton Heat and Calgary Wranglers before stealing a full-time spot with the Flames early in the 2023-24 campaign.
The 6’2″, 173-pound Pospisil collected eight goals and 24 points while averaging 12:43 of ice time in 63 games with the Flames during the 2023-24 regular season. In February, the Flames rewarded Pospisil with a two-year contract extension worth $1 million per season.
Although he spent most of his first NHL season playing on Nazem Kadri’s right side, Pospisil is a natural centre who spent the majority of Thursday’s game as the pivot on Slovakia’s third forward line. It remains to be seen which (if any) of Pospisil, Connor Zary, and Yegor Sharangovich the Flames elect to deploy at centre in the 2024-25 season.
Utah HC forward prospect Milos Kelemen scored the eventual winning goal for Team Slovakia at the 14:48 mark of the second period, with Columbus Blue Jackets defence prospect Samuel Knazko recording the primary assist. Top Montreal Canadiens prospect David Reinbacher set up Austria’s only goal, scored by veteran defenceman Dominique Heinrich, with eight seconds remaining in the middle frame.
The Pospisils and Team Slovakia will return to action on Friday to take on Team Hungary in their second game of the Olympic qualifiers in Bratislava.
