Sharks’ Regenda Proud Of Slovakia Despite 4th Place Finish

San Jose Sharks forward Pavol Regenda returns from the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 without a medal, but a ton of national pride.

The Slovakian was a solid contributor for Team Slovakia, scoring 3 goals and adding 2 assists in 6 games. The winger had two goals in three knockout round games, while playing a pivotal physical role.

Slovakia was the darling of the Olympics, with many neutral fans rooting for their success. The small nation of approximately 5.4 million made their country proud with their fourth-place finish. Despite not earning a medal, the Sharks forward is proud of his team.

“Everybody was kind of frustrated, sad. We didn’t finish as we planned. You’re top four, you want to finish with something on your neck,” Regenda said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to look like it was a big tournament, big names, big teams, and we have to be proud. Coming into a tournament, I don’t think anybody in the world could believe with us, and we can finish in the top four.”

The San Jose Sharks forward won’t be in the lineup against the Calgary Flames on Thursday, likely due to his re-acclimation to the West Coast. Regenda and a couple of other Slovakian players were stranded in New York for two days due to the snowstorms.

“We hung out together, spent some more time, tried to go get some food, but all the restaurants are closed,” Regenda told reporters. “Then we tried to go to Manhattan, [but] everything was closed there. We just [hung] out together. It was a nice time, tried to relax a little bit and spend more time with those guys.”

Slovakia was led by Montreal Canadiens’ young star Juraj Slafkovsky during the Olympics. The 21-year-old was the reigning tournament MVP, having won it as a 17-year-old in 2022. The 2022 No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft didn’t disappoint yet again.

Slafkovsky scored four goals and four assists in Slovakia’s six games. Former NHLer Tomas Tatar was the captain of Slovakia, but Regenda said that the team looked to Slafkovsky as a big leader.

“They call him Mr. Olympic back home. Last Olympics four years ago, I think he was 17. He still wore a cage, and he was the MVP of the tournament. We won the Bronze Medal because of him, probably,” Regenda said. “He came into this tournament, and you could feel that he put a weight on his back. Tried to help the team and carry the team.

First game, I think he has two plus one against Finland, which makes our [team] win. You could feel like he grew into a superstar. He signed a big deal. You know, he’s a big player in Montreal, and you could feel his presence.

He was a really strong [and] confident. Every time we come to a tournament like this, he’s our leader. He’s probably the biggest star ever in Slovakia. Nobody was drafted first [until] him. You could feel it. He brought us a lot of points and a lot of leadership as well. But then he’s like, 21. He’s still young, so he probably has like, four Olympics more.”