The arena is shaking – and the first surprise is perfect.

Even before Italy's men made their Olympic debut in Milan and Cortina, the tournament began with a bang – in many respects. The favored Finns were brought to their knees by Slovakia (and their frenzied fans).

February 11, 2026

From: leo

For twelve long years, ice hockey fans around the globe had to wait for this moment. Finally, the best players in the world were meeting again on the international stage. The roles were clearly defined: The Finns, packed with 24 NHL players, were aiming for a perfect start in their group with Italy against underdog Slovakia. Instead, the Eastern Europeans pulled off a major upset in the packed Santa Giulia Arena – the final score was 4-1.

Even in recent days – during the women's tournament – the atmosphere in the larger of the two Olympic arenas was lively. This afternoon, however, the noise level rose even higher, primarily due to the numerous Slovakian fans in attendance. They were able to celebrate the first goal after about eight minutes when Juraj Slafkovsky capitalized on a defensive error and beat Finland's goalkeeper, Juuse Saros.

Hlavaj secures victory

The Scandinavians dictated the play from then on, but time and again they were thwarted by goaltender Samuel Hlavaj. The 24-year-old, along with two-goal scorer Slafkovsky, was one of the two match-winners with a save percentage of 97,5 percent. Even after Eeli Tolvanen's beautifully executed equalizer at the start of the second period, Hlavaj remained focused – and virtually unbeatable.

Samuel Hlavaj drove the Finns to despair. © APA/afp / -

Dalibor Dvorsky scored the game-winning goal in the 48th minute, putting away a rebound. Just three minutes later, Slafkovsky struck again. The Montreal Canadiens star fired a power-play shot into the top corner. The Finns then threw everything forward, but Hlavaj proved unbeatable. Finally, Adam Ruzicka sealed the victory with an empty-net goal. The arena, packed with over 11.000 fans, erupted.