Slovakia, Regenda Qualify for 2026 Olympics

Slovakia's men's ice hockey team participated in a three-game round-robin tournament from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 in Bratislava, Slovakia, with the winner of which qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy Feb. 6 through Feb. 22, 2026.

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Slovakia emerged victorious in every game, winning 2-1 against Austria, 7-3 against Hungary, and 3-1 against Kazakhstan.

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Slovakia will play in "Group C" at the 2026 Olympics and match up against the United States, Russia (should they participate), and Latvia. If Russia doesn't participate, France will replace them.

Anaheim Ducks forward Pavol Regenda (24) represented Slovakia in a third-line role at the tournament and played on the team's top power play unit. He finished the three games with two goals on 11 shots and 12 penalty minutes.

“It’s really weird,” Regenda told The Hockey News' Derek O'Brien regarding playing such important games at this time of year. “But it’s a great test after summer. It’s good for me heading into training camp in Anaheim, and I think this will help me as far as conditioning, and having big game experience. That’s good for me and I have to use that to my advantage.”

The 6-foot-4, 212-pound Regenda has represented Slovakia at three consecutive IIHF World Championships from 2022 to 2024, scoring 14 points in 23 games. Additionally, he made Slovakia's Olympic roster for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China, where he scored four points in seven games en route to a bronze medal.

The most likely fellow Ducks players to participate in the 2026 Olympics are Leo Carlsson for Sweden, Urho Vaakanainen for Finland, Radko Gudas for Czechia, and Lukas Dostal for Czechia.

Ducks Sign Regenda to One-Year Contract

Regenda was signed to a two-year contract carrying an AAV of $855K with the Ducks before the 2022-23 season. In his two seasons in the organization, he's played 19 NHL games, tallying a goal and two assists while averaging 10:49 TOI.

He's found more substantial success in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls, scoring 32 goals and 59 points in 104 career games.

On July 5, Regenda signed a one-year contract extension with the Ducks that will carry an AAV of $775K. He will remain waiver-exempt for the 2024-25 season and an RFA upon expiry.

Ducks forward to help Slovakia qualify for 2026 Olympics

Regenda seems to epitomize the characteristics Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek prioritizes with forwards at the bottom of the lineup; north/south tendencies, heavy and disruptive forechecking, and relentless yet skillful acumen around the net and in small areas of the ice.

An injury caused him to miss six weeks from Nov. 29 to Jan 10 in 2023-24 but scored at a 25-goal pace.

“My goal is just to have a great camp and fit into the lineup and be a full-season player,” Regenda said. “I think I can play in the NHL and I know what I have to do to be there. That’s what I’ve been focusing on all summer, and that’s what I have to show them.”

With a strong training camp and Verbeek's desire to add production at the bottom of the Ducks' lineup, Regenda could see significant time in the NHL in 2024-25, but will most likely start the season in the AHL with the Gulls.

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