Written by Joe Tetreault | 13 February 2010

Familiarity breeds contempt. How true that old saw is will be tested when the puck drops on Group B action. The four nations know each other quite well, as Russia once ran life in the other three to some extent, but no relationship is as close as the one between Slovakia and the Czech Republic. As such, it's quite appropriate that the Slovak national team will spend their opening game with their former countrymen and neighbors from the Czech Republic. But unlike the Czechs whose medal hopes seem eternally strong, Slovakia, ranked 10th, is at an ebb in their hockey history.

The high point of Slovakian hockey came at the 2002 World Championships, where they won the gold medal. But their Olympic finishes have never landed them on the medal platform. They took fifth place four years ago in Torino, but were 13th in Salt Lake City, due largely to the NHL's decision to send NHLers only to the medal rounds. Slovakia was counting on the presence of those players leaving them frozen out of potential glory.

That limitation won't hold back Slovakia this time. A roster peppered with players competing in the NHL as well as European stars, they are considered a sleeper, good enough to surprise, but maybe a touch too old to wax their competition. But with advancing age comes advancing experience. And after the jump you can read about the benefits that Slovakia's team brings with it. Statistically they are the second oldest team, with only Finland longer in the tooth than Slovakia. But they are a talented lot, hearkening back into their more successful years. Ex NHL stars Zigmund Palffy and Jozef Stumpel both played on the 2002 World Champions. As did Miroslav Satan, Lubos Batecko, Michal Handzus, Martin Strbak, Lubomir Vinovsky.

Captaining the Slovak squad is Bruins defenseman, Zdeno Chara. Chara has represented his home nation before in Olympic competition, potting a goal and adding an assist in six games during the Torino games. He heads up a defensive unit that includes Vinovsky, Strbak, Andrej Sekera of the Sabres, the Blue Jackets' Milan Jurcina, Tampa Bay's Andrej Meszaros and Ivan Baranka of the KHL's HC Spartak Moscow.

The headline scorers will be brothers Marian and Marcel Hossa, assistant captains Marian Gaborik and Pavol Demitra and veterans Richard Zednik, Satan, Palffy and Stumpel. The squads depth up front will be a critical factor as the Slovaks show their age on the front line. The quick pace of international play can rapidly retire older legs to a place on the bench.

Managing game flow and keeping fresh skaters on the ice will fall to head coach Jan Filc. Filc holds a special place in Slovakian Hockey history having helmed the bronze medal winning 1999 under 20 team as well as their 2000 silver medal winning men's team in 2000 and the gold medal squad from 2002. He retired from coaching to take over an executive position with the Slovak hockey federation. With a roster full of players familiar with his style, Filc will lead a team that with a weapon he never had on those very successful teams - a spectacular young goalie.

Jaroslav Halak will work between the pipes for the Slovaks. The Habs starting netminder is among the youngest Slovak players. Not yet 25, he took over the starting job this season and has posted a 2.45 GAA in 29 games with 17 wins and the NHL's fifth best save percentage at .927. Halak has played for a number of Slovakian national teams in international competition. In each tournament, Halak impressed by denying scoring bids from all comers.

Slovakia will need him to keep his wits in a totally unique environment, the grandest stage of international competition against the fiercest competition he'll have ever seen. If Filc can get solid play from his young netminder, coupled with a restoration of his elder statesmen's scoring touch, Team Slovakia may yet find themselves avenging their 2002 Olympic disappointment, a fitting outcome for a team so rooted in Slovakia's days of hockey glory.

Joe Tetreault blogs about sports, culture, business/technology and current events at TetreaultVision in addition to being the Editor for Bloguin's Olympic Hockey Blog.

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