{{Short description|Slovak ice hockey player (born 2001)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox ice hockey biography | name = Samuel Hlavaj | halloffame = | image = 2024-02-17 HC Energie Karlovy Vary gegen HC Škoda Plzeň (Extraliga, Hockey Outdoor Triple Klingenthal) by Sandro Halank–010.jpg | image_size = 230px | alt = | caption = Hlavaj with HC Škoda Plzeň in 2024 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|5|29|df=y}} | birth_place = Martin, Slovakia | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 4 | weight_lb = 218 | position = Goaltender | catches = Left | league = NHL | team = Minnesota Wild | prospect_team = Iowa Wild | prospect_league = AHL | former_teams = HC Slovan Bratislava<br>HC Škoda Plzeň | ntl_team = SVK | draft = Undrafted | career_start = 2017 | career_end = | website = }} '''Samuel Hlavaj''' (born 29 May 2001) is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hlavaj has played for Slovakia senior team in the World Championships of 2023 and 2024.
==Playing career== ===Junior=== Hlavaj signed for Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League (USHL) during the 2018–19 season.<ref name="signedlincoln">{{cite web|url=https://sportnet.sme.sk/spravy/samuel-hlavaj-bude-pokracovat-v-klube-lincoln-stars/|title=Hlavaj poputuje do zámorskej USHL, dohodol sa s Lincoln Stars|language=sk|work=sme.sk|date=30 December 2018|access-date=24 May 2024}}</ref> The following season, 2019–20, Hlavaj played for Canadian side Sherbrooke Phoenix, during which time he won the Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.teraz.sk/hokej/slovensky-brankar-hlavaj-s-trofejou-ja/456233-clanok.html|title=Slovenský brankár Hlavaj s Trofejou Jacquesa Plantea|language=sk|work=teraz.sk|date=28 March 2020|access-date=3 April 2025}}</ref>
===Professional=== Back in Europe, he played for Slovak team HC Slovan Bratislava for two seasons, before joining Czech side HC Škoda Plzeň in May 2023, signing a two-year contract.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.idnes.cz/hokej/extraliga/samuel-hlavaj-skoda-plzen-prestup-brankar-posila.A230501_091257_hokej_huda|title=Hokejová Plzeň podepsala nového brankáře, do klubu přichází Slovák Hlavaj|trans-title= Plzeň hockey signed a new goaltender, Slovak Hlavaj comes to the club|language=cs|work=idnes.cz|date=1 May 2023|access-date=24 May 2024}}</ref>
On 5 April 2024, after completing his first season with Plzeň, Hlavaj enacted his NHL out clause after agreeing to terms with the Minnesota Wild on a two-year, entry-level contract starting with the 2024–25 NHL season.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/minnesota-wild-signs-hlavaj-040524|title=Minnesota Wild Signs Goalie Samuel Hlavaj to Entry-Level Contract|work=NHL.com|date=5 April 2024|access-date=24 May 2024}}</ref>
==International play== Hlavaj played for the Slovakia men's national junior ice hockey team at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.<ref name="signedlincoln"/> Hlavaj started three games for Slovakia at the 2023 IIHF World Championship. At the 2024 IIHF World Championship he didn't play in Slovakia's opening game,<ref name="2024opener">{{cite web|url=https://sportnet.sme.sk/spravy/samuel-hlavaj-slovensko-kazachstan-najazdy-spomienka-ms-v-hokeji-2024/|title=Hlavaj spomína na kazašské nájazdy: Šiel som na párky a utieral si z úst kečup aj horčicu|language=sk|work=sme.sk|date=11 May 2024|access-date=2 April 2025}}</ref> but made five appearances, including a 4–0 win against Poland in which he completed a shutout.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.idnes.cz/hokej/ms-2024/hokej-ms-slovensko-polsko-ohlas-samuel-hlavaj.A240516_000254_ms-hokej-2024_drev|title=Hlavaj po výhře nad outsiderem: Cítil jsem se hůř než proti Americe|trans-title=Hlavaj after victory against outsider: I felt worse than against America|language=cs|work=idnes.cz|date=16 May 2024|access-date=2 April 2025}}</ref> At the tournament Hlavaj wore a mask with an image of Juraj Jánošík on it.<ref name="2024opener"/>
In August 2024 he was included in the Slovakia squad for the qualification tournament for the 2026 Winter Olympics,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.idnes.cz/hokej/reprezentace/slovensko-nominace-kvalifikace-olympiady-rusko-khl.A240819_092130_reprezentace_hrj|title=Slováci berou hráče z KHL. Šatan vyjel na novináře: Jsme apolitická instituce |trans-title= Slovaks take players from the KHL. Šatan attacks journalists: We are an apolitical institution|language=cs|work=idnes.cz|date=19 August 2024|access-date=24 May 2024}}</ref> in which he played, and resulted in Slovakia, as well as Denmark and Latvia, qualifying.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sport.cz/clanek/hokej-hokejiste-lotysska-si-v-kvalifikaci-vybojovali-ucast-na-olympijskych-hrach-5035760|title=Hokejisté Slovenska, Lotyšska a Dánska postoupili na ZOH 2026|language=cs|work=Czech News Agency|date=1 September 2024|access-date=2 April 2025}}</ref>
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:75%" |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! align="center" rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! align="center" colspan="9" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | Regular season ! align="center" rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! align="center" colspan="8" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | Playoffs |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! W ! L ! OT ! MIN ! GA ! SO ! GAA ! SV% ! GP ! W ! L ! MIN ! GA ! SO ! GAA ! SV% |- ALIGN="center" | 2017–18 | MHA Martin | Slovak.20 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 419 | 22 | 0 | 3.15 | .917 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2017–18 | HK Orange 20 | Slovak | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 8.67 | .714 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" | 2017–18 | HK Orange 20 | Slovak.1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 283 | 17 | 0 | 3.61 | .877 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2018–19 | HK Orange 20 | Slovak | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 212 | 21 | 0 | 5.95 | .861 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" | 2018–19 | HK Orange 20 | Slovak.1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 119 | 2 | 1 | 1.01 | .957 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2018–19 | Lincoln Stars | USHL | 22 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 1178 | 90 | 0 | 4.58 | .862 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" | 2019–20 | Sherbrooke Phoenix | QMJHL | 39 | 33 | 3 | 2 | 2295 | 86 | 3 | 2.25 | .915 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2020–21 | Sherbrooke Phoenix | QMJHL | 20 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 1175 | 62 | 1 | 3.17 | .895 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 176 | 15 | 0 | 5.10 | .857 |- ALIGN="center" | 2021–22 | HC Slovan Bratislava | Slovak | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 476 | 19 | 2 | 2.39 | .908 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2021–22 | HC Modré Krídla Slovan | Slovak.1 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 913 | 49 | 2 | 3.22 | .909 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 476 | 21 | 0 | 2.65 | .920 |- ALIGN="center" | 2022–23 | HC Slovan Bratislava | Slovak | 18 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1060 | 45 | 1 | 2.55 | .916 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 58 | 3 | 0 | 3.10 | .900 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2022–23 | HC Modré Krídla Slovan | Slovak.1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 370 | 20 | 1 | 3.25 | .913 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 61 | 3 | 0 | 2.96 | .923 |- ALIGN="center" | 2023–24 | HC Plzeň | ELH | 28 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 1511 | 78 | 0 | 3.10 | .903 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 118 | 8 | 0 | 4.07 | .877 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2024–25 | Iowa Wild | AHL | 36 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 1958 | 93 | 1 | 2.85 | .904 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- ALIGN="center" | 2024–25 | Iowa Heartlanders | ECHL | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 297 | 15 | 0 | 3.02 | .885 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan=3 | ELH totals ! 28 !! 8 !! 20 !! 0 !! 1,511 !! 78 !! 0 !! 3.10 !! .903 ! 2 !! 0 !! 2 !! 118 !! 8 !! 0 !! 4.07 !! .877 |}
===International=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em" |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! Result ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! GP ! W ! L ! OT ! MIN ! GA ! SO ! GAA ! SV% |- | 2018 | Slovakia | U18 | 7th | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 58 | 4 | 0 | 4.11 | .889 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2019 | Slovakia | WJC | 8th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 188 | 12 | 0 | 3.83 | .872 |- ALIGN="center" | 2019 | Slovakia | U18 | 10th | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 201 | 15 | 0 | 4.49 | .894 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2020 | Slovakia | WJC | 8th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 201 | 18 | 0 | 5.37 | .851 |- ALIGN="center" | 2021 | Slovakia | WJC | 8th | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 119 | 8 | 0 | 4.03 | .889 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2023 | Slovakia | WC | 9th | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 189 | 7 | 0 | 2.22 | .932 |- ALIGN="center" | 2024 | Slovakia | WC | 7th | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 307 | 13 | 1 | 2.54 | .925 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2024 | Slovakia | OGQ | Q | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 180 | 5 | 0 | 1.67 | .929 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan=4 | Junior totals ! 16 ! 2 ! 12 ! 0 ! 767 ! 57 ! 0 ! 4.46 ! .886 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan=4 | Senior totals ! 11 ! 6 ! 5 ! 0 ! 676 ! 25 ! 1 ! 2.22 ! .929 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Ice hockey stats}} * [https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/results/athlete-details/43198 Samuel Hlavaj] at Milano Cortina 2026 * {{Olympics.com|samuel-hlavaj}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{SOSV profile|samuel-hlavaj}} * {{Instagram}}<!-- per WP:ELMINOFFICIAL, choose one official website only -->
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hlavaj, Samuel}} Category:2001 births Category:Living people Category:Iowa Heartlanders players Category:Iowa Wild players Category:Ice hockey people from Martin, Slovakia Category:Ice hockey players at the 2026 Winter Olympics Category:Lincoln Stars players Category:HC Plzeň players Category:Olympic ice hockey players for Slovakia Category:Slovak ice hockey goaltenders Category:Sherbrooke Phoenix players Category:HC Slovan Bratislava players Category:21st-century Slovak sportsmen