Release from 26.05.2026

Slovenia remains in top division | Forward Jan Drozg talks about the World Championship

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With a 5–1 victory over Italy on Monday evening, the Slovenian national team secured their place in the top division of the World Championship. Jan Drozg put his team on the path to victory with two goals in the middle period. In the interview, the Olimpija Ljubljana forward reflects on the tournament.

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Slovenia delivered several strong performances at the World Championship in Fribourg, Switzerland. The team coached by Edo Terglav opened the tournament with an overtime win against the Czech Republic and narrowly missed out on another victory against Slovakia, eventually losing in a shootout. Despite these strong displays, the final game against Italy proved decisive for survival. Italy even took a 1–0 lead in the middle period, but Slovenia ultimately celebrated a convincing 5–1 win. “The key was to play as a team, go into the game with a positive mindset, and bring good energy onto the ice. After conceding the goal, we needed the right response — and we delivered. We believed in ourselves and got the job done,” said Jan Drozg, who scored two power-play goals, including the game-winner.

A total of 16 players from the win2day ICE Hockey League were part of Slovenia’s roster at the World Championship. In the matchup against Italy, which featured twelve league players, several familiar faces met on the ice. “Italy has a strong team — it was an intense game. When you know many of the players, you develop a better feel for their style, which makes it easier to adjust,” Drozg added.

During the past season, the winger recorded 27 points in 31 ICE league games for Olimpija Ljubljana. At the World Championship, he registered five points in seven games, resulting in an overall positive assessment. “We had some very strong games, especially against the Czech Republic and in the final matchup with Italy. But the other games were solid as well. We made history for Slovenia, and that makes me very proud.”

Italy, meanwhile, are the only nation from the win2day ICE Hockey League to be relegated. Hungary secured their place in Group A in Zurich with a convincing 5–0 win over Great Britain.

Austria narrowly misses out on quarter-finals
Austria’s World Championship campaign came to an end on Tuesday afternoon. A brilliant start and three wins were followed by four defeats. In their final group match against defending champions the USA, the ÖEHV side were beaten 1-4, narrowly missing out on the quarter-finals.