František Švajlen, a Slovak ice hockey goalkeeper who won a silver medal at the 1964 Olympics, has died. Švajlen was a long-time stalwart for VSS Košice, serving as the team's goalkeeper from 1959 to 1975. He was part of the Czechoslovak national team that captured Olympic silver at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, one of the country's most celebrated hockey achievements during the communist era.
Sweden secured a decisive 6-2 victory over Denmark in their hockey championship encounter, with the favored Swedish team avoiding any upset. Denmark will next face Canada on Monday, May 18 at 4:20 PM, while Sweden is scheduled to play against the Czech Republic on the same day at 8:20 PM.
Austria defeated Hungary 4-2 in a Group A football match. The favored Austrian team got off to a strong start in the contest.
Faško was named the best player of the Niké League season, while Weiss Sr. earned recognition as coach of the year and Rehuš was selected as the discovery of the season. Four clubs secured representation in the League's Team of the Season for 2025/26, one fewer than the previous year. The Niké League is Slovakia's top professional football division, and these annual awards recognize outstanding individual and team performances throughout the domestic season.
Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner won the Rome Masters tournament, marking his sixth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 title. The 24-year-old became the first player in tennis history to win six Masters events in a row, setting a new record in the sport's elite tournament series.
Slovak striker Bobček found the net for Lechia Gdansk in their 1-2 defeat to Legia Warsaw in Polish league action. The 24-year-old forward has now scored three goals in his last four matches, putting him in second place in the league's scoring charts. Despite Bobček's continued scoring form, his team was unable to avoid defeat against the Warsaw-based side.
Italian rider Fabio Di Giannantonio secured victory at the Catalan Grand Prix motorcycle race, which was disrupted twice by red flag stoppages due to crashes. Alex Marquez was taken to hospital following one of the incidents that interrupted the racing. The multiple race stoppages highlighted the dangerous conditions during the event at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Slovakia successfully converted a power play opportunity into a goal in their second tournament match, marking an improvement in their special teams performance. The team also dealt with an injury to player Štrbák, whose face required stitches during the game. Additionally, player M. Pospíšil was noted for his willingness to assist his brother on the ice. The power play success is expected to boost team confidence heading into their upcoming match against Slovenia.
Slovakia's national ice hockey coach Vladimír Országh has praised the creativity of two players at the World Championships, highlighting Martin Pospíšil and Žigmund Pálffy as the team's most inventive talents. Pospíšil's absence from the quarterfinal match against Canada two years ago in the Czech Republic was keenly felt by the team, according to former national team coach Vladimír Vůjtek, who noted that Slovakia missed not his strength and toughness, but his skill and creativity. Országh admitted that Pospíšil's performance in Ostrava surprised the entire coaching staff, as they had initially viewed him primarily as a physical player rather than recognizing his creative abilities on the ice.
Slovakia secured a 4-1 victory over Italy with Adam Gajan making his debut in goal for the national team. The goalkeeper, who initially struggled with an early mistake, recovered to help lead his team to victory. Gajan credited a quote on his mask for helping him maintain focus during the match, emphasizing the importance of treating major games with the same approach as practice sessions.
Slovak climber Buršíková secured her place in the bouldering final after qualifying from third position. She recorded a score of 54.6 points in the qualifying round, earning her advancement to the final competition.
Bayern Munich secured another commanding victory with English striker Harry Kane delivering his eleventh hat-trick since joining the German club. The performance highlighted Bayern's continued dominance in German football. Meanwhile, Stuttgart qualified for the Champions League and Wolfsburg advanced to playoff qualification rounds in other Bundesliga developments.
Slovakia's national hockey team will play against Italy in their second match at the 2026 World Hockey Championship taking place in Switzerland. This represents the Slovak team's second appearance in the tournament following their opening game.
Slovan Bratislava concluded their championship-winning season with a 0-2 home defeat to MFK Zemplín Michalovce in the final round of Slovakia's top football league. The loss came as several long-serving players bid farewell to the club, with midfielder Juraj Kucka expressing his emotional connection to Slovan, stating he has "only one club in his heart." Despite the disappointing final match result, Slovan had already secured the Fortuna Liga title earlier in the season under coach Vladimír Weiss Sr., marking another successful campaign for Slovakia's most successful football club.
Slovak hockey player Koyša is entering his seventh season with the Žilina team, describing his commitment to the club as "a matter of the heart." The player recorded his second-best points total in Slovakia's top hockey league during the 2024/25 season, marking a strong performance that has likely contributed to his continued tenure with the northern Slovak club.
FK Podbrezová will not qualify for European competition this season, despite a campaign that saw striker Michal Faško emerge as the league's top scorer. The final matchday results left the club just short of securing a spot in European tournaments for next season. Žilina coach Pavel Staňo expressed disappointment with his team's final result but described the overall season as successful when viewed in its entirety. The conclusion of the domestic league season has now determined which Slovak clubs will represent the country in European competitions next year.
Slovak forward Juraj Slafkovsky delivered his worst performance at a crucial moment as the Montreal Canadiens suffered a devastating 3-8 defeat to the Buffalo Sabres. The heavy loss leaves the series tied at 3-3, setting up a decisive showdown between the two teams. Slafkovsky, who has been a key player for Montreal this season, is expected to face significant criticism for his poor showing when his team needed him most in this pivotal matchup.
Slovakia secured a victory over Latvia in an international sporting competition, with Slovak coach or player Knak attributing the win to the team's fighting spirit. Following the match, Latvia was scheduled to face Germany on Sunday at 8:20 PM in their second contest of the tournament, while the Slovak team was given a day off to rest.
Buffalo defeated Montreal 8-3 in their latest matchup, evening their series at 3-3. Slovak forward Juraj Slafkovský played 17 minutes and 46 seconds for Montreal in the loss. The decisive victory keeps Buffalo's hopes alive as the series now stands tied heading into the next game.
The Czech Republic suffered a stunning 3-2 overtime defeat to Slovenia at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Fribourg, marking the first time in history that the Czechs have lost to the Slovenian national team. The upset represents a dramatic reversal of fortunes for the Czech squad, which won the world championship title just two years ago, as they fell to a team that was not even competing in the elite division at that time. The Czech goalkeeper expressed concern about potential backlash at home following the unexpected loss, highlighting the significance of the defeat for Czech hockey fans.