After a little more than a month, between February 13 and 18, the Lynxes will participate for the first time in Olympic Games. They will open the prestigious tournament with a match against Russia, the host. Foto: HZS/Drago Cvetanovič
After a little more than a month, between February 13 and 18, the Lynxes will participate for the first time in Olympic Games. They will open the prestigious tournament with a match against Russia, the host. Foto: HZS/Drago Cvetanovič
Matjaž Kopitar
The selector Matjaž Kopitar didn't have a lot of work with the roster, as he needed only three additional players: the eight defender, and the 13th and 14th forwards. Foto: Aleš Fevžer
Anže in Gašper Kopitar
The biggest dilemma both for the selector and for the fans was whether to enlist Gašper Kopitar or not – he started his career in ECHL with Ontario Reign, the LA Kings affiliate, with an assist, and just on Sunday night his first goal decided the match Ontario - San Francisco in overtime (3:2). Foto: BoBo
Most of the players of the national team are in good health, only Marcel Rodman, the center and the captain assistant, has some rather serious problems with his arm injury, but will play already by the end of the week. Before the beginning of the year Žiga Jeglič got injured as well, but after a surgery on his elbow he is expected to return in few days. Foto: MMC RTV SLO

The selector of the national team Matjaž Kopitar has announced the name of 25 "lynxes" to represent the Slovenian flag at their first appearance at the Olympic Hockey Tournament.
There were no great surprises, as most of the 25 passengers to Sochi have already been obvious. Only the place for an additional eight defender was still open, and two additional places for forwards. Of course, the two star players, NHL player Anže Kopitar, and KHL player Jan Muršak, will join the Slovenian hockey national team, but a very special evening of one of the goaltenders, Robert Kristan or Luka Gračnar, will be a must for an eventual surprise in Sochi.
There were only three unknowns
Matjaž Kopitar, the selector, started his presentation of the roster with the following words: "Since Vojens some things have changed for some of the players, especially as far as their positions in clubs are concerned. Some advanced, the others regressed."
"There will be some changes, as we are going to Sochi with eight defenders. There were more candidates for the additional two places for the forwards. The last two who joined the team have played constantly, and it is my opinion that they deserve it most," the selector explained his final decision which made Matic Podlipnik, Anže Kuralt and Miha Verlič very happy.
GOALTENDERS (3):
Luka Gračnar (Salzburg/Ebel - Austria), Andrej Hočevar (Epinal/France), Robert Kristan (Nitra/Slovakia)
DEFENDERS (8):
Blaž Gregorc (Pardubice/Check Rep.), Sabahudin Kovačević (Sary Arka Karaganda /VHL - Kazakhstan), Aleš Kranjc (Köln/ Germany), Žiga Pavlin (Troja Ljungby/Sweden II), Matic Podlipnik (Dukla Jihlava/Check Rep. II), Klemen Pretnar (VSV Beljak/Ebel - Austria), Mitja Robar (Krefeld/Germany), Andrelj Tavželj (Rouen/France)
ATTACKERS (14):
Boštjan Goličič (Briancon/France), Žiga Jeglič (Ingolstadt/ Germany), Anže Kopitar (Los Angeles/NHL - USA), Anže Kuralt (Epinal/France), Jan Muršak (CSKA Moskva/KHL), Aleš Mušič (Olimpija/Ebel), Žiga Pance (Bolzano/EBEL - Italy), Tomaž Razingar (Troja Ljungby/Sweden II), David Rodman (Oskarshamn/Sweden II), Marcel Rodman (Schwenningen/ Germany), Robert Sabolič (Ingolstadt/ Germany), Rok Tičar (Köln/ Germany), Jan Urbas (München/ Germany), Miha Verlič (Olimpija/Ebel).
Pajić and G. Kopitar left behind
The Lynx Olympic expedition is based on 23 heroes from Vojens who won the historic first participation of the Slovenian hockey players under the Slovenian flag (the Slovenians had formed the frame of the Yugoslav team at the four winter Olympic Games in 1964, 1968, 1974 and 1984). But considering the exhausting tournament (4 matches in 6 days) the team leaders Matjaž Kopitar and Nik Zupančič decided to bring to Sochi 14 forwards, and 8 defenders – and of course three goaltenders, instead of only 7 defenders as at the Danemark tournament.
Verlič and Kuralt additional forwards
This years' form had to be considered as well: some of the last years' standard members of the national team have been overtaken by young players. Thus some of the players from the Olympic qualifications in Vojens were left out, i.e. Rok Pajić (Bolzano/Ebel), Luka Bašič (Astana/Kazakhstan), and the selector's son Gašper Kopitar (Ontario/ECHL). Two additional forward places were taken by Miha Verlič (the most efficient Slovenian player wearing the Olimpija jersey) and Anže Kuralt (presently the second best shooter in France), who did best among the candidates.
The eight defender became Podlipnik, as expected
There were no big dilemmas for the team of experts: the group of three goaltenders Kristan - Gračnar – Hočevar has been set a long time ago, the first defence players are the standard choice and well trained, so that only the place for the eight defender was available, and as expected young Matic Podlipnik was chosen (Jihla Dukla/Čheck Rep. II).
The names of the nine forward players have been also set in stone and will give the first three lines, the likely combinations being Urbas - A. Kopitar - Muršak; Jeglič - Tičar - Sabolič; D. Rodman - M. Rodman - Razingar. Also the fourth line from the last year's matches, Ž. Pance - Mušič – Goličič, remained on the list due to their experience and their familiarity with the selector's system.