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Slovak hockey fan arrested near Olympics 16 years after Italy issued warrant
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A Slovakian native was in Italy this week, 16 years after prosecutors in the country issued a warrant against him.
The 44-year-old unidentified man traveled to Milan to watch his native country’s Olympic hockey team take on medal favorite Finland, a 4-1 upset victory for the Slovaks.
However, he never got a chance to see the Slovaks’ version of the “Miracle on Ice.”
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Slovakia fans inside the arena before a match against Finland in men’s ice hockey Group B during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
Police said they tracked down the suspect after he checked into a guesthouse in the Milan suburbs, then escorted him to the central San Vittore Prison before he could attend the game.
The warrant stemmed from a string of alleged thefts in 2010. He now has 11 months, seven days to serve, according to police.
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Slovakia will close out the preliminary round on Saturday against Sweden, another squad that could compete for the gold medal.
Juraj Slafkovsky of Slovakia in action during a men’s preliminary Group B match against Finland at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena Feb. 11, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (RvS.Media/Monika Majer/Getty Images)
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Slovakia won the bronze medal in Beijing when NHL players were not yet allowed to compete. Now, the team is led by Montreal Canadiens superstar Juraj Slafkovsky, who has Olympic experience.
Slafkovsky competed in 2022 because he had not yet been in the NHL. He was 17 at the time, the youngest player in the Olympics, yet still managed to be the Olympics’ points leader and the tournament’s most valuable player.
Juraj Slafkovsky of Slovakia celebrates the team’s 4-1 victory in a men’s preliminary Group B match against Finland at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena Feb. 11, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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Slafovsky scored twice against Finland, and Dalibor Dvorsky of the St. Louis Blues got the game-winning goal with less than 13 minutes left.
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