Samuel Hlavaj

Samuel Hlavaj
Hlavaj with HC Škoda Plzeň in 2024
Born (2001-05-29) 29 May 2001 (age 25)
Martin, Slovakia
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 218 lb (99 kg; 15 st 8 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
NHL team (P)
Cur. team
Former teams		 Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Marlies (AHL)
HC Slovan Bratislava
HC Škoda Plzeň
Iowa Wild
National team  Slovakia
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2017–present

Samuel Hlavaj (born 29 May 2001) is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL). Hlavaj has played for Slovakia senior team in the World Championships of 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. He also played in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Playing career

Junior

Hlavaj signed for Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League (USHL) during the 2018–19 season. The following season, 2019–20, Hlavaj played for Canadian side Sherbrooke Phoenix, during which time he won the Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy.

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.

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.

Hlavaj with Iowa Wild

Having completed his two year tenure with the Wild, Hlavaj was released by the Wild as a free agent. On 3 July 2026, Hlavaj continued his career in North America, signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2026–27 season.

International play

Hlavaj played for the Slovakia men's national junior ice hockey team at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. 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, but made five appearances, including a 4–0 win against Poland in which he completed a shutout. At the tournament Hlavaj wore a mask with an image of Juraj Jánošík on it.

In August 2024 he was included in the Slovakia squad for the qualification tournament for the 2026 Winter Olympics, in which he played, and resulted in Slovakia, as well as Denmark and Latvia, qualifying.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L OT MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2017–18 MHA Martin Slovak.20 8 3 5 0 419 22 0 3.15 .917 — — — — — — — —
2017–18 HK Orange 20 Slovak 1 0 0 1 14 2 0 8.67 .714 — — — — — — — —
2017–18 HK Orange 20 Slovak.1 5 1 3 1 283 17 0 3.61 .877 — — — — — — — —
2018–19 HK Orange 20 Slovak 4 0 3 1 212 21 0 5.95 .861 — — — — — — — —
2018–19 HK Orange 20 Slovak.1 3 2 0 1 119 2 1 1.01 .957 — — — — — — — —
2018–19 Lincoln Stars USHL 22 3 18 1 1178 90 0 4.58 .862 — — — — — — — —
2019–20 Sherbrooke Phoenix QMJHL 39 33 3 2 2295 86 3 2.25 .915 — — — — — — — —
2020–21 Sherbrooke Phoenix QMJHL 20 7 11 2 1175 62 1 3.17 .895 3 0 3 176 15 0 5.10 .857
2021–22 HC Slovan Bratislava Slovak 9 5 3 1 476 19 2 2.39 .908 — — — — — — — —
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
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
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
2023–24 HC Plzeň ELH 28 8 20 0 1511 78 0 3.10 .903 2 0 2 118 8 0 4.07 .877
2024–25 Iowa Wild AHL 36 14 14 3 1958 93 1 2.85 .904 — — — — — — — —
2024–25 Iowa Heartlanders ECHL 5 2 2 1 297 15 0 3.02 .885 — — — — — — — —
2025–26 Iowa Wild AHL 22 7 11 4 1316 72 2 3.28 .887 — — — — — — — —
2025–26 Iowa Heartlanders ECHL 1 0 1 0 58 4 0 4.14 .886 — — — — — — — —
ELH totals 2882001,5117803.10.903 202118804.07.877

International

Year Team Event Result GP W L OT MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2018 Slovakia U18 7th 1 0 1 0 58 4 0 4.11 .889
2019 Slovakia WJC 8th 4 1 2 0 188 12 0 3.83 .872
2019 Slovakia U18 10th 4 0 4 0 201 15 0 4.49 .894
2020 Slovakia WJC 8th 5 1 3 0 201 18 0 5.37 .851
2021 Slovakia WJC 8th 2 0 2 0 119 8 0 4.03 .889
2023 Slovakia WC 9th 3 0 3 0 189 7 0 2.22 .932
2024 Slovakia WC 7th 5 3 2 0 307 13 1 2.54 .925
2024 Slovakia OGQ Q 3 3 0 0 180 5 0 1.67 .929
2025 Slovakia WC 11th 5 2 2 1 302 10 0 1.99 .912
2026 Slovakia OG 4th 5 2 3 0 270 16 0 3.56 .908
2026 Slovakia WC 9th 5 2 3 0 296 13 0 2.63 .873
Junior totals 16 2 12 0 767 57 0 4.46 .886
Senior totals 26 12 13 1 1544 64 1 2.49 .913

References

  1. 1 2 "Hlavaj poputuje do zámorskej USHL, dohodol sa s Lincoln Stars". sme.sk (in Slovak). 30 December 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  2. ↑ "Slovenský brankár Hlavaj s Trofejou Jacquesa Plantea". teraz.sk (in Slovak). 28 March 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
  3. ↑ "Hokejová Plzeň podepsala nového brankáře, do klubu přichází Slovák Hlavaj" [Plzeň hockey signed a new goaltender, Slovak Hlavaj comes to the club]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 1 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  4. ↑ "Minnesota Wild Signs Goalie Samuel Hlavaj to Entry-Level Contract". NHL.com (Press release). 5 April 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  5. ↑ "Maple Leafs sign Lettieri, McWard, Rybinski and Hlavaj". Toronto Maple Leafs. 3 July 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Hlavaj spomína na kazašské nájazdy: Šiel som na párky a utieral si z úst kečup aj horčicu". sme.sk (in Slovak). 11 May 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  7. ↑ "Hlavaj po výhře nad outsiderem: Cítil jsem se hůř než proti Americe" [Hlavaj after victory against outsider: I felt worse than against America]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 16 May 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  8. ↑ "Slováci berou hráče z KHL. Šatan vyjel na novináře: Jsme apolitická instituce" [Slovaks take players from the KHL. Šatan attacks journalists: We are an apolitical institution]. idnes.cz (in Czech). 19 August 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  9. ↑ "Hokejisté Slovenska, Lotyšska a Dánska postoupili na ZOH 2026". Czech News Agency (in Czech). 1 September 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2025.