Adam Liska to represent Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics
KHL.ru presents the athletes who will be representing their countries at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
The 2026 Winter Olympics will take place in Cortina and Milan, Italy, from Feb. 6-22, 2026, bringing the world’s top winter athletes together across multiple venues. Ice hockey will once again be one of the top events of the program, with the men’s tournament scheduled from Feb 11-22 in Milan in two arenas. Twelve national teams will compete for Olympic gold at two venues.
Among the players set to take part is Severstal’s forward Adam Liska, who has been selected to represent Slovakia at the upcoming tournament. For the 26-year-old forward, the nomination represents a significant milestone and a natural continuation of his career – it’ll be the first participation at the Olympics tournament for the Bratislava native, who has eight KHL seasons under his belt.
Born on Oct. 14, 1999, Liska developed within the Slovak hockey system at home before making his professional breakthrough. His KHL career started with Slovan Bratislava during the 2018–2019 season after an experience in North America with the Kitchener Rangers. With Slovan, he gained his first experience against elite international competition at club level. After Bratislava’s withdrawal from the league, Liska joined Severstal, where he keeps on playing today. Over multiple seasons in Cherepovets – he entered his seventh campaign with the Western Conference’s team – he evolved from a depth forward into one of the team’s key leaders, eventually earning the captain’s “C” and establishing himself as a reliable two-way presence, among the others.
While his KHL production has steadily grown year after year, Liska’s international CV has been just as impressive. The forward represented Slovakia at both the U18 and U20 World Junior Championship, skating at three major tournaments and being named among the best three players for his country at both the U18 and U20 level. Liska later made the jump to the men’s national team, appearing at multiple World Championships, including the 2021 edition in Latvia and the 2022 tournament in Finland, where he contributed offensively while embracing a responsible role.
At club level, Liska has continued to progress statistically. In the 2023–2024 KHL season, he recorded a career-high 36 points, with thirteen goals and 23 assists, and while the next season was a bit of a setback with only twenty points scored, in the current campaign Liska is close to already breaking his record as he amassed 30 (16+14) points in 38 games before reporting to Team Slovakia for the Olympics. He is currently the sixth all-time scorer for Severstal among forwards in the KHL, totaling 165 points with 73 goals and 92 assists in 395 games. His production increases to 175 (77+98) career KHL points, including his stint with Slovan. He leads all Slovak players in history with 447 league appearances, showcasing excellent discipline with just 77 career PIMs.
Liska may not arrive at the Olympics as a headline star for Slovakia, but his combination of international experience at every level, leadership qualities, and consistent KHL production makes him a valuable piece for his country. As the Olympic tournament approaches, Liska is called to an important role for Team Slovakia, and his strong play with Severstal has been a strong test for further refinement along the road. The Slovaks kick off their tournament on Feb. 11 with a game against Team Finland.
