Juraj Slafkovsky scores twice as Slovakia upsets Finland 4-1 to open the Milan Cortina Olympics

MILAN (AP) — Juraj Slafkovsky had Slovakia's only two goals four years ago in the first men's hockey game at the Beijing Olympics, a convincing loss to Finland.

Slafkovsky again scored twice in the tournament opener. Only this time, Slovakia upset Finland 4-1 Wednesday to get the first Olympics with NHL players in more than a decade off to a stunning start.

“This is way better — a way better feeling to win," Slafkovsky said.

With Slafkovsky, the MVP in 2022, picking up where he left off at the Olympics and goaltender Samuel Hlavaj stopping 39 of the 40 shots he faced, Slovakia served noticed by knocking off a medal favorite that it should not be taken lightly despite having only seven NHL players, while all but one on Finland’s roster plays in the league.

“We are kind of that team no one’s really expecting us to win much of the games," alternate captain Martin Fehervary said. “We haven’t won against Finland for a long, long time. I felt like this is the day. I felt like this is the time, and we did it.”

Slafkovsky, who now plays for the Montreal Canadiens, scored the first goal of this tournament less than eight minutes in, skating through Finland's defense and sliding the puck past a helpless Juuse Saros. After Dalibor Dvorsky scored with 13 minutes left to put Slovakia ahead, Slafkovsky wired a shot past Saros on the power play and pumped his fist to the crowd.

“I guess the Olympics are fitting to him," defenseman Erik Cernak said. “He’s playing well at the Olympics. I’m really happy for him. He’s playing well in Montreal. Now, he brought the same play, same everything.”

Hlavaj had a lot to do with the initial underdog story on the ice, fending off one onslaught after another as Slovakia was outshot 18-5 in the first period and 40-25 overall. Fehervary called Hlavaj, a Minnesota Wild prospect playing in the American Hockey League in Iowa, Slovakia's best player.

“To be honest, I’ve never seen him play before," Cernak said. "But he was outstanding. He kept us in it in important moments.”

Unable to watch while the U.S. team he runs was practicing next door, Wild general manager Bill Guerin said “it's great” that Hlavaj got off to such a strong start at the Olympics.

It was not so good for Saros, the Nashville Predators starter who allowed three goals on 24 shots in defeat.

Finland next plays archrival Sweden on Friday, and it's possible Vancouver's Kevin Lankinen gets the nod, just as he did in replacing Saros in net at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago.

“It’s too early to say,” Finland coach Antti Pennanen said. “I like how Juuse played, and it wasn’t an easy game for him because not that many shots.”

Eeli Tolvanen, also a returning Olympian after playing in 2018, scored Finland's only goal. Adam Ruzicka scored into an empty net to seal it for Slovakia and deal Finland an unexpected early defeat.

“Obviously, it wasn’t the start we wanted,” captain Mikael Granlund said. "We all know the most important games are ahead of us. No panic.’’

Sweden defenseman Victor Hedman was not surprised Finland lost to Slovakia because “this is the Olympic Games. We’ve seen a lot of upsets.”

He and his heavily favored teammates had some dicey times when it looked as if they'd be on the wrong end of an all-time shocker against host Italy before taking the lead midway through and pulling away to win 5-2.

“There are no easy games in tournaments like this, and the gap isn’t what it used to be years ago,” said captain Gabriel Landeskog, who scored the tying goal after Sweden fell behind when Italy's Luca Frigo scored four minutes in. “A little bit of rust, some things to clean up, but that’s to be expected. I thought it was a hard-fought game, no doubt.”

When Gustav Forsling scored to give Sweden the lead before the end of the first period, it looked as if it was the goal that would end the long shot bid.

Instead, Italy players went into intermission knowing they could play with one of the best teams in the world and showed it early in the second when Canadian import Matt Bradley tied it again.

Sweden went ahead for good when William Nylander scored late in the second, and Italy goalie Damian Clara left midway through the third after his right leg cramped up making one of his 46 saves on 49 shots. That cut short an incredible performance by the Anaheim Ducks prospect drafted in the second round in 2023.

“He played unbelievable," Italy's Dustin Gazley said. "If it wasn’t for him, the score could have been way higher than it was. That was his job, and that’s what he did for us and it was huge to have him back there stopping pucks.”

Mika Zibanejad scored on backup Davide Fadani, who relieved Clara, and Hedman's empty-net goal sealed it. The all-NHL Swedes had 60 shots to Italy’s 22.

“You put up 60 shots, usually you win those games — and we did,” Hedman said. “We knew Clara was a big, big talent. Anaheim is lucky to have a prospect like that. He played unbelievable and kept them in the game. We could’ve been a little bit more direct, but it felt like a typical opening game and nerves, even though it doesn’t matter who you play.”

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Sweden's Rickard Rakell, left, celebrates a goal scored past Italy's goalkeeper Damian Clara, center, during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Italy and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Italy's goalkeeper Damian Clara (20) makes a save against Sweden's William Nylander (88) during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Italy and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Slovakia's Juraj Slafkovsky (20) scores her side's opening goal during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Slovakia and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Slovakia's Juraj Slafkovsky (20) scores a goal against Finland's goalkeeper Juuse Saros (74) in the first period during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Mike Segar/Pool Photo via AP)

Slovakia's Juraj Slafkovsky celebrates after scoring her side's opening goal during a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Slovakia and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — European leaders on Monday said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s snap decision to pull thousands of U.S. troops out of Germany came as a surprise but is a fresh sign that Europe must take care of its own security.

The Pentagon announced last week that it would pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, but Trump told reporters on Saturday that “we’re going to cut way down. And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000.”

He offered no reason for the move, which blindsided NATO, but his decision came amid an escalating dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the U.S-Israeli war on Iran, and Trump’s anger that European allies have been reluctant to get involved in the conflict in the Middle East.

Asked about the decision to pull out 5,000 troops from Germany, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said: “I wouldn’t exaggerate that because I think we are expecting that Europe is taking more charge of its own security.

“I do not see those figures as dramatic, but I think they should be handled in a harmonious way inside the framework of NATO,” he told reporters in Yerevan, Armenia, where European leaders are holding a summit.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said “there has been a talk about withdrawal of U.S. troops for a long time from Europe. But of course, the timing of this announcement comes as a surprise.”

“I think it shows that we have to really strengthen the European pillar in NATO,” she said.

Asked whether she believes that Trump is trying to punish Merz, who said that the U.S. has been humiliated by Iran in talks to end the war, Kallas said: “I don’t see into the head of President Trump, so he has to explain it himself.”

Over the weekend, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said that officials at the 32-nation military alliance “are working with the U.S. to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany.”

European allies and Canada have known since just after he came to office again last year that Trump would pull troops out of Europe — indeed some left Romania in October — but U.S. officials had pledged to coordinate any moves with their NATO allies to avoid creating a security vacuum.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte played down the move, saying that “there has been at this point disappointment on the U.S. side” about European support for the war on Iran.

Notably France, Spain and the U.K. have declined to give U.S. forces free rein to use bases on their territory to attack Iran. Spain has denied them the use of its airspace and bases there for the war.

But Rutte, who has championed Trump’s leadership at NATO despite the U.S. president's criticism of the majority of the allies, said: “I would say the Europeans have heard a message. They are now making sure that all the bilateral basing agreements are being implemented.”

Rutte added that European nations “have decided to pre-position assets, key assets, close to the theater for the next phase.”

He provided no details, but the Europeans have insisted they would not help police the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy trade route, until the war is over.

French President Emmanuel Macron said “if the United States is ready to reopen Hormuz, that’s great. That’s what we’ve been asking for since the beginning.” But he underlined that the Europeans are not ready to get involved in any operation “that does not seem clear to us.”

In another sign of friction with Merz, Trump has accused the EU of not complying with its U.S. trade deal and announced plans to increase tariffs next week on cars and trucks produced in the bloc to 25%, a move that would be particularly damaging to Germany, a major automobile manufacturer.

Without mentioning Trump or the United States, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen listed recent trade deals that the bloc has sealed with Australia and India, and is now working on with Mexico.

“With like-minded friends, you have stable, reliable supply chains and Europe has the biggest network of free trade agreements,” von der Leyen, who is from Germany, told reporters.

Cook reported from Brussels.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks with the media as she arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks with the media as she arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)