Slovak hockey is experiencing a huge boom and one of its newest heroes is goalkeeper Samuel Hlavaj. This native of Martin made his way overseas via his native Slovan Bratislava and the Czech club Plzeň, where he is currently shining. Samuel Hlavaj in the podcast hosted by influencer Matej Zrebný, talked about his privacy. His words will surprise many fans.
Although Hlavaj went through a thorny path and was initially overlooked in drafts, his incredible talent and hard work finally forced overseas scouts to act. He moved overseas in the 2024/25 season. In the preseason camp, he did not win a place in the first team and divided the year between the lower AHL and ECHL leagues. He currently catches most often for the Iowa Wild.
Hlavaj is no newcomer to the big ice. He proudly represented our country from the youth categories and developed into a clear support in the senior national team, where he regularly performs magic at the World Championships and the Winter Olympics.
The well-known athlete guards his privacy, but he revealed in the podcast that he has his other half. “I have a girlfriend, she’s from Martin. I probably couldn’t have a boyfriend from America,” he revealed. Why wouldn’t he want a woman from the US? “Women come to me because they are such calves. Of course, not all of them. You know, she’s not that classic Slovak woman who will give you a hard time. American women are, I think, so much easier.” he said bluntly.
He has a long-distance relationship with his girlfriend. “She came to see me for two months, she works in Slovakia, so she had no choice. Somehow we manage it, but it’s such “ups and downs”. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, then she misses you, she misses you“, he admitted that it is not always easy.
Hlavaj hasn’t managed to make it to the NHL so far, so he wants to spend some more time overseas. For that reason, he and his girlfriend have to decide what will happen next. „We need to sit down and agree on something. Of course I want her to come with me, but it’s also her sacrifice that she leaves her whole life to go and be with me. You are, so to speak, a housewife, not every woman likes it and wants to do it. Women also want to build their careers,” Hlavaj admitted the reality.
