Flames Forward Deciding on Olympic Future

Calgary Flames' forward Martin Pospisil is unsure whether he will participate in the upcoming olympics for his native country.

Apr 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Calgary Flames center Martin Pospisil (76) slides on the ice in front of Los Angeles Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (84) in the first period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Calgary Flames are more likely to win the number one overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft than the Stanley Cup. It's been a tough few years for the organization, watching top players leave and find success elsewhere while they struggle to win more than 35 games. While the rebuild continues in Alberta, Canada, the Flames are focusing on the development of their young players like Martin Pospisil.

One of the ways the Flames are hoping for Pospisil to improve is by representing his native country of Slovakia in the 2026 Winter Olympics. He was one of the first group of players announced as part of their roster and represented the Slovak team at the World Championships this summer. He figured to be a prominent member of the team, but recent developments could keep the 24 year-old winger away from the olympics.

The Slovak National Team announced that it will include KHL players in their olympic roster. The move is a departure from the ban on KHL players in response to geopolitical actions taken by the Russian government, which has kept KHL players and Russia out of international competitions. Now, the return of KHL players is influencing whether NHL players like Pospisil want to participate.

In a translated interview with Dennik Sport, Pospisil commented on the new development. He hasn't made any final decisions, but the inclusion of KHL players is certainly forcing him to consider all of his options.

"I was surprised by the news, we'll see how it all develops," he said. "It's hard for me to comment on that, because I found out everything just a while ago. I have to process that information first. In the next few days, I will decide whether I will represent the team."

While Pospisil makes up his mind, Slovakia prepares to host a qualifying tournament for the upcoming olympics and hope they will have one of their top players available. The Slovak National Team is set to host Austria, Kazakhstan, and Hungary and is the obvious favorite out of this foursome.

The former fourth-round draft pick played his first NHL season last year with the Flames. Over 63 games, he scored eight goals and added 16 assists to finish with 24 points. That came after scoring six points in six games to begin the season with their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. The Flames believe that Pospisil can become a middle-six scorer with the club and should see an increase in ice-time in 2024.

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