Samuel Hlavaj

Samuel Hlavaj (born May 29, 2001, in Martin, Slovakia) is a Slovak ice hockey goaltender who played for his country in the IIHF World Championships of 2023 and 2024. On April 5, 2024, it was announced that the NHL's Minnesota Wild had signed Hlavaj to a two-year, entry-level contract starting with the 2024–25 NHL season.

Junior hockey
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.

Europe
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.

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, and followed that up by playing five matches in the 2024 IIHF World Championship.