A 44-year-old Slovak man, who had been on the run for 16 years, was arrested in Italy after traveling there to watch his country’s hockey team compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The man, who remains unnamed, had been wanted since 2010 in connection with a series of thefts. His total sentence amounts to 11 months and seven days. Authorities caught up with him when he attempted to check into a guesthouse in the Milan suburbs ahead of the Olympic hockey matches. The alert triggered by his check-in led Italian police to quickly apprehend him. He is now serving his sentence at San Vittore Prison in Milan.
Unfortunately for the hockey fan, his arrest meant he missed Slovakia’s 4-1 upset victory over Finland in Santagiulia Arena, as well as subsequent games. Slovakia, led by Montreal Canadiens star Juraj Slafkovsky, will face Sweden in their next preliminary round match. Slafkovsky, who was the youngest player at the 2022 Olympics and tournament MVP, scored twice in the game against Finland, while Dalibor Dvorsky of the St. Louis Blues netted the game-winning goal.
The 2026 Winter Olympics have seen a competitive medal race so far, with Norway and Italy tied at 18 medals each. The United States follows with 14 medals, including four golds and seven silvers. Slovakia will continue its campaign with hopes of securing another medal after its strong start.
