BRATISLAVA. Last August, Marián Studenič’s name came into the spotlight not because of his performance on the ice, but because of his unexpected departure from the Slovak hockey team.
The striker left the national team on the first day of the Olympic qualification finals when he was unhappy with his position in the squad.
In an interview with Hockey Slovakia, he now admits that he regrets his decision from last year and acted in anger. He believes that he will get a second chance and will return to the national team.
He would never do it again
The circumstances of the August incident were later explained by the general manager of the national team and the head of the hockey association, Miroslav Šatan, in the Boris and Brambor podcast.
Studenič joined the team a day later and since the coaches already put together fives in the first training session, he found himself in the position of the thirteenth striker upon arrival.
“He probably didn’t expect that and it started some processes for him. However, no one knew if he would play as the thirteenth striker, or if he would be in the first formation in the second match, or after the second period he would be in another five or on the power play. He didn’t leave because he wouldn’t play. He thought he wouldn’t play,” claimed Šatan.
After Studenič’s departure, Šatan declared that there would be no more communication with the player.
Now, after more than a year, Studenič openly admitted that last year’s decision was the result of emotions and short-sighted behavior.
“When a person is angry, he does not solve things rationally. Maybe I solved it with a hot head. If I could turn back time, I would never have done it. I have learned my lesson,” he admits.
He realized the mistake a few hours after leaving, but there was no turning back.
“When I’m angry now, I deal with things with a cooler head. The biggest mistake is not admitting a mistake. When a person admits it, most people know how to appreciate it,” he added.
One of the factors in his decision at the time was fatigue. After participating in the finals in the AHL with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, he had only a short summer break and immediately after returning from overseas, he joined the national team.
“At that time, I only had a month’s break and was full of hockey. The fact that I was tired and I didn’t rest enough during the summer also played a role,” he added.
Studenič: I didn’t expect to go to the World Cup
He knew that the door to the national team was temporarily closed for him, but he prepared honestly for the new season in the new club.
The 27-year-old striker returned to Europe after eight seasons abroad. In the Swedish Färjestad, he took hold, he was among the best. He finished the regular season with a record of 14 goals and 30 assists, and added four more goals and an assist in the playoffs.
Even a successful club season did not help him regain his place in the national team. You didn’t even play at the World Cup in Sweden in May. The management of the union informed about his absence at the beginning of the preparation.
“I never closed the door to the national team, I left it myself. There are certain principles. We have set standards like in the NHL. We have not taken up this topic yet, maybe sometime in the future,” said the general manager and head of SZĽH Miroslav Šatan at the time.
The native of Skalice himself admitted that he did not expect the invitation. “I had no expectations that someone would call me and everything would be forgotten. I didn’t expect to go to the championship,” he admits.
He was not in our plan yet, said Országh
The topic Studenič also opens at the beginning of the new national team season, when the team, already under the new coach Vladimír Országh, is preparing for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina.
After taking office, Országh admitted that everyone would get a chance under his leadership and that he would communicate with Studenič.
In an interview with Sportnet, he recently admitted that he is counting on the clever winger. However, Studenič will not appear at the first national team event – the German Cup.
“He wasn’t in our plan yet,” announced Országh. But he passed the debate with the “sinner”.
“I’m glad that the coach contacted me and we talked about what happened then. He wanted to know how I felt about it and what my perspective is with the passage of time. The debate was great, it was fruitful and I’m glad that we established contact,” Studenič told Hockey Slovakia.
At the same time, he believes that his return to the national team is only a matter of time.
“At the end of the day, it only depends on me how I play. If I deserve a place in the team with my performances, I will be very happy to represent. I believe that we will throw all those things from the past in the trash and start again,” he added.
He would also like to play at the upcoming Olympic Games, but he does not expect to go there. “I’d like to go to the Olympics, but I’m not even focused on that. If it hadn’t happened last year, I wouldn’t have to deal with these things today. But I’d like to be there,” he says.
The new head of the Slovak bench Országh said that he will inform the public about Studenič during the first national team meeting (November 3 – November 9, 2025).
