Former Gamblers goaltender Adam Gajan became the fourth Green Bay player to be named to an Olympic roster after being chosen to represent his home nation of Slovakia.
Gajan, who was named the Best Goaltender at the 2022-23 Under-20 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, currently plays for the University of Minnesota Duluth and is the only collegiate hockey player to be selected for this year’s Olympics.
Gajan showcased his elite abilities at the international level during the 2023-24 World Junior Championships after recording a 36-save shutout win against Switzerland and went 3-1 in the tournament with a 2.50 goals against average.
Gajan, from Poprad, Slovakia, split time with the Green Bay Gamblers and the NAHL’s Chippewa Steel during his first season playing in the United States. With the Steel during the 2022-23 season, he owned a 19-12 record with a 2.57 goals against average before playing six games for the Gamblers and holding a 5-1 mark and a 2.48 goals against average.
Gajan’s sophomore season with the Gamblers saw him take a more permanent role, going 43-12 and posting a 3.35 goals against average and a .893 save percentage. He helped Green Bay to a third-place finish in the Eastern Conference, but the Gamblers fell to the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the quarterfinals of the Clark Cup during the 2023-24 campaign.
Gajan was selected in the second round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft with the 35th overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks and chose to play college hockey with UMD. With the Bulldogs, Gajan went 7-12-1 as a freshman with a 3.33 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage while earning NCHC Rookie of the Week and NCHC Goaltender of the Week honors.
This season, Gajan is 15-11 with a 2.29 goals against average and a .905 save percentage and will look to keep that momentum as he enters the Olympics.
