Meet Luka Radivojevic, Slovakia’s next star NHL defenseman
It won’t be long until Luka Radivojevic is making headlines in the NHL.
The 16-year-old defenseman became the first player born in 2007 to play in the SHL (Swedish Hockey League) and has quickly risen like a rocket this fall. The defenseman has also earned a spot on the Slovakian World Junior Championship team, where he was easily the youngest player in the tournament.
”I feel that there is no pressure because I am the youngest,” Radivojevic said. “I have nothing to lose; I can only gain good things from the tournament.”
Slovakia ultimately lost in the quarterfinal against Finland. But despite his young age, Radiovijevic – who turned 17 on Jan. 3 – still had a goal and an assist while playing 16 minutes a night.
Radivojevic was given a relatively large amount of trust, especially in victories against Czechia, Switzerland and Norway.
In the game against Norway, he also scored his first goal in the tournament after a powerful shot from the blueline. The legendary forward Marian Gaborik is the only Slovak player in history to have scored a goal at a younger age.
Back in Sweden, where he plays with Örebro, Radivojevic has been a standout. Among U-17 players in the Swedish U-20 league, Radivojevic is fourth in the points (18 in 27 games), only outscored by forwards Filip Ekberg, Jakob Ihs Wozniak, and Anton Frondell, the three most talked about Swedish prospects born in ’07.
”The season is going very well, and I have made significant progress in Örebro,” Radivojevic said. “I hope it continues this way.”
Radivojevic has also already made his SHL debut. On November 28th, he got to play one shift against Luleå – and there’s no doubt that’s where he aims to return.
”I want to get back to the SHL as soon as possible, and I will do everything to make it possible,” Radivojevic said. “Then, the NHL is the ultimate goal.”
But right now, he’s keeping his ambitions simple.
”I hope we can go as far as possible with the J20 team, and I want a Swedish Championship gold.”
On the Slovakian junior team, two of its top players – Dalibor Dvorsky and Alex Čiernik – have spent significant time playing in Sweden during their careers. Additionally, Daniel Alexander Jencko recently left Malmö after several years in Sweden.
And it’s smart to expect more.
”We want to become better hockey players, and that’s what we aim for, that’s just it,” Radivojevic said.
In a recent episode of the Swedish junior hockey podcast ”Framtidens Stjärnor” (”Stars of the future”), former NHL goalie and current coach of Örebro’s SHL team Johan Hedberg, talked about Radivojevic’s offensive qualities, describing him among other things as “elite” in the offensive zone.
Radivojevic himself agrees that this is where his most significant strength lies.
”My skating is my greatest strength, and my skills with the puck. I think I need to work more on the defensive zone play and become more physical.”
There are also good hockey genes to draw from, too. His father, Branko Radivojevic, was a physical forward who played nearly 400 games with Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Minnesota in the NHL. The two aren’t similar on the ice in any way, but having a former NHLer to get advice from can’t hurt.
”He has coached me very well from a young age, and I appreciate it,” the younger Radivojevic said. “He calls me after every game and tells me what was good and bad. It helps me a lot.”
Although it’s not time for the NHL yet, that goal is on the horizon. We’ve already seen glimpses of what Radivojevic can do with the puck. He has now also emerged as one of the most exciting defensemen ahead of the 2025 draft, and there is actually a team he hopes a little extra for in North America: the Carolina Hurricanes, the team he loves to watch. He also keeps a close eye on Cale Makar and Adam Fox, two of the best defensemen in the world.
Maybe one day, Radivojevic will find himself in similar territory.
This story appeared on hockeysverige.se this week and has been translated from Swedish to English.
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