# Adam Sýkora

Adam Sýkora (born 7 September 2004) is a Slovak professional ice hockey forward for the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the New York Rangers in the second round, 63rd overall, of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

## Playing career

Sýkora was drafted by the New York Rangers with the 63rd overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers on 15 July 2022. He joined the Rangers for the beginning of their 2022 training camp but was returned to HK Nitra of the Slovak Extraliga after playing one preseason game.
Sýkora scored 8 goals and had 13 assists in 38 games for HK Nitra in the 2022-23 season. He joined the Hartford Wolf Pack after HK Nitra was eliminated from the Extraliga playoffs in March 2023.
After Hartford was eliminated from the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, he was recalled to the Rangers roster for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

## International play

Sýkora competed in Ice hockey at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in the boys' 3x3 mixed tournament.
He represented the Slovak national under-18 team on their runner-up team in the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring two goals in five tournament games, including one in the semifinals game against Finnish national under-18 team. He also represented Slovakia in the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2022, 2023 and 2024. He was named the captain of the Slovakia team for the 2024 World Junior Championship.
Sýkora played for the Slovak national team in the 2022 IIHF World Championship, in which Slovakia finished in eighth place. Sýkora scored two goals and had one assist in six games during the tournament.

## Player profile

Sýkora's strengths as an ice hockey player are speed, defense and competitiveness, but his size likely hurt his NHL draft position. The Hockey News writer Steven Ellis wrote in advance of the 2022 World Championships that Sýkora "is an active forechecker who doesn't let his 5-foot-10 frame hold him back against the older and more physically mature competition in the Slovak men's league" and that "his playstyle and motor in combination with his skill and knack for finding a way to score give him the ability to play up and down the lineup." The Hockey News writer Tony Ferrari praised Sýkora's speed and creativity on offense and his backchecking ability and commitment on defense. Rangers' director of player development Jed Ortmeyer said of him after he participated in the Rangers' 2022 prospect camp "How can you not like him? He's got a smile on his face all the time. Just positive, he wants to work, he's excited to be here. Great energy in the room. It was fun to work with and get to know him this week." During the Rangers' 2023 development camp Ortmeyer described him as a "high energy guy." In 2024, after his rookie year at Hartford as a 19 year old, Ortmeyer said:
   He came into a new country, new cultures, and he got better as the year went on. He was captain of the World Junior team for his country. He’s just a kid that is happy to come to the rink every day with a smile on his face and infectious energy, and it spreads throughout the room. We’re really just excited to have him around and keep working with him.
HK Nitra general manager Tomáš Chrenko praised Sýkora's work ethic and said that:
   When he was younger, I didn't think that he would be so good as a skater, but this is the result of his hard work. At the end of the shift, he still looks fresh because he's in such good physical condition...He plays like he has no fear. He goes everywhere. If he thinks it can help the team, he’ll take any role.
Chrenko noted that as a young player he was already the best defensive forward and a first pair penalty-killer for HK Nitra. However, some scouts feel that his offensive upside is limited and that he has no outside shot.
Sýkora said that he models his game after Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins. Sýkora said that "I really like Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins. He's like a rat and he isn't scared of (taller) players."
Prior to the 2023-24 NHL season, USA Today writer Vincent Z. Mercogliano rated Sýkora as the Rangers 4th best prospect. Prior to the 2024-25 NHL season Mercogliano and McKeen's Hockey rated him as the Rangers' 5th best prospect and The Hockey News rated him as the Rangers' 4th best prospect. McKeen's felt that as a teenager playing in the AHL in 2023-24, Sykora wasn't strong enough or quick enough to be an effective physical player yet, but that he still has potential to develop into a "terrific two-way forward."

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2019–20 | HK Nitra | Slovak-Jr. | 9 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020–21 | Team Slovakia U18 | Slovak-Jr. | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020–21 | Team Slovakia U18 | Slovak.1 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020–21 | HK Levice | Slovak.1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2020–21 | HK Nitra | Slovak | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22 | HK Nitra | Slovak-Jr. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22 | Team Slovakia U18 | Slovak.1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22 | HK Nitra | Slovak | 46 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 2022–23 | HK Nitra | Slovak | 38 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 2022–23 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023–24 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 66 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Slovak totals | Slovak totals | Slovak totals | 99 | 18 | 22 | 40 | 16 | 27 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2021 | Slovakia | HG18 | | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2022 | Slovakia | U18-D1A | 9th | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | Slovakia | WC | 8th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022 | Slovakia | WJC | 9th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 27 |
| 2023 | Slovakia | WJC | 6th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | Slovakia | WJC | 6th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024 | Slovakia | OGQ | Q | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Junior totals | Junior totals | Junior totals | Junior totals | 20 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 31 |
| Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | 9 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 |