Slovenia
After five attempts to qualify for Olympic play, dating back to 1994, this will finally be the year the Slovenian people can watch their country compete in ice hockey on the world’s biggest stage. The team’s standout player is the Los Angeles Kings’ Anze Kopitar, the only Slovenian currently in the NHL. He will be coached in Sochi by his father, who interestingly did not select his other son, Gasper, for Slovenia’s roster. Gasper Kopitar plays in the ECHL and also played in the qualifying rounds that earned Slovenia’s Olympic opportunity this year. Four-year KHL goalie Robert Kristan is the expected starter. It would be quite the Cinderella story if Slovenia could go home with a medal.