Ask any Slovak who knows anything about hockey, and they will be able to tell you where they were when Peter Bondra scored the goal that won the gold medal for Slovakia in the 2002 IIHF World Championship.

The former NHL star is among Slovakia’s best hockey exports, tallying 892 points in 16 years playing for Washington, Atlanta, and Chicago. A prolific goal scorer, he dominates the Capitals record book and is considered one of the top offensive players of the 1990s.

However, perhaps no other goal held as much significance as did his game winner against the Russians in 2002. IIHF.com caught up with Bondra, now a GM with the Slovak national team, to discuss the country’s gold medal win and his hopes for the upcoming IIHF World Championship.

Peter Stastny called the 2002 World Championship gold medal the biggest thing to happen to Slovakia since the country gained independence. Looking back on it now would you say he was accurate with that assessment?

Absolutely, it was definitely a pivotal moment for our nation. After we split from the Czech Republic we basically started at the bottom of the C group and had to play our way up to the elite group, and just a few years later we had won a world championship. That was something amazing for the country and the biggest accomplishment for us as a hockey nation.

You’ve had a long and illustrious career in the NHL, but where did this particular victory rate amongst your experiences as a hockey player?

It was certainly a unique one. I would say that the gold medal victory was one of the highlights of my career, no question about it. The way we celebrated, how our people greeted us when we returned from Sweden, and how everybody all over Slovakia was so excited about it is something I will remember for the rest of my life.

What was the reception like when you returned to Slovakia following the victory?

Phew! It was crazy. Thousands and thousands of people were waiting for us at the airport when we arrived, with more downtown as we paraded through the capital. If you were a hockey fan or not it didn’t matter, it seemed like everybody across the country was united in celebration.

Since 2002 there’s been a few ups and downs for Slovak hockey, however just last year the national team had a surprise fourth place finish at the Vancouver Olympics. What is it about the Slovak style of play that enables Slovakia to be a consistent contender in international hockey?

The Olympics allowed us to field our top national team, with guys like (Marian) Gaborik and (Zdeno) Chara. But while it was good that we had the best roster available, we still managed to play well and more importantly to play as a team. We fell just short of bringing a medal, but we did manage to surprise other teams and give ourselves a chance.

What are some of the biggest challenges associated with being a GM of a national team?

There’s always something that comes up with this job. My goal is to get the team ready for all the events and to make sure that they do not have any distractions from their preparation. It’s not just about bringing up top quality players but also to make sure that they work well together as a team. This takes both time and patience, especially with the World Championships since you don’t exactly know who will be available until very close to the tournament.

What kind of support are you expecting from the fans?

There’s a lot of pressure coming from the home crowd but it should be a lot of fun. We hope that fans will act as our seventh player on the ice, giving us plenty of vocal support. Slovakian fans know their hockey and I’m sure the games are going to be loud.

One of the venues in Slovakia will be in Kosice, where you began your pro hockey career. For those who aren’t familiar with the city would you describe it as a hockey town?

Yes definitely. Our national teams played a few exhibition matches there and there is always a big crowd. It’s a really nice place to watch and play hockey and I really enjoyed my time there as a player. For anyone who hasn’t been there, I can assure them it’s definitely a hockey town.

What do you think about the new arena in Bratislava?

I think it’s a beautiful arena, and what I like most about it is the seating. The seats are arranged very steeply so that they don’t go far away from the ice and instead go up. So all of the arena seats have good views of the ice and you can see very well from each seat. With 10,000-plus seating it’s great that every fan that goes to the game will be pretty close to the ice.

Were you happy with the team's performance during the 2011 Slovakia Cup?

Yes, I was pleased with success of the team in the tournament.  However, I feel as though there is always room for improvement.  It is always great to win, but I know the potential of our team and ultimately, we could have played even better.

Were there any players in that tournament who stepped up and made a case for themselves to be on the World Championship squad?

Yes, there are a few players that really proved themselves to me.  But, of course, their performance at one tournament does not guarantee placement in the World Championship line-up.  It my job to monitor them throughout their seasons and to take a comprehensive view of their performance in their respective teams as well as in our preparation games for the World Championship.  We want to create healthy competition.

What are some of the challenges that you face in this tournament as a general manager, when you have to build a team that most likely will not have all of its stars available to play?

You are right to point out that it is most definitely easier to build a team around NHL all-stars such as Hossa, Chara, & Gaborik.  I would say this is probably my biggest challenge.  I work alongside the coach, Glen Hanlon, and assistant coaches to build a team where each individual player serves a particular role.  It is important for us to make sure each player knows this role. At the end of the day, we have to make sure that we build a cohesive team.

Have you received any advice from people who have worked in a similar role?

Any chance I see David Poile, the GM of the Nashville Predators and Team USA, I always try to pick his brain. He was the GM of the Washington Capitals when I began playing there. I have tremendous respect for him; he is very experienced in this type of position and always has great advice to offer.

What does the team need to do to beat Slovenia in the first game and succeed in Group A?

I think the key to winning against Slovenia for us will be to score the first goal. This kind of jump-start will hopefully alleviate some pressure off the players so that they can perform to the best of their ability. Slovenia is a great team, and they deserve to be in the elite group. In terms of overall success in Group A, I think a good start to the tournament will hopefully build confidence with each game we play. I have faith that our team is capable of great things.

ADAM STEISS