Miroslav Sláma played for Charles University (Prague) while a law student, and joined ČLTK during World War II. Initially a forward, he switched to defense, but remained a frequent scorer. After trying to help a friend’s mother, Sláma was briefly imprisoned in the concentration camp at Terezin (Theresienstadt), but returned to ice hockey after the camp was liberated by the Soviets in May 1945. ČLTK was one of the top Czechoslovakian teams in that era, finishing second in the championships from 1946 through 1948. As a member of the Czechoslovakian national team, Sláma won the country’s first World Championship title in 1947, without Canada competing, however. At the 1948 Olympics, Canada did play, and they defeated Sláma and Czechoslovakia only on goal difference. After the Soviets rose to power later that year, Sláma and his teammate Oldřich Zábrodský defected to Switzerland during a tournament in Davos. Sláma stayed there as a coach and player, before moving on to the United States in 1953, where he worked as a library administrator.
Czechoslovakia
Czechia