Adam Sýkora

Adam Sýkora (born 7 September 2004) is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the 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.

After Hartford was eliminated from the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, he was recalled to the Rangers roster for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

During the 2025–26 season, Sýkora played mainly on Hartford's third line in a defensive and penalty killing role. He made his NHL debut for the Rangers against the Toronto Maple Leafs on 25 March. Sýkora scored his first NHL goal in the next game on 27 March, against the Chicago Blackhawks.

International play

Sýkora competed in 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in the boys' 3x3 mixed tournament.

He represented the Slovakia 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 Finland under-18 team. He also represented Slovakia in the World Junior Championships in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Sýkora was named the captain of the Slovakia team for the 2024 World Junior Championships.

Sýkora played for the Slovakia senior team in the 2022 World Championship, in which Slovakia finished in eighth place. He 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, defence and competitiveness, but his size likely hurt his NHL draft position. The Hockey News writer Steven Ellis wrote in advance of the 2022 World Championship 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." 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.

Prior to the 2023–24 season, USA Today writer Vincent Z. Mercogliano rated Sýkora as the Rangers fourth best prospect. Prior to the 2024–25 season Mercogliano and McKeen's Hockey rated him as the Rangers' fifth best prospect and The Hockey News rated him as the Rangers' fourth best prospect. McKeen's felt that as a teenager playing in the AHL in 2023–24, Sýkora was not 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." Before the 2025–26 season, Mercogliano and Peter Baugh of The Athletic rated Sýkora as the Rangers' 10th best prospect.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs 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 2024–25 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 71 9 21 30 8 — — — — — 2025–26 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 62 12 17 29 28 — — — — — 2025–26 New York Rangers NHL 11 3 1 4 5 — — — — —Slovak totals 99 18 22 40 16 27 3 6 9 6NHL totals 11 3 1 4 5 — — — — —

International