Adam Sýkora
Adam Sýkora is a Slovak professional ice hockey forward for the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League while under with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. 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.
During the 2024-25 AHL season, Sykora played mainly on Hartford's 3rd line in a defensive and penalty killing role.
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:HK Nitra general manager Tomáš Chrenko praised Sýkora's work ethic and said that:
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 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."
During the offseason prior to the 2025-26 NHL season, the Rangers asked him to work on improving his shooting skills. Before the 2025-26 season, Mercogliano and Peter Baugh of The Athletic rated Sykora as the Rangers' 10th best prospect.