Slovak man who traveled to Winter Olympics to cheer on hockey team arrested after 16 years on lam

A Slovakian autochthonal was successful Italy this week, 16 years aft prosecutors successful the state issued a warrant against him.

The 44-year-old unidentified antheral traveled to Milan to ticker his autochthonal country's Olympic hockey squad instrumentality connected medal favourite Finland, which coiled up being a tremendous 4-1 upset triumph for the Slovaks.

However, helium ne'er got a accidental to spot the Slovaks' mentation of the "Miracle connected Ice."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM 

Slovakia fans wrong the arena earlier the lucifer against Finland successful men's crystal hockey radical B play during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.  (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)

Police said they tracked down the fishy aft helium checked into a guesthouse successful the Milan suburbs, past escorted him to the cardinal San Vittore Prison earlier helium could be the game.

The warrant stemmed from a drawstring of alleged store thefts successful 2010. He present has 11 months, 7 days to serve, according to police.

Perhaps the instrumentality wanted to effort to bring immoderate portion of location to his hockey team, arsenic they are acceptable to look the hosts successful Italy connected Friday. They'll adjacent retired the preliminary circular connected Saturday against Sweden, different squad that could astir decidedly vie for the golden medal.

Juraj Slafkovsky of Slovakia successful enactment during the Men's Preliminary Group B lucifer betwixt Slovakia and Finland connected time 5 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 11, 2026, successful Milan, Italy.  (RvS.Media/Monika Majer/Getty Images)

US SNOWBOARDER CHLOE KIM STUNNED BY SOUTH KOREA'S GAON CHOI, SETTLES FOR SILVER IN WOMEN'S HALFPIPE

Slovakia won the bronze medal successful Beijing erstwhile NHL players were not yet allowed to compete. Now, they are led by Montreal Canadiens superstar Juraj Slafkovsky, who really does person Olympic experience.

Slafkovsky competed successful 2022, arsenic helium had not yet been successful the NHL. He was 17 astatine the time, the youngest subordinate successful the Olympics, yet inactive managed to beryllium the Olympics' points person and the tournament's astir invaluable player.

Slafovsky scored doubly against Finland, and Dalibor Dvorsky of the St. Louis Blues got the game-winning extremity with little than 13 minutes left.

Juraj Slafkovsky of Team Slovakia celebrates the team's 4-1 triumph successful the Men's Preliminary Group B lucifer betwixt Slovakia and Finland connected time 5 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 11, 2026, successful Milan, Italy.  (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Unfortunately, 1 instrumentality won't beryllium capable to spot the pack successful action.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.