NHL DID YOU KNOW? JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY EDITION #nhl #montrealcanadiens #nhl24 #nhldraft #sports #mtl

NHL DID YOU KNOW? JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY EDITION #nhl #montrealcanadiens #nhl24 #nhldraft #sports #mtl

Juraj Slafkovský (born 30 March 2004) is a Slovak professional ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected first overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Canadiens, the highest-drafted Slovak player in the history of the NHL.[1]

Slafkovský first rose to prominence as a member of the Slovak national team at the 2022 Winter Olympics, where he played a pivotal role in Slovakia’s first-ever Olympic medal in ice hockey. Leading the tournament in scoring, he was named its most valuable player.[2] He was identified as part of a new generation of promising Slovak hockey players.

Playing career
Liiga
Slafkovský first left home at the age of 14 to train at Red Bull’s ice hockey academy in Austria. After months spent there and in the Czech Republic competing against older teenagers, he moved to Finland’s HC TPS, seeking a higher class of competition. Slafkovský played three seasons with TPS’s team in the Finnish junior league, before making his debut in the Liiga for the 2021–22 season. His debut in the senior men’s ranks was initially inauspicious, recording only one goal in his first 20 games. After returning from his star turn at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Slafkovský’s play improved noticeably, and he finished the regular season with five goals and five assists. He went on to record two goals and five assists in 18 playoff games.[6] TPS advanced to the Finals, but lost to Tappara in five games.

National Hockey League
2022 NHL Entry Draft
Slafkovský was eligible for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, and by the mid-season assessment was being cited as a potential top-five selection, in particular on the strength of his international performances. The presumptive first overall pick at the beginning of the season, Shane Wright of the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Kingston Frontenacs, was judged by many as having “left the door open for someone to unseat him” after a subpar start.[7] As the draft approached, Slafkovský had emerged as Wright’s primary challenger, and topped a number of rankings by scouts and commentators.[8][9][10] The first overall pick was won by the Montreal Canadiens, whose general manager, Kent Hughes, confirmed days before the draft that the choice was between Slafkovský, Wright and Logan Cooley of the USNTDP.[11]

On 7 July 2022, the Canadiens used the first overall pick to select Slafkovský. He became the highest-drafted Slovak player in the history of the NHL, surpassing Marián Gáborík, who was taken third overall in 2000. Also, with defenceman Šimon Nemec selected second overall by the New Jersey Devils, this was only the second time in history that a single European country had the top two selections in a single draft (after Russia in 2004). The Canadiens also selected Filip Mešár, another Slovak player and longtime friend of Slafkovský’s, later in the first round.[1] Six days after the draft, Slafkovský signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canadiens.[12]