The Montreal Canadiens selected Juraj Slafkowski with the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
After months, if not years, of speculation surrounding Canadian center Shane Wright and the expectation that his name would be called first when that day came, Slafkowski’s 2022 Sterling performance pushed the eventual No.1 past the Kingston Frontenacs captain and in the first place.
It was at the 2022 Winter Olympics that Slafkowski really forced his name into the conversation.
On the back of a torrid 2021-22 campaign that saw him challenge for the League Final with Finnish side TPS Turku, the 2022 Games in Beijing saw Slafkowski reach another level, the big winger finishing the tournament as top scorer, top overall scorer and his MVP. A dominant performance helped his native Slovakia win their first Olympic ice hockey medal as they finished with bronze.
Now, Slafkovski has once again made history by becoming the first Slovak player to ever be selected first overall in the NHL draft.
Asked when he realized he might be the one to end up being selected at that No. 1 spot, Slafkowski said he’s had a hunch for quite some time.
“It was actually a while after the World Cup when I was [at the] combine,” he told Sportsnet’s Caroline Cameron on stage, fresh off the stage and wearing his Canadiens jersey for the first time. “I felt they were quite interested.”
In Slafkowski, Montreal added a physically imposing presence that has proven to be impactful on offense. The six-foot-four, 229-pound wing scored 18 points in 11 games for the TPS U20 team this past season, adding 10 points in 31 games against senior men in the League.
The historic night for Slovakian history didn’t stop with the newest member of the Canadiens, however, as compatriot Simon Nemec heard his name called just one spot later, the New Jersey Devils selected the defenseman with the second pick.
Together, the pair became the best Slovakian players ever selected in the Draft, narrowly surpassing Marion Gaborik, who went third overall in 2000.
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