WATCH: “Historic moment for Slovakia” – Juraj Slafkovsky, No. 1 pick in 2022 Draft, practices for Canadiens during development camp
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Juraj Slafkovsky
Slovak ice hockey forward Juraj Slafkovsky, who was the No. 1 pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre, skated at development camp on Monday. The youngster has already connected his preparation for the next season in full flow and drew hundreds of fans to the suburban practice facility.
“It’s a hockey city, so everyone likes hockey and I just enjoy it,” said Slafkovsky, an 18-year-old forward, as quoted by NHL.com. “I always wanted somewhere where they love hockey and I think I’m probably in the best spot in the world for that. It’s just totally different. They are living a hockey life and I don’t think it’s anywhere else in the world like this.”
“I think people went crazy and they still are,” Slafkovsky said. “It’s a historic moment for Slovakia, so they have to be.”
“Want to damage everything in here”
Slafkovsky alongside defenseman Simon Nemec (No. 2, New Jersey Devils) made history on July 7 when they became the highest NHL Draft picks from Slovakia, surpassing Marian Gaborik (No. 3 by the Minnesota Wild at the 2000 NHL Draft). The youngster was also voted the most valuable player of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics when he scored seven goals to help his country finish third for the bronze.
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“It’s great to be a Canadien,” Slafkovsky said. “It’s the best thing that could happen to me and I just need to work hard so I can prove it.”
The Kosice native Slafkovsky had ten points (five goals, five assists) in 31 regular-season games for Turun Palloseura (TPS) in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league, and seven points (two goals, five assists) in 18 playoff games.
“For sure, I want to damage everything in here,” Slafkovsky said.
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Sachin Arora
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