Juraj Slafkovsky, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft, agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old forward made history July 7 when he and defenseman Simon Nemec (No. 2, New Jersey Devils) became the highest NHL Draft picks from Slovakia, surpassing Marian Gaborik (No. 3 by the Minnesota Wild at the 2000 NHL Draft). He was on the ice with Canadiens prospects for the first time during development camp Monday.
“It’s a hockey city, so everyone likes hockey and I just enjoy it,” Slafkovsky said. “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.”
Slafkovsky (6-foot-3, 218 pounds) was No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of International skaters. He had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 31 regular-season games for TPS in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league, and seven points (two goals, five assists) in 18 playoff games. He was voted most valuable player of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, when he scored seven goals to help Slovakia finish third for the bronze, the country’s first Olympic medal.
“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 prove it.”
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