Juraj Slafkovský, only twenty-one years old, is undoubtedly the brightest star in Slovak sports at the moment. He became the first Slovak in history to be selected by overseas NHL hockey clubs in the first place of the draft. In July 2022, the Montreal Canadiens reached out to him from the top position. Renowned Montreal Gazette reporter Stu Cowan revealed in an interview with how our star is perceived overseas.
Slafkovský was always a distinctive personality. “Honestly, he impressed me from the first day I met him the day before the draft. Not just how big he was, but how mature he was for an 18-year-old and how naturally he handled everything that comes with playing in Montreal. And that’s hard for anybody,” Cowan said candidly.
The hockey player left home when he was only 14 years old. “Now imagine that this is a boy who comes to a new country, to a new city, which is completely different than any other in the NHL – with English, French and probably the most media pressure on a player in the entire league. And sometimes we forget how young he really is. He is only 21 years old“, he thought.
According to the reporter, he is doing well. “He handled everything incredibly well. There have never been any reports of problems off the ice. He is great with the fans, has a great relationship with his teammates, and a great sense of humor. He is good with the media, he is very relaxed in conversations, knows how to be funny and is not afraid to make fun of himself” he praised him.
Cowan spoke about the moment when Slafkovski was criticized for his habits. “When he first came here, he only had white tape on the tip of his stick. Brendan Gallagher (his teammate, editor’s note) made fun of him, that it’s not done that way in the NHL, that he has to change it. He changed it for a while, but now he’s back to the original style.” he explained.
Everything turned around. “And if you look at the junior championship today, suddenly half of the players use a similar blade coating as Slafkovský. I mentioned it to him recently and he just laughed at it. That’s just how he is.” said the renowned reporter.
