For a third year, Montreal Canadiens player Juraj Slafkovsky was named the hockey player of the year in his native Slovakia. The 21-year-old might not have met his expectations in the last season, but he did well enough to catch the eye of the voters. The title is awarded each year through a voting process by the Slovak Hockey Association.
He had already won the distinction in 2022 and in 2024 when he cleaned up at the Slovakia Hockey gala, winning the Best Under 20 Player and the Best Forward award as well.
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In his third NHL season, the left winger managed to score 51 points, a one-point improvement over his second season output. The power forward spent most of the season on Nick Suzuki’s wing alongside Cole Caufield, but once again had a slow start. His play picked up later in the season as he started playing a more physical game.
In a recent interview, he mentioned that he would be satisfied if he managed to score between 65 and 70 points. This would be quite an improvement, but given the fact that the Canadiens should have a more menacing top six this season, which should take some of the pressure away from the top line, it might just be doable.
The youngster also said that he needs to stop talking about what he must do and start doing it on the ice, echoing the statements of many fans on social media. Ivan Demidov’s presence should bring some much-needed internal competition for the top line role on the left. If Slafkovsky falters, the young Russian will be ready and willing to step into the role.
In February, the winger will be heading to Milano-Cortina to represent Slovakia in the Olympics. This should be great motivation for the player, who was a standout performer at the 2022 games, having picked up seven goals in as many matches, which led his country to a bronze medal. It was that performance that caught the eye of the hockey world and helped make him the first-overall selection at the 2022 draft. The Slovaks will be hoping for another medal finish this time around, but with the NHL players being back in the fold, powerhouses like Canada and the USA should find their way back to the podium, making their task much harder.
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