After months, if not years, of speculation surrounding Canadian center Shane Wright and the expectation that he would be named first when that day arrived, a sterling 2022 performance from Slafkowski pushed the final No. 1 past the captain of Kingston Frontenacs and in the top spot. It was at the 2022 Winter Olympics that Slafkowski really put his name in the conversation. Amidst a wild 2021-22 campaign in which he battled to the final of the Liiga with Finnish side TPS Turku, the 2022 Games in Beijing saw Slafkovsky reach another level, with the big winger finishing the tournament as top scorer of. overall top scorer and MVP. The dominant performance helped his native Slovakia to its first Olympic ice hockey medal as he finished with a bronze. Now, Slafkovsky has made history once again by becoming the first Slovak player to be selected first overall in the NHL Draft. Asked when he knew he might be the one finally selected to that No. 1 spot, Slafkovsky said he’s had an idea for some time. “Actually, it was a little while after the World Championships when I was [at the] combine,” he told Sportsnet’s Caroline Cameron on the draft floor, fresh off the stage and wearing a Canadiens jersey for the first time. “I felt they were quite interested.” In Slafkovsky, Montreal has added a physically imposing presence who has proven he can make an impact offensively. The six-foot, 229-pound wing scored 18 points in 11 games for the TPS U20 team last season, adding 10 points in 31 games played against senior men in the Liiga. The historic night for Slovakian history didn’t stop with the newest member of the Canadiens, however, as Simon Nemec’s compatriots heard his name called just one point later, the New Jersey Devils marking the defenseman with the second overall pick. Together, the pair became the highest Slovak players ever selected in the Draft, narrowly surpassing Marion Gaborik, who went third overall in 2000.
