Slafkovský: Montreal Coach Praises Rising Star

MILAN – Juraj Slafkovský is one of the mainstays of the Slovak national team at the Winter Olympics.

The native of Košice attracts attention with his fantastic performances, with which he silenced even the biggest critics, as he not only scores goals himself, but also prepares them. In addition, he stands out with his dominant game, in which he can make excellent use of his strong physical parameters, but also his admirable technique on the puck.

Even at the young age of 21, Slafkovský is able to be a huge leader of the team, who can pull his teammates to better performances on the ice. Only the best players really have such an effect, among whom the jewel of Slovak hockey can be included without debate.

Slafkovski’s performances are also closely watched by fans behind the big puddle, similar to the coach of the Montreal Canadiens, Marty St. Louis, who publicly praised Juraj. The Sportsnet portal informed.

“I don’t feel that Juraj came to the NHL as an eighteen-year-old with such an excellent set-up… he has developed and is now ready to lead his team on the ice. He takes a lot of responsibility in games and the other guys will follow him. But it’s not just one thing, it’s several things that attracted me a lot. Players of this type will show quality in big events regardless of the circumstances.” said Martin St. Louis.

“I think it’s his mentality. He’s a young leader that you love and you see others follow him. He picks up where he left off and doesn’t look back. He just goes forward and others follow.” said the coach of Montreal, who alluded to other younger players of the Slovak team, for example Pavol Regenda, Oliver Okuliar, Dalibor Dvorský, or Miloš Kelemen.

According to him, all these players already perceive Slafkovský as a team leader they can rely on, who can conjure up a decisive moment in a match, or one who can motivate them to perform better. This is confirmed by the words of Sláfkovski’s teammate from Montreal, Lane Hutson.

“I think what he’s doing in the Olympics is pretty special, but we see him do it all the time. Maybe nobody notices it, but he does a lot of the little things right, he’s great at controlling the puck, keeping it and making a difference in the game. To see it on the Olympic stage is something special, but it definitely doesn’t surprise me.” added the 22-year-old American.

Slafkovský’s performances in Milan did not surprise his other teammate either, namely the 33-year-old experienced Canadian, Brendan Gallagher. He mainly highlighted Juraj’s consistency.

“I think the main thing you can see is his consistency. He’s been able to carry his form from last season into this one. Game after game he has a big impact on the game. He finds a way to be really consistent. He plays with different players and affects the game in different ways. He feels confident when he has the puck on his stick, he’s dominant.

The way he protects the puck and creates space is where I think he’s improved the most. He improved the small details of his game, learned new things. I think what you’re seeing in the Olympics is exactly what we’ve seen all year. But he is still a young player, so he will continue to improve.” Callagher said. Brought to you by Sportsnet.

Some Montreal fans see Slafkovski as the future captain of the Canadiens. Of course, he will have to earn the capital letter “C” on his jersey, but Juraj is already proving that he could be suitable captain material. And Slafkovský is still only at the beginning of his journey.

• Author: © List/
• Source: Sports shoes