Juraj Slafkovsky put the hockey world on notice at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics as a 17-year-old when he helped Slovakia take home their first Olympic medal in hockey. Slafkovsky was not just along for the ride, but was the catalyst, recording seven goals in seven games to take home the tournament MVP. His performance in the Olympics and the World Championships later that year significantly increased his draft stock, propelling the Montreal Canadiens to take him with the first overall pick in that year's draft.
Four years later, Slafkovsky has finally hit his stride in the NHL, on pace for the first 30-goal season of his career, and has become a dominant force in the Canadiens lineup. Perfect timing for this year’s Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, as Slafkovsky and Slovakia aim to shock the world again by collecting their second medal. The tournament could not have started off any better for Slafkovsky, and he has put himself back in the MVP conversation. If he were to win, he would become the first men’s player to have multiple MVPs at the Olympics.
MVP case
It will not be easy for Slafkovsky to win his second consecutive MVP trophy at the Olympics, but things could not have started any better for the Canadiens number 20. In the opening game of the tournament, Slafkovsky sent out a message: NHL talent or not, he will not be stopped. His first opponent? Finland. Did that matter to Slafkovsky or Slovakia? Not at all, as they shocked fans on opening day by upsetting Finland 4-1. Slafkovsky was the star man of the game, scoring two goals and adding an assist late, where he lost his stick in the process of trying to recover the puck, which required him to test out his soccer skills.
Slovakia’s second game was against Italy, who were coming off a game where they nearly stunned medal favourites Sweden. He was not able to add to his historic goal tally, but did grab an assist on Slovakia’s opening goal of the game as they beat the host nation 3-2. Slovakia’s final game of group play came against the mighty Sweden, with hopes of securing the top spot in B. A win would eliminate any chance of not topping the group, but as long as they did not lose by more than two goals, group B would be theirs.
Slafkovsky opened the scoring for Slovakia, tying the game at one apiece. However, Sweden began to take control of the game, and with less than nine minutes to go, they had a commanding 5-2 lead. If the game ended with that scoreline, Slovakia would have missed out on the top spot. With Slovakia’s dreams of finishing first in the group dissipating, Slafkovsky receives a pass at the top of the left circle with just over 40 seconds to go and rips a wrist shot that trickles through Jacob Markstrom’s armpit, falling right in front of Dalibor Dvorsky on the goal line. Dvorsky tucks home the loose puck with 39 seconds to go, putting Slovakia back on top of the group.
Slafkovsky celebrates as if it were the game-winning goal, but despite losing the game 5-3, Slovakia secured the top spot in group B. When asked about his celebration after the game, he responded, “I’ve never celebrated so much after a loss.” The assist on the final goal put him in a tie for the tournament lead in points (6) with Connor McDavid. As it stands right now, it is a two-horse race for the MVP: Slafkovsky and McDavid. They are both leading the charge for their nations, with both Slovakia and Canada securing the top spots in their groups. With Canada still having a game to play in the group stage, Slafkovsky will have to wait and see how much ground he will need to make up in the MVP race.
Canadiens could not be happier
It took some time for Slafkovsky to find his groove in the NHL. He has shown some flashes in his first three years, but nothing like what we have seen this season. He has been absolutely dominant in stretches this season, and since moving him onto a line with Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, he has been a completely different player. The way he looks with the Canadiens right now, alongside Kapanen and Demidov, is the closest we have seen him play to his Olympic performances. Which is why, if anything to grab from his performances so far this Olympics, it is that we have likely still not seen the best version of him yet in a Canadiens sweater.
That may sound obvious, and despite his excellent play this season, there is still another level Slafkovsky can get to. When he gets to play for Slovakia, he takes over games. You can see how much he means to the team by the way his teammates talk about him.
“If Juraj Slafkovsky plays like that, we have a chance to win,” said Simon Nemec after their opening win against Finland. Nemec has seen him play like that before, as a member of that 2022 team that won the bronze medal.
“We don't have as big names like Sweden or like Canada, right? But we got SlafGOALsky,” said Martin Fehervary following the game against Sweden. With Slafkovsky on their side, they believe they have a chance every single night. His potential is endless, and while he has been integral for the Canadiens this season, there is a version of Slafkovsky where he becomes one of the best players in the NHL. Which, for the Canadiens, just makes you more and more optimistic about this team’s already promising future.