Canadiens unlikely to let Slafkovsky play in World Juniors: report

Dec 8 2022, 8:54 pm

On Thursday, President of the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation and former NHL player Miroslav Šatan announced that Simon Nemec and Filip Mesar will play for Slovakia at the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship.

While Nemec and Mesar, who were both selected in the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, get set to represent their nation at their tournament, fellow countryman and first-overall pick Juraj Slafkosvky will most likely stay put in Montreal.
According to a report from The Athletic‘s Arpon Basu, Slafkosvky will probably remain in the Canadiens lineup during the WJC. In his tweet, Basu included a quote from Habs Executive Vice President Jeff Gorton, who does not see Slafkosvky leaving the team if he “continues going the way he’s going.”

With fellow top prospect Shane Wright representing Canada at the WJC, Slafkovsky will be the only player from his draft class playing in the NHL during the tournament.

So far, the 18-year-old forward has netted four goals and eight points in his first 21 games with the Canadiens.

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