Many people dream of becoming the first choice for the NHL draft.
For Juraj Slafkovsky, that became a reality when he wrote the history of the Slovak NHL.
The 18-year-old was so happy that he didn’t even hear his name calling.
– I heard “Slovakia”. Then she was shocked and stopped listening, according to NHL.com.
It is not uncommon for Slovak players to be selected early in the NHL draft.
Marion Gaboric was elected third in 2000. With this, it was a longtime Slovak who was elected the earliest.
But now he is being beaten up.
Juray Slafkovsky became the first draft of the entire draft when Montreal Canadiens decided to pick the 18-year-old forward. And the joy does not stop there for Slovakia. Next in line to pick players were the New Jersey Devils. They elected Slavkovsky’s compatriot, Simon Nemec.
– I think that out of the 5 million living in Slovakia, at least four were cheering us on. We’re from Slovakia and represent the country, says Slavkovsky, according to NHL.com, and I’m glad this happened to us.
He didn’t hear his name
First of all, the General Manager of Canada, Kent Hughes, walked up to the grand stage at the Bell Center, approached the microphone and said:
– With our first selection in the 2022 NHL draft. From the Slovak national team.
Somewhere, Slafkovsky stopped listening. Television footage showed an 18-year-old man looking straight to his left as his closest relative.
– I heard “Slovakia”. Then I was shocked and didn’t listen anymore. I got goosebumps. Yes, it was a great moment for me, says Slavkovsky.
