Martin St-Louis has the gift of imagining hockey scenarios with analogies to everyday life. After the classic of the good chair and that of checkers and chess as a type of player, he described the development of Juraj Slafkovsky using a road traffic application (Waze).
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At a news conference after a little more than an hour of practice that followed the team’s first official photo session on the ice at the Bell Center, St-Louis sent a message of calm and patience to Slafkovsky.
Martin McGuire, the voice of CH on the radio, reported Arber’s words
“Yes, I would say yes,” St-Louis replied, agreeing with Xhekaj’s comment about the burden that fell on Slafkovsky. It’s not easy for a 19-year-old to not hear it and not be exposed to it, especially with all the media in Montreal. »
“Sometimes it’s not fair. But me with sleep…”
After a brief pause to refocus his ideas, St-Louis delved into a long analogy. It was candy.
“You use Waze as an app when you drive somewhere. For example, if you want to go somewhere nice, enter the address. It (the app) tells you how long it will take you to get there and how many kilometers. Sometimes you get stuck in a traffic jam on the way. What happens over time? Is it going up or down? He is climbing. Do you turn around or carry on? You continue. »
“If you miss an exit, do you get cursed and return home, or do you wait for her to find a new path for you and still get to your destination? I keep my goal. »
“I live my life this way. That’s what we do with Slaf. He goes to a beautiful destination. We don’t know exactly how long it will take. Sometimes there is traffic, he should not be discouraged or annoyed. There are also times when you miss an exit. But it does not matter. He will reposition himself. We don’t have all the answers yet. But I know he’ll be fine. It’s not easy for the young person. He must be stuck in traffic, missed an exit, and listening to everyone talking about it. It’s not easy for a 19-year-old man. »
With his colorful language, St-Louis simply wanted to make it clear that the Slovakian needs to take time and stumble a few times before he becomes a better hockey player. But that at some point he will find his way and his goal.
On the front row wing
In 11 games this season, Slafkovsky has scored one goal and provided one assist. Since the Habs’ visit to St. Louis, he has found himself in an enviable position on the right wing of the front row alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
Overall, there is only one first choice in the CH dressing room. But there are other big picks for the first round. Sean Monahan, the Flames’ sixth overall pick in 2013, can sometimes fill Slafkovsky’s shoes.
The Monahan model
Not long ago, Monahan also experienced the pressure of making his NHL debut at 18 years old.
“It’s clearly not easy, the NHL is the best league in the world,” the Ontario native recalled. You are the best and every game becomes a challenge. You know there will be difficult encounters, but you have to stay positive and work hard. You can also learn from your teammates and coaches or by watching videos. »
“At my age (29), I’m in a different phase of my career now, but I haven’t been active on social media for over six years,” Monahan continued. Honestly, I don’t care what people say outside of this locker room. There are probably articles about it every day. At his age, I could read Twitter (X) after a bad game and I had a hard time. I just want to have fun in the arena. »
Monahan said he speaks with Slafkovsky virtually every day. In addition to its impact on the ice, number 91 will help a young teammate progress.