Juraj Slafkovsky is currently training hard in Slovakia with a goal of securing a spot with the Montreal Canadiens in October.
He will therefore not take part in the Junior World Championships, which will take place in Edmonton in August. Slafkovsky will land in Montreal in mid-August as the team nears training camp.
This information was shared on Twitter by Slovak journalist Tomas Prokop on Monday.
The Canadians’ first overall pick in the 2022 draft is looking to tone up his chest and improve both skill and speed during his summer training.
Slafkovsky has also revealed the details of his agreement with defender Chris Wideman, who was kind enough to give him his number 20. The young power forward will happily agree to sign a jersey for Wideman’s son and take him over to dinner.
First overall winners have often jumped straight into the NHL in the past, but Slafkovsky could play in the American League at Laval next year, despite being 18, having played in Europe last season.