Slafkovský's Olimpic Redemption: How the Canadiens Star is Carrying Slovakia's Gold Medal Dreams
Four years after his MVP performance in Beijing, Juraj Slafkovský is once again proving he's born for the biggest stage. Slovakia's upset run at Milano Cortina 2026 starts and ends with the Montreal superstar.
Slafkovský’s Olympic Redemption: How the Canadiens Star is Carrying Slovakia’s Gold Medal Dreams
When Juraj Slafkovský scored the opening goal of the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics against Finland on February 11th, curling around Juuse Saros and tucking the puck into an unguarded net, it wasn’t just a beautiful goal. It was a statement.
The kid who won MVP as a 17-year-old in Beijing is back, and this time he’s got NHL experience behind him.
The Performance That Has Everyone Talking
Through Slovakia’s preliminary games, Slafkovský has been absolutely dominant. His stat line tells one story – goals, assists, game-breaking plays. But watching him play tells another: this is a player operating on a different level than he was four years ago.
Against Finland in the opener, he scored twice and added an assist in a stunning 4-1 victory. That was supposed to be an easy Finnish win. Instead, Slafkovský turned it into a Slovakian statement game. The Finns outshot Slovakia 40-25, but when you have a goalie standing on his head and your best player converting every chance, the shot count doesn’t matter.
“I wish I could have two goals every game,” Slafkovský said after the Finland game, “but sometimes it is not going to happen.”
Humble words, but here’s the thing: he’s basically done exactly that. Through the tournament, he’s been Slovakia’s most dangerous player every single time he touches the puck.
From Beijing Bronze to Milano Gold?
Let’s talk about what happened in Beijing for a second. A 17-year-old Slafkovský – not yet drafted, not yet a Montreal Canadien, just a Slovak kid with a dream – scored seven goals in seven games and led his country to bronze. He was named tournament MVP despite no NHL players being present.
The skeptics said it didn’t count. No NHLers, they said. Different competition level, they said.
Well, those skeptics are real quiet right now.
The Group B Stunner
Slovakia wasn’t supposed to win Group B. Finland and Sweden – two perennial hockey powerhouses with NHL rosters stacked to the rafters – were the favorites. Slovakia was the team expected to finish third and probably bow out in the first knockout round.
Instead? Slovakia won the group.
They beat Finland 4-1. They pushed Sweden to the limit in a 5-3 loss that paradoxically secured their group title thanks to goal differential. That late Dalibor Dvorský goal with 39 seconds left – assisted by a Slafkovský shot – wasn’t just a consolation. It was the goal that clinched Slovakia’s bye directly into the quarterfinals.
When Dvorský buried that rebound, Slafkovský started jumping around despite being down two goals. Because he understood the math. He understood what that goal meant.
“I just shot it at the net and I didn’t know where the puck was,” Slafkovský explained, “and all of a sudden I see [Dvorsky] celebrating. I just started jumping there, which is crazy because we were still down two goals.”
That’s hockey IQ. That’s understanding the tournament format and knowing when a “meaningless” goal actually means everything.
What This Means for the Canadiens
Montreal fans should be absolutely thrilled watching this. Slafkovský is showing exactly what the Habs hoped they were getting when they made him the first overall pick in 2022.
He’s not intimidated by the moment. He elevates in big games. He’s a playmaker, a scorer, and increasingly, a leader.
This Olympic experience – playing against the world’s best, carrying his nation’s hopes, performing under immense pressure – is only going to make him better when he returns to Montreal. The Canadiens are building something special, and watching Slafkovský star on the Olympic stage should have Habs fans counting down the days until he’s back in bleu, blanc, et rouge.
The Quarterfinal and Beyond
Slovakia now gets a bye into the quarterfinals, which means they’re rested while other teams battle through play-in games. That’s enormous.
Can they win gold? On paper, it seems unlikely. Canada, USA, Sweden, and Finland all have more NHL talent top-to-bottom. But here’s what I’ve learned watching hockey for years: in a tournament format, you don’t need the best roster. You need the best goaltending, a couple of game-breakers, and some puck luck.
Slovakia has Samuel Hlavaj playing out of his mind in net (39 saves in the Finland game). They have Slafkovský as their game-breaker. And right now, they’ve got the puck luck and momentum.
Is it ludicrous to think Slovakia could win gold? Maybe. But four years ago, it seemed ludicrous that a 17-year-old would lead them to bronze and win MVP.
Juraj Slafkovský has made a career of making the improbable look routine.
The Legacy Play
Win or lose from here, Slafkovský has already cemented his place in Slovak hockey lore. He’s now got 10 goals in 10 Olympic games. Only one other player – Bruce Mather in 1948 – has achieved that goal-per-game pace at the Olympics.
But for Slafkovský, this isn’t about individual glory. It’s about giving his country something to believe in. It’s about representing Slovakia on the world’s biggest stage and showing that heart, skill, and determination can overcome any odds.
The quarterfinals await. The dream is alive.
And as long as number 20 is on the ice, Slovakia has a chance.
What do you think? Can Slovakia pull off the upset and medal again? Let me know your thoughts on social media or in the comments below.