Habs winger Juraj Slafkovsky named Slovak hockey player of the year … again
Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky has been honoured as the player of the year by the Slovak Hockey Federation for the third year in a row.
The 22 year old, who became Slovakia’s highest-drafted player when the Canadiens selected him with the first pick in 2022, registered career highs in goals (30) and assists (43) in 2025-26.
He also had 12 points in 19 playoff games as the Canadiens made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in five games.
Slafkovsky also led Slovakia with eight points — four goals and four assists — in six games as they finished fourth at the Milano Cortina Olympics. He was the only player from outside of Canada or the U.S. to be named to the tournament’s all-star team.
The left winger, who signed an eight-year, US$60.8-million contract contract extension with the Canadiens in 2024, was previously named Slovakian Player of the Year in 2022, 2024 and 2025. (In 2023, the only year in this stretch Slafkovsky didn’t win the award, it went to former Montreal Canadien Tomas Tatar.)
Although still at the start of his career, Slafkovsky is already closing in on Zdeno Chára and Marián Hossa, who each won the award six times.
