Immediately, there was a loud combination of gasps and cheers. Home fans knew that meant the Canadiens were selecting forward Juraj Slafkovsky, not center Shane Wright, the player they had been waiting for. Slafkowski knew it too. “I didn’t even hear my name,” he said. “I heard ‘Slovak’.” He saw his face on the big screen and got goosebumps. Soon after, he stepped out from under the Canadiens’ Stanley Cup banners and retired numbers to pull up the blue, blanc et rouge — to take the torch from the losing hands, suddenly now his to hold aloft. Asked if he was surprised, he said: “Shane was shown at No.1 [for years], so yes, of course. I’m very happy about that.” [RELATED: Complete coverage of 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft] That moment alone would make this draft one to remember for Montreal. But Hughes, less than seven months after being hired on Jan. 19, had another surprise in store. The Canadiens traded defenseman Alexander Romanov and No. 98 to the New York Islanders for No. 13, then moved up No. 13 and No. 66 to the Chicago Blackhawks for center Kirby Dach, who was the No. 3 picks in the 2019 NHL draft. Montreal also selected forward Filip Mesar, another Slovakian and Slafkovsky’s friend, at No. 26. Wright, the No. 1 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, appeared to be the popular pick entering the draft. Some booed Slafkowski as she walked the red carpet on Thursday. At least one wore the “Wright No. 51” Canadiens jersey to the arena. At least three wore T-shirts that read “WRIGHT CHOICE,” with the “C” from the Canadiens logo. The Canadians didn’t make the Wright choice, but they might have made the right one. “I only hope so [the fans] i’ll like it too one day, and i’ll do anything [to show] that I’m a good player and that I’m really making history with Montreal,” Slafkowski said. Slafkowski, ranked the No. 1 European skater by NHL Central Scouting, is a 6-foot-4, 229-pound power forward. He was the most valuable player of the 2022 Beijing Olympics despite being the youngest at the tournament at 17 at the time, scoring seven goals in seven games to help Slovakia win bronze. Video: Montreal Canadiens pick LW Juraj Slafkovsky No. 1 The 18-year-old impressed Hughes at the 2022 NHL Scouting Combine when Hughes asked him to leave home at 15 to play in Finland. “I asked him if he lived in a dorm,” Hughes said. “He said ‘no.’ And I said, “So one of your parents moved in with you?” He said “no”. Then I said, “How did you cook?” And he said: “With a stove.” “He’s very independent. He’s confident without being cocky, and we think this is a kid that not only has the mentality we’re looking for, but we’re also evaluating where he’s at in his game, what he’s got in terms of his physical ability. And where he could be is if we were to help him in this process.” Hughes said the Canadiens were inclined to take Slafkowski on Wednesday morning but wanted to meet him again. When they met with him Thursday morning, owner Geoff Molson was joined by Hughes, executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton and others. Slafkovksy didn’t read too much into it. “I didn’t know if Shane had a meeting with the owner, so I said, ‘Maybe he did [a meeting with Molson] too, and it doesn’t mean anything,” Slafkowski said with a laugh. “Yeah, but actually, it meant something.” Video: Slafkowski selected No. 1 in 2022 NHL draft Hughes said the Canadiens didn’t want to give up Romanov, a 22-year-old who averaged 20:24 in 79 games for them last season. But they wanted to get bigger and faster in the middle of the ice, and they added another 6-footer with potential. Dach has 59 points (19 goals, 40 assists) in 152 games for the Blackhawks over three seasons, but he’s still 21. He can grow with the Canadiens’ core. “We’re going to invest money in developing hockey players and trying to get the most out of their potential, and we think Kirby has significant potential,” Hughes said. “And hopefully with the Montreal Canadiens in that environment, we can bring him along and get him to a point where he’s going to be a very special centre-man.” Expectations will be high, the pressure intense. But if they reach their potential, they’ll be favorites in Montreal. Fans already began to embrace Slafkowski about 90 minutes after his selection, when he walked up from the barrel floor through the stands and then sat down for a televised interview in front of the crowd. People stood up and applauded him, patting him on the back, taking pictures. Finally they serenaded him. “Be! Be-be-be! Be!” Slafkowski seemed determined to live up to it. “First overall it’s something and you have to prove it,” he said. “Well yeah, I’m just going to think about getting better every second I live on this earth.”
