Major statement by Juraj Slafkovsky on his absence from the World Junior Championship

"I heard my compatriot Simon Nemec say that I would have possibly scored in overtime if I had been with the team. Maybe, but we'll never know.


I'm not one to think about what might have happened if I had been there, or if we had done things differently."

"Even though I was never told about the possibility of joining my country's junior team, I was trying to keep my place with the Canadiens. I always loved representing my country in international competitions, but I wanted to focus on my first season in the NHL. My goal is always to get better and move up in the lineup."

"Some believe I would have benefited from being dominant against players my age. Others believe it was better for me to continue my development by playing against men.

To this I say that I have full confidence in the team management to determine what is best for me. They are much smarter than I am at making those kinds of decisions."