There are few players who enjoy playing in the Olympics more than Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky.
The 21-year-old Slovak scored an important goal for his national side on Saturday, while facing Team Sweden, a powerhouse country in international competitions.
The goal took place in the first period, shortly after a Slovak powerplay had expired. It was perfect timing, as Slovakia was trailing Sweden 1-0 at that point in the game. Slafkovsky did not hesitate to unleash a heavy one-timer, which beat Swedish netminder Jacob Markstrom cleanly, and tied the game at 1-1.
HOCKEY MASCULIN 🏒 Quel but de l’attaquant du Canadien de Montréal Juraj Slafkovský! C’est 1 à 1 entre la Slovaquie et la Suède.@LNH_FR#MilanoCortina2026 #rcsports #hockey #equipecanada #jeuxolympiques pic.twitter.com/frJpxGVdmX
— Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) February 14, 2026
In the end, Sweden was much too strong for Slovakia, and emerged with a 5-3 win, but as per tradition, Slovakia has done a great job punching above its weight, including an impressive 4-1 win versus Finland in the opening game of the Olympic tournament.
Consequently, Slovakia sits second in their group, but will jump to first place should Finland beat Italy, a likely scenario.
If you were watching the #MilanoCortinaOlympics2026 men's ice hockey match between Sweden and Slovakia just now and wondering why the Slovaks were celebrating a 5-3 defeat – here's why pic.twitter.com/vojAvxpPrz
— Emma Smith (@emmasmithjourno) February 14, 2026
Slafkovsky Individual Prowess
On top of scoring a goal versus Sweden, Slafkovsky also added an assist, pushing his Olympic scoring totals to three goals and three assists, good for first overall among all players at the tournament.
In fact, he’s currently tied with Canadian superstar Connor McDavid, but given that Slafkovsky has scored more goals, he’s ahead of the talented Canadian for the time being.
Juraj Slafkovský rolled his eyes when I told him he was tied for the tournament scoring lead with Connor McDavid: “I’m lucky to be there, he deserves it.”
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) February 14, 2026
Of course, this is not the first time Juraj Slafkovsky has enjoyed a dominant performance at the Winter Olympic Games.
Prior to the Canadiens drafting him first overall in 2022, Slafkovsky was named the Most Valuable Player at the Beijing Games, having scored an impressive seven goals in seven games. This time around, NHL players are involved, making his continued excellence at the Olympics a point of pride for the young Slovak.
(N.B. Due to Olympic rights, the highlights may not be available in your country.)
