The Montreal Canadiens surprisingly passed on Shane Wright with the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft and instead selected Slovakian forward Juraj Slafkovsky with the No. 1 pick on Thursday at Bell Centre.
B/R Open IceWELCOME TO MONTREAL u269cufe0f<br><br>The Montreal Canadiens select Juraj Slafkovsky with the first overall pick! <a href="https://t.co/OyCpMa6Qpu">pic.twitter.com/OyCpMa6Qpu</a>
Slafkovsky was widely expected be taken second overall behind Wright, but the Canadiens must have felt the left wing fits their current needs more.
He made a name for himself at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, helping lead Slovakia to a historic bronze medal, which was the country's first-ever Olympic medal in men's ice hockey.