The new NHL star Slafkovskis will help Latvia’s opponent in the world championship

The first pick of the 2022 draft played a full NHL season this season and scored 50 (20+30) points in 82 matches, being the team’s fourth most productive player.

Last year, due to an injury, Slafkovskis participated in only 39 matches in the NHL, where he collected ten (4+6) points.

The striker also missed the 2023 World Championship, but in 2022 he collected nine (3+6) points in eight games at the World Championship, and was the top scorer and MVP of the tournament with seven goals in the Olympic Games, helping the Slovaks to win bronze medals.

The 20-year-old Slafkovski was the top scorer in the Slovak NHL this season.

It is reported that in the next few days several more NHL Slovak players could give their consent to compete in the World Championship – Tomáš Tatar from Seattle “Kraken”, Shimons Nemets from New Jersey “Devils” and Martins Pospišils from Calgary “Flames”.

Last year, in the world championship, which was held in Latvia and Finland, the Slovakian team remained in ninth place, failing to qualify for the elimination matches.

This year, the world championship will take place in the Czech cities of Prague and Ostrava from May 10 to 26.

The Slovak national team will be the opponent of the Latvian national team in subgroup B in Ostrava, where the USA, Germany, Sweden, France, Kazakhstan and Poland will also play.