Juraj Slafkovsky is already among the top Olympic scorers

Vincent Larue
Juraj Slafkovsky is already among the top Olympic scorers
Credit: Getty Images

Nine Olympic goals at age 21. That alone puts Juraj Slafkovsky in a conversation that speaks volumes about his talent.

The list of players who have scored more goals than him at the Olympics is not long… and above all, it is elite. Teemu Selanne, Marian Hossa, Pavel Bure, Mats Sundin, Jarome Iginla, Olli Jokinen, and Daniel Alfredsson.

That's it!

We're talking about legends. Players who left their mark on the NHL and the international scene, not just passing players. And Slafkovsky, at 21, is already statistically on par with those names.

It's not just that he had a good tournament at 17 or that he just put in a solid performance against Finland on February 11. It's that he's already established himself in an extremely select club… even though he's not even close to reaching his full potential.

Because now, do the math. He played in his first Games at age 17, before the Canadiens drafted him, he's back at 21… and he could very well still be there at 25, 29, 33, and even 37, if his trajectory remains the same.

That means four more potential Olympic Games. Four more opportunities to increase his total, climb the rankings, and perhaps, quietly, transform this list of star players into one where his name is no longer the youngest… but the highest.

And his impact goes far beyond goals. His physical presence changes games, he attracts the best defenders, opens up space for his teammates, and sets a pace that forces opponents to adjust every time he's on the ice.

Very few players start their Olympic journey so early. Even fewer do so with seven goals in seven games at age 17 and then follow up with two goals in the first game of the next Games.

What we're looking at right now isn't just a total of nine goals. It's a 15- to 20-year window on the Olympic stage for a player who has already proven he can be among the best in that tournament. And for the other names on the list, it didn't start that young.


Overtime

–The men's hockey schedule at the Olympics, February 12.

– New uniforms for Laurent Dauphin and Adam Engstrom.

– Goal by Adam Engstrom.

– Nice gesture by Georges Laraque!

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