If Slafkovsky has begun to shine under the bright lights of Montreal, a city where hockey is a religion, he has become an even bigger star in his home country. Cernak has witnessed that up close.
Slafkovsky and Cernak helped Slovakia reach the semifinals of the men’s hockey tournament, where they lost 6-2 against the United States and then fell short in the bronze-medal match against Finland, 6-1. Slafkovsky, who scored eight points (four goals, four assists) in six games, was named to the tournament’s All-Star Team. That followed the 2022 Olympic tournament in Beijing, when Slafkovsky was named Tournament MVP after leading all players with seven goals and leading Slovakia to their first Olympic hockey medal, a bronze.
“Juraj’s a huge star back home,” said Cernak. “After working out at the gym in the summer, if we go out to get a coffee or something to eat, it’s impossible to pass unnoticed. There are always people waiting for him to ask for an autograph or a photo. He gets recognized everywhere. He’s handling all this attention and pressure so well. He’s growing up as a man, but also as a hockey player.”
In Kosice, Slafkovsky has watched Cernak huff and puff while pumping iron like a demon in the gym.
“I’ve been fortunate to learn from him during my off-season training. He’s always going 100 percent in the gym, even if he has just come off a long playoff run,” said Slafkovsky. “He only has one gear, and that’s fifth gear. I’ve incorporated that mentality into my own training. He’s helped me become a better player. I’ll definitely want to take everything I’ve learned and use it against him in this series.”
