Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky said he is feeling fine after a fight and a hit during a recent game, describing the sequence as 'can't really get much dumber.' The 20-year-old Slovakian player spoke to reporters on Wednesday, confirming he experienced no concussion symptoms or other ill effects.
The incident occurred during the Canadiens' 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night. Slafkovsky was involved in a fight with Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak and later took a hard hit from forward Pat Maroon. He remained in the game and logged 18:42 of ice time.
'I feel good, no problems,' Slafkovsky said. 'It was a dumb play by me, but I'm fine.' The Canadiens' medical staff evaluated him after the game and cleared him of any injury. Coach Martin St. Louis praised his toughness but emphasized the need for smarter decisions on the ice.
Slafkovsky, the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, has 10 goals and 15 assists in 50 games this season. The Canadiens are currently in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with a 22-26-8 record.
