The documentary on the reconstruction of the Montreal Canadiens has been online for a few weeks, and each new episode reveals more of the issues surrounding this crucial decision to rebuild the team.
One of the key moments of this reconstruction was one of the different draft sessions, that of 2022. During this edition, the CH faced the difficult task of selecting in first position during the amateur auction.
That year, no athlete was unanimous among observers to hear their name first. Many saw Shane Wright as the logical selection, while others hoped Juraj Slafkovsky would be the chosen one.
If it wasn’t one, it would be the other, and ultimately, whoever wasn’t chosen first would necessarily be second. However, we remember that it did not happen that way. After Slavs was selected first, Wright had to wait until the fourth level before a team set its sights on him. A decision that did not go down well with the Burlington native.
When his name rang out in the Bell Center, the player headed towards the stage to receive his Seattle Kraken jersey. At that moment, he took a long look in the direction of the Habs table, a look that meant: “I’m going to make you regret your choice.” » This gesture by the Ontarian did not go unnoticed, neither in the eyes of the whole world nor in those of the decision-makers of the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge, as we saw in the documentary presented on Crave.
“We had a player who eyed us in the draft because he wanted to be here. » –Jeff Gorton
The reconstruction project was one to which the Kingston Frontenacs product wanted to contribute.
Was it the right decision to select Slafkovsky? Only time will tell, but for now, the Slovak winger is delighting fans after concluding the 2023-2024 season with 50 points, including 20 goals.
Wright, on the other hand, spent most of his professional career in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. In the NHL, he played only 16 games, during which he accumulated seven points.
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