Slovak head coach warns and gives advice to Martin St-Louis on how to coach Slafkovsky

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Jeff Drouin
September 10, 2022 (9:39 PM)

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As we continue to dissect the Journal de Montreal's very interesting interview with Craig Ramsay, Juraj Slafkovsky's head coach with Slovakia, we notice a really interesting passage.

Ramsay gives advice to Martin St-Louis, Slafkovsky's new head coach, on how to maximize the impact of the 6-foot-4 young forward.

St-Louis seems to know Slafkovsky very well, and according to him, the Laval Rocket is not really an option:

"I really imagine him in the NHL. That's where I'd like to use him. He's big and strong enough and he skates well. Plus, the Habs are in a rebuild. They'll be able to be patient with the young guys and develop them well.

He's already played against men at the Olympics and the World Cup. He has that experience. I also think Simon Nemec can make the jump to the NHL as early as this year with the Devils."

Ramsay is happy to see his protector land in an organization that has Martin St. Louis, as head instructor :

"I think he'll arrive in Montreal at a good time. The CH is banking on a good coach in Martin St-Louis. Marty will help him a lot, he knows what it takes to be a dominant player in the NHL. He will give him time. I think Marty will give him his freedom and let him blossom.

Juraj will make mistakes, but Marty will correct them with him. They will work together. He will not try to hold him back. A coach has to live with mistakes and work to correct them. I never yelled at Juraj behind the bench. I would tell him when he made a blunder, I would do it in a gentle, positive way."

He really emphasizes that. According to him, Martin St-Louis and the CH must give Slafkovsky his freedom and it will have to react well to his rookie mistakes.

Finally, Ramsay has a theory to explain the Habs' first overall pick's success on the international scene:

"Juraj played better on the international stage than he did in the Liiga. My explanation was pretty simple. I was letting him play, allowing him to express himself. I wanted him to stay aggressive, to skate, to be good at forechecking and he liked that. In Finland, we told him to play the trap, to drop back, to cut off passes for a counterattack. He's better when you let him breathe. And he'll return the favor by working really hard."

That's why he believes Martin St. Louis and the Montreal Canadiens need to do the same thing and have that same philosophy, if he's going to perform like he did with Slovakia and not like he did in Finland. It's a warning to avoid developing this young jewel badly.

In any case, clearly, Slafkovsky is in good hands with Martin St-Louis, and it will be really interesting to watch.

For the full captivating interview and important details :

Credit: Fanadiens.com