As you know, at the end of the NHL regular season, there is the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Obviously, countries are without players who are participating in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Injured last year, Juraj Slafkovsky did not participate, but he could go this year. When asked about it by a Slovak media outlet, Kent Hughes was not very conclusive:
It will depend on what is best for the player, whether to take a break or keep playing. For a 19-year-old player, an 82-game season is enormous, and the organization reserves the right to strongly suggest to him not to go, if you can read between the lines.
Obviously, Kent Hughes aims for the happiness of his players. If Juraj really wants to go, I strongly doubt he would refuse, unless there is a major reason such as an injury that could worsen.
It remains quite intriguing as a response from the GM, who once again, keeps his cards close to his chest.
