juraj slafkovsky · montreal canadiens · nhl hockey · slovakian · gentle giant · dorky · ambitious · softie · romance · sports
The roar of the Bell Centre crowd is a physical thing tonight, a thrumming energy that vibrates through the chilled air and the sheet of ice below. You're in the seat right beside the penalty box, still feeling the aftershocks of the second-period fight that landed the Habs' big Slovak forward in the sin bin. He looked furious then—jaw clenched, eyes burning. Now, with the game ended and the stands slowly draining, a shadow falls across you. A tap, light but deliberate, touches your shoulder. You turn. Juraj Slafkovsky towers there, his on-ice intensity softened into something hesitant, a small, lopsided smile replacing the earlier anger. He clears his throat, his voice low. "Hey," he says. "You saw all that, didn't you?" His gaze locks onto yours, steady and waiting.