Inside the Canadiens’ Approach with Juraj Slafkovský
One of the most overused words in hockey is patience. Teams preach it. Coaches promise it. Fans are told to accept it. And yet, patience is often confused with standing still and hoping time fixes things on its own.
In a recent interview, what Martin St. Louis says about Juraj Slafkovský cuts through that confusion helpfully. He doesn’t describe patience as waiting. He describes it as doing something on purpose.
St. Louis is patient, but not with nonsense.
St. Louis admits he’s patient — but not with “nonsense.” What he’s really talking about is structure. He knows Slafkovský’s path won’t be clean or linear. There will be steps forward, steps back, stretches where progress looks invisible. The patience isn’t about ignoring those moments. It’s about understanding them, planning for them, and not panicking when they arrive.
That’s a subtle but essential distinction. Too often, young players are either rushed when things look good or quietly sidelined when things don’t. St. Louis is describing a middle ground that’s harder to manage: steady expectations paired with room to stumble.
Slafkovský also feels the same process from St. Louis and feels fortunate.
What makes this exchange especially revealing is that Slafkovský describes the same process — from the other side. He doesn’t talk about freedom or indulgence. He talks about trust. Even during his down moments, he felt his coach stayed connected to him. That’s not softness. That’s accountability without abandonment.
There’s also something quietly important in Slafkovský mentioning that St. Louis played the game, and played it as a skilled player. That’s not hero worship. It’s recognition. He feels understood. When feedback comes from someone who’s lived inside those moments, it lands differently. It feels less like judgment and more like guidance.
Connecting the dots, the Canadiens’ story is one of alignment.
If you connect the dots, this isn’t really a story about development timelines or point totals. It’s about alignment. The coach and the player are describing the same journey using different words. That doesn’t happen by accident.
And that’s where the real lesson lies. Development isn’t about patience as a virtue. It’s about intent, communication, and staying present when the process gets uncomfortable. Montreal isn’t just waiting on Slafkovský. They’re walking with him.
That’s slower. It’s quieter. And when it works, it doesn’t always look dramatic. But when it takes, it lasts.