A new NHL profile video has placed Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky at the center of an unexpected controversy. In the clip, which quickly spread across social media, the 21-year-old admits he was involved in a car accident in October 2025, just before the Canadiens’ first home game of the season.
Since that incident, teammate Ivan Demidov has regularly driven Slafkovsky to the Bell Centre, a detail that has caught the attention of fans and media alike. The revelation has sparked questions about why the story remained under wraps until now, and whether the organization should have disclosed it earlier.
On Reddit, one fan summarized the surprise: “In a new NHL profile video, Juraj Slafkovsky says he got ‘hit’ driving to the first Habs home game of the season. So Ivan Demidov started driving him to the Bell Centre.”
The unusual off-ice storyline comes during what has otherwise been the best stretch of Slafkovsky’s young career. Through 42 games, he has tallied 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points, logging nearly 18 minutes per game and contributing seven power-play goals. Last season, he recorded 51 points in 79 games, showing steady progression.
Meanwhile, Demidov, only 20, has emerged as one of the league’s most talked-about rookies. Named NHL Rookie of the Month for December after posting 14 points in 15 games, he has already delivered a three-point performance that solidified his reputation as a rising star.
The pairing of Slafkovsky and Demidov—two young talents now linked not only on the ice but in their daily routines—adds another layer to Montreal’s narrative this season. While the accident appears to have had no lasting impact, the timing of Slafkovsky’s revelation has fueled debate.
Should fans have been informed earlier, or is this simply a personal matter that has no bearing on his play?
For now, the Canadiens faithful are left with a mix of relief and intrigue: relief that their forward avoided serious injury, and intrigue over why such a significant detail only surfaced months later.