Filip Mešár

2022 NHL entry draft

Prior to the 2022 NHL entry draft, Mešár was rated as a possible late first round selection or early candidate in the second round of proceedings.^[5][6][7][8] On 7 July 2022, the Montreal Canadiens selected Mešár 26th overall (using a pick previously acquired in trade from the Calgary Flames for Tyler Toffoli).^[9][10] The Canadiens had also selected his longtime friend and national teammate Juraj Slafkovský first overall, to both men's satisfaction.^[11] The foregoing draft proved an overall historic night for Slovakian ice hockey as both Slafkovský and fellow countryman Šimon Nemec occupied the top two spots,^[12][13] whereas Mešár for his part rounded out the country's most selections during the course of the first round in any given draft year.^[14]

On 14 July, Mešár signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canadiens.^[15] Team general manager Kent Hughes suggested that Mešár's next step was undecided at that particular juncture, offering that he would likely play either at the major junior ranks in the OHL with Kitchener or professionally in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Canadiens' top affiliate, the Laval Rocket.^[16]

Major junior

After participating in the Canadiens' preseason camp, Mešár was reassigned to Laval's training camp on 4 October 2022.^[17] He made his AHL debut on 14 October, playing on the fourth line in a 6–5 overtime loss to the Belleville Senators. The following day, it was announced that he was loaned to the Rangers.^[18] While Mešár had hoped to play with the Rocket for the remainder of the season, the Canadiens' development staff believed he would benefit more from playing at the top of the lineup in Kitchener. On arrival, he said that "I want to be a leader here. I want to get some points and help the team win."^[1] In his debut with the Rangers on 21 October, Mešár scored a goal and registered three assists in a 7–2 victory over the Sudbury Wolves.^[19] Collectively, Mešár finished the 2022–23 OHL season with 51 points in 52 games, helping his team advance to the second round of the 2023 OHL Playoffs following a first round upset of the top-seeded Windsor Spitfires.^[20] His production during the 2023–24 campaign essentially matched that of its predecessor whereas Mešár recorded 52 points across 45 game played.^[21]

Professional

In October 2024, Mešár was assigned to Laval to begin the 2024–25 AHL season, his first of professional rank in North America.^[22] After a strong start to his inaugural campaign with the Rocket, Mešár would suffer a lower-body injury after just five games played, sidelining him for a period of eight to ten weeks as a result.^[23] He subsequently returned to the team's lineup on 20 December.^[24] On 25 February 2025, it was announced that Mešár again was dealing with a lower-body injury and would miss upwards to six additional weeks of game action.^[25]