After the 5-foot-10, 167-pound forward became the third Slovakia-born player selected in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, when the Canadiens picked him at No. 26, the diminutive playmaker was lifted off his feet and engulfed in a bear hug by his good friend and fellow countryman, the No. 1 pick, also by Montreal, Juraj Slafkovsky. The New Jersey Devils selected Slovakia-born defenseman Simon Nemec at No. 2.
"Yeah, me and Juraj we know each other very well since we were kids," Mesar said. "We were in a lot of tournaments together. Our fathers are very good friends and this year we went on vacation together, our families. So, we know each other very well and I'm happy to be here with him."
Their relationship was on full display at the end of the Canadiens development camp last month when Mesar was swarmed and smothered playfully in a post-scrimmage handshake line by the 6-foot-3, 218-pound Slafkovsky.
"It's very special," Mesar said. "I'm very happy to be [one of] two Slovak guys here. It's maybe easy to adapt here for me. We are two very good friends, and I got some experience from him."
Ranked No. 20 among International skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the draft, Mesar had 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 37 regular-season games and four points (three goals, one assist) in six playoff games last season with Poprad in Tipos Extraliga, the top professional men's league in Slovakia.
Although Slafkovsky could make his Canadiens debut this season, Mesar's path to the NHL is expected to be a less direct route, although he will not return to Slovakia this season.
The 18-year-old could be heading to either Laval, the Canadiens' American Hockey League affiliate, or Kitchener of the Ontario Hockey League, which has his Canadian Hockey League rights after selecting him with the No. 9 pick of the 2021 CHL import draft.
"We want him to continue to have the opportunity to have success offensively, to play on the power play and all aspects of the game," Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said. "If we're not in a position to offer him that in Laval, then for sure we would put him in Kitchener instead. But we'll look at that week to week when we're in [training] camp."
Wherever the next stop is in the right wing's progression, Mesar hopes he will be reunited with his big buddy, his longtime friend, as Canadiens teammates.
"Maybe AHL will be the best option for me," he said, "and now I'm fighting for that."
