At the Canadiens camp, Mesar and Slafkovsky become Batman and Robin.

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Robin, aka Filip Mesar, said that Batman, aka Juraj Slafkovsky, was “squeaking a little bit in the hotel yesterday, but today we won 5-2, so that’s good for us.”

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The two rookies from Slovakia have spent a lot of time together at the Canadiens’ training camp, but they will wear different uniforms when the season begins.

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Slafkovsky, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NHL entry draft, will at least start the season with the Canadiens, while Mesar looks forward to seeing where the Canadiens will put him, with either Laval in the AHL or the Kitchener Rangers. in the junior. Ontario Hockey League.

Mesar, who played against men for two seasons in the relatively weak Slovak Extra League, has held his own in early games playing in-line with Mike Hoffman and Cole Caufield, who summed up Mesar’s game by saying: “He’s easy to play with.” . He is constantly on the go and has a lot of energy. He looked really good today.”

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Mesar said he has a long way to go before playing in the NHL.

“I think I need two years to get stronger,” the 5-foot-9 Mesar said.

It hasn’t taken him long to adjust to what he described as a more professional approach to training camp.

“There’s a better work ethic, it’s harder in practice,” Mesar said. “The game is faster but I’m doing well. European ice is bigger and you have more time to make decisions.”

Mesar is also adjusting to a change in position. After two seasons at wing back, the Canadiens look to him at center, a position he played early in his career.

“It’s hard to accept clashes,” he said. “And I think playing center is more difficult, because they have to play defense. But I don’t care, I’ll do what the coaches want from me.”

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Veteran defenseman Chris Wideman dubbed the pair Batman and Robin, and they have adopted the nicknames.

When Slafkovsky was asked how things were in the Batcave, he replied: “Everything is fine. I have my rules and (Mesar) follows them.”

Getting stronger is not a priority for Slavkovsky. He is 6-foot-3 and 238 pounds and has been playing against men since he was 16 years old. He was the most valuable player in the Olympics earlier this year when he was 17 years old and noted that he faced NHL players when Slovakia faced Canada and the United States in the world championships.

In practices during the first two days of camp, he has been playing in line with junior center Owen Beck and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard.

“I think our styles complement each other well,” said Beck, who was selected 33rd overall in July’s draft. “We have the ability to win corner battles. We have a bit of flash on that line and we feed off each other.”

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Beck said he didn’t know much about the 5-foot-9, 182-pound Harvey-Pinafd before camp.

“I knew he was almost a mini-Gallagher and he’s lived up to that name very well,” Beck said. He is great at what he does, winning puck battles and setting up deep zone plays.”

Slafkovsky failed to score a goal in rookie camp last week and is looking for his first goal in scrimmage, but he has shown playmaking talent.

“It’s a natural thing,” he said. “Sometimes I see something and try to make the play and if it works, I’m happy with it.”

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