Ivan Demidov and Dan Milstein (Photo by Dan Milstein)
Ivan Demidov hasn’t played a single NHL game yet, but in Montreal, he’s already a phenomenon. His face is on lampposts, fans tracked his flight in real time, and over 400,000 people watched a live stream of his arrival at the airport. For hockey agent Dan Milstein, who has represented NHL stars across 28 teams, the hype surrounding the 19-year-old Russian forward is unlike anything he’s seen.
Milstein, who began working with Demidov when the player was just 12, has been by his side through every step of the journey. Now, as Demidov prepares to make his North American debut, Milstein shares rare insight into the planning, preparation, and pressure behind hockey’s most talked-about arrival.
In this interview with RG, Milstein discusses everything from Demidov’s living arrangements and language lessons to personal calls from legends like Pavel Datsyuk. What emerges is a picture of a prospect who’s not only immensely talented — but also remarkably prepared for the spotlight.
There’s a portrait of Ivan Demidov on every lamppost in Montreal already…
“Yes, we’ve already signed a major sponsorship deal — with Warrior Sports. It’s the biggest in Warrior’s history. They’ve said Ivan will be their most important client. Today, he’s playing in Bauer gear, but starting next season, he’ll switch to Warrior for three years and become the face of their brand.”
When did you first start working with Ivan Demidov, and how did your journey begin?
“Ivan was 12 years old when I first heard about him. Scouts called me and said, ‘You have to check out this kid, Ivan Demidov.’ I flew to Russia, met his family and his first coach. Fun fact — they were such humble people that when I asked, ‘What can I do for you?’ they simply said, ‘Can you help with a sauna, so that Ivan can recover after practices?’ That’s how we signed him.
How difficult was the process of terminating his contract with SKA?
“We had a long and respectful dialogue with SKA. I’m genuinely thankful to Roman Rotenberg for helping Ivan grow. I truly mean it. Roman got on the ice with him for individual sessions, showed him videos, and focused on his development. He didn’t try to prevent his departure, didn’t push a new contract or make threats — he just let Ivan play and move on peacefully. I can’t say a single bad word about how SKA treated him.
Even after the season ended, when there were talks about him playing in the VHL or MHL, they didn’t go that route — they just let him go.”
Were you surprised by how many fans tracked Demidov’s flight from Toronto to Montreal?
“Today I had a meeting with a rep from Turkish Airlines about a potential partnership, and they were stunned by how closely people followed that flight. They couldn’t understand why. What’s funny is that a marketing manager from Turkish Airlines Canada happened to be on that same flight. Her office texted her saying, ‘This is the most-tracked flight right now.’ She had no idea what was going on. Later, she saw the cameras and fans, realized who Ivan was, and reached out to me. Over 400,000 people watched the livestream of him arriving at the airport.”
How did Ivan prepare for the move?
“He started learning English with a tutor two years ago. By last year’s draft, he was already comfortable having conversations in English. Since the draft, he’s also been studying some French. Honestly, I don’t want to compare him to hockey legends just yet… but today, Pavel Datsyuk called to ask how Ivan’s doing and sent him his best wishes before his debut. They met at our summer camp.”
How did you take care of Ivan’s day-to-day needs?
“We arranged his housing in advance. He’s living in a high-rise close to the arena — a two-bedroom apartment. When he arrived, the fridge was stocked, the place was furnished. On Tuesday, he’ll get his sponsored car. So, together with the club, we made sure everything was set up before he even got here. Ivan first flew to Toronto for his visa, then he and his girlfriend flew to Montreal with the team, and he moved straight into his apartment.”
Can you feel the hype?
“It’s unreal. I have clients on 28 teams, but I’ve never seen anything like this — the excitement, but also the pressure. Even with active top players, it wasn’t at this level. The whole city is going wild.”
How is Ivan feeling after all this?
“He’s adjusting really well. He and Lane Hutson even went to practice together during the first two days. The team welcomed him warmly.”
Sergey has been in sports journalism since 2007 as a reporter, editor, and manager. He has covered the Olympic Games, soccer World Cups, the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, the European championships, the Stanley Cup Finals, IOC events, and many others. Sergey interviewed the sport's greatest athletes, coaches, and executives. Since 2016, he has been an Independent Senior Editor of NHL.com/ru.
