Igor Larionov (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Three-time Stanley Cup champion and Hall of Famer Igor Larionov made a bold statement during his first press conference as head coach of SKA St. Petersburg — he wants to bring Ivan Demidov back from the Montreal Canadiens for one more season in the KHL.
In April, the 19-year-old Demidov signed a three-year entry-level contract with Montreal. He has already appeared in two NHL regular-season games (scoring one goal and one assist) and five playoff games against Washington, adding two more assists.
“I’d like to speak with the Montreal management — I know some of them quite well,” Larionov said on Friday. “General manager Kent Hughes used to be a player agent, and we know each other. Martin Lapointe, who’s now their director of player personnel and scouting, was my teammate in Detroit.
My goal is to bring Demidov back to SKA on loan for one year and then let him return to Montreal in time for the NHL playoffs. That would be phenomenal.
I understand that Demidov is a real gem for the Canadiens, but sometimes you need to take a step back to move three steps forward. I’d really love the chance to work with this kid. I don’t know if it will happen, but I will be asking for him to be loaned back for one year.”
According to RG sources, neither the player nor the Canadiens are considering such an option.
SKA has gone through major changes in the past week. Head coach Roman Rotenberg was dismissed after the team finished seventh in the Western Conference and was eliminated in the first round of the KHL playoffs. Larionov, who had left Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the spring and was reportedly eyeing NHL opportunities, quickly accepted an offer from new SKA board chairman Vitaly Markelov.
SKA has long been the top launching pad for Russian talent heading to the NHL, with stars like Artemi Panarin, Igor Shesterkin, Vladimir Tarasenko, Kirill Marchenko, Matvei Michkov, Pavel Buchnevich and others making the jump. This year alone, four more players moved from SKA to the NHL: Ivan Demidov, Alexander Nikishin, Arseniy Gritsyuk and Zakhar Bardakov.
Our young players need to prepare to replace stars like Malkin, Ovechkin and eventually even Panarin and Kucherov. I just want them to reach their full potential in the KHL before moving on.
As for Demidov, he’s a strong kid. He’s built differently, and the NHL will be a good experience for him. But expectations can be tricky. Just because he starts on the first line doesn’t mean success will come instantly. Montreal is a pressure cooker — hockey is everything there. It’s important that expectations don’t crush the kid.
I hope Montreal’s management approaches this wisely. Maybe after training camp, they’ll loan him back to SKA — and then he can return for the NHL playoffs. That would be ideal.”
Earlier RG reported that that Demidov would stay in Montreal for the entire offseason and would not return to Russia. According to RG source, neither the player nor the Canadiens are considering such an option.
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.
