Ivan Demidov is selected by the Montreal Canadiens with the fifth overall pick during the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov played his first game since an injury in April on Thursday. As captain of the Russian U23 team at the Nikolai Puchkov Tournament in St. Petersburg, he scored two goals and helped his team beat HC Sochi 4-2.
"It's really nice to wear the C letter," Demidov said in an exclusive interview with RG. "I'm glad they trusted me with leadership. I'll try to live up to expectations. There were many moments today when I took control of the game. We were down 1-2, then tied it, and I knew I had to score another goal quickly. It turned out that I was put 1-on-0, and I scored."
The Canadiens selected the 18-year-old forward with their fifth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. He could leave for the NHL after this season, which he will spend with SKA.
"From a physical point of view, I felt hard today," Demidov admitted. "I started preparing for the season later than the guys, and I felt it. But I'm working on it."
The forward already feels the increased attention from Montreal fans and the media.
"The fans there are crazy in a good way," Demidov said. "I enjoy that they follow me so closely. And that there are people in the world who love hockey as much as I do."
Demidov said he receives many personal messages on social media from Montreal fans. Someone invites him to a restaurant, someone promises to give him a city tour, and someone…
"One person asked me to bring him a SKA jersey to Montreal. This is probably the most unusual request so far," he smiled.
This week, the Canadiens added forward Patrik Laine to their roster. Demidov approves of this move:
"Laine is a good sniper. I think this is very good for the team. He will be useful."
Some of the North American media opined that Demidov would need to spend some time in the AHL before playing in the NHL. How does the player himself feel about this?
"I'm not afraid of it," he said. "My main goal is to play in the NHL. And if that means playing in the AHL, I'm all for it."
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.
