Hockey

Ivan Demidov Started Learning French on YouTube

Published: Sep 1, 2024, 9:22 AM
3 min read
Updated: Aug 18, 2025, 2:23 PM
Fact checked by:
Marco D'Amico
Ivan Demidov

Ivan Demidov // Credit: Sergey Demidov

 

Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov recently told RG that fans in Quebec would idolize Ivan Demidov if he learned French. Apparently, the Canadiens' most anticipated prospect decided to follow the advice.

"I started learning French myself," Demidov told RG. "I started with letters and basic words. I'm learning without a teacher for now. I watch videos on YouTube in my free time. There are some excellent lessons there, and I like them. The hardest thing for now is pronunciation. I'm also learning English, but it's so much easier."

The Canadiens selected Demidov with the fifth pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old forward will most likely have to wait until the 2025-26 season to make his NHL debut. In the meantime, Demidov is not only learning languages but also studying at The Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health, a university in St. Petersburg.

"I transferred to the second year, studying to be a coach," said Demidov. "I come to lectures when I have time. This training regimen applies to all professional athletes. I like to study. It is interesting to look at hockey from the point of view of coaching and approach to children."

Another preparation stage for Demidov's departure to the NHL is gaining weight. To do this, he began working with a nutritionist.

"I started consulting with a nutritionist, who tells me what I need to eat," Demidov said. "I don't think about it much, I just follow his recommendations. My goal is to gain weight. By the time I leave for the NHL, I want to weigh 88-90 kg [194-198 lbs]. Now I weigh 85-86 kg [187-189 lbs]. I also track my body fat percentage. Before the start of training camp, it was 9 percent."

Head of News Department
Sergey Demidov is Head of News at RG.org and has covered global sports since 2007. His work spans the Olympics, FIFA World Cups, IOC events, and Stanley Cup Finals. A former sports department deputy chief editor at Gazeta.Ru and TASS News Agency, and current senior editor at NHL.com/ru, Sergey has interviewed stars like Alex Ovechkin and Jaromir Jagr, former WADA and FIFA presidents Craig Reedy and Sepp Blatter, and coaches like Fabio Capello. He specializes in hockey and publishes in English and Russian.
Interests:
NHL
EPL
FIFA
UCL
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