Canadiens' future is in good hands as Ivan Demidov and Alex Zharovsky earn top honours

Ivan Demidov has just been named Rookie of the Month for December in the NHL.

We suspected it given his incredible numbers, but it has now indeed been confirmed!

On Thursday, the NHL awarded the honor to the Montreal Canadiens' right winger, and the numbers speak for themselves.

Demidov led all rookies with 14 points in 15 games, thanks to 4 goals and 10 assists, while also ranking first in assists.

He recorded at least one point in 11 of those 15 games. He also put together two sequences that really stand out.

From December 3 to 11, he posted five straight games with an assist, for a total of five points. He then closed out the month on fire, with 7 points in four games between December 21 and 30.

Since the start of the season, Demidov leads all rookies with 33 points in 39 games, including 10 goals and 23 assists.

His pace also places him at the top of the league for even-strength assists, and he remains near the top of the rankings for power-play points.

His shooting percentage sits at 18.9%, a number that certainly catches the eye. At 20 years old, Demidov is also a first-round pick, taken fifth overall in the 2024 draft.

For the December honor, he finished ahead of names such as Beckett Sennecke and Axel Sandin-Pellikka, which adds even more weight to the achievement.

In recent Canadiens history, only three rookies have done better in a single month since 2000.

Michael Ryder recorded 16 points in 14 games in January 2004.

Cole Caufield followed with 15 points in 15 games in March 2022, and then Lane Hutson put up 15 points in 14 games in March 2025.

And the cherry on top: Demidov becomes the second Canadiens player in two seasons to win the award.

Hutson had won it before going on to capture the Calder Trophy, and the 2025-26 season has already seen Matthew Schaefer in October and Jesper Wallstedt in November.

At the same time, another young prospect made headlines overseas. Alex Zharovsky was named Rookie of the Month in the KHL, rewarding an excellent stretch in which he stood out among first-year players and continued to establish himself as one of the league's most promising young talents.

In 11 games played in December, Zharovsky recorded 11 points, including four goals. What's even more impressive is that he won the award for the third straight month.