Current Canadiens Forward Admits Ivan Demidov Is Already Better Than Him
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
It only took a few playoff games for the Montreal Canadiens' young new sensation, Ivan Demidov, to rack up his first points.
And he didn't hold back, he notched two assists, including one spectacular one, just recently.
What's surprising here is that the young man had only two games of NHL and North American hockey experience before the start of the spring tournament.
He arrived with the Habs just as the NHL's playing style reached peak intensity, and yet, he managed to stand out.
That was more than enough for the 19-year-old winger to earn praise from his teammates.
A shower of praise for Ivan Demidov
Even with only a few games under his belt, all his new teammates are unanimous: we haven't seen the best of this young rookie yet.
Asked about the 5th overall pick in the latest NHL Draft, several players on the team didn't hesitate to speak highly of him.
Jake Evans and Cole Caufield, in particular, are strongly impressed.
"He wants to learn, he jumped right in, he has a ton of talent, way more than me, and he asks a lot of questions.
He's only going to get better."
- Jake Evans, who openly admits that Demidov has much more talent than he does.
He's only going to get better."
- Jake Evans, who openly admits that Demidov has much more talent than he does.
Wow!
"Since he arrived, he's carried himself like a pro.
He's very talented, but more importantly, he's a competitor and already one of the best players on the ice.
He's a very smart player and he has the confidence to make plays and execute them well."
- Cole Caufield
He's very talented, but more importantly, he's a competitor and already one of the best players on the ice.
He's a very smart player and he has the confidence to make plays and execute them well."
- Cole Caufield
Ivan Demidov speaks up
Demidov is visibly intimidated in front of journalists, mostly due to the language barrier and the stress of speaking on camera.
Still, he takes the task seriously and does his best to answer media questions in what is, honestly, pretty decent English.
Even if his answers are short, his message is very clear.
He also praised the confidence shown in him by the coaching staff in light of Patrik Laine's absence and spoke about the physical nature of the playoffs.
"It helps me be more confident (playing on the top power play unit)..
The other four guys are so talented, we were able to find the passing lanes."
- Ivan Demidov
The other four guys are so talented, we were able to find the passing lanes."
- Ivan Demidov
"It's the most physical hockey I've played.
The first game was hard for me, but it's okay."
- Ivan Demidov
The first game was hard for me, but it's okay."
- Ivan Demidov
One thing's for sure, while Demidov is still a bit shy, both on and off the ice, he's gaining valuable experience in this playoff run.
It will help him better understand the North American style of play and adjust his summer training accordingly.
Just imagine how much experience and time he would've lost if the Habs hadn't been able to bring him over this spring!
| POLL | ||
MAI 1 | 3974 ANSWERS Current Canadiens Forward Admits Ivan Demidov Is Already Better Than Him Who do you think is the best player right now (among the following names)? | ||
| Ivan Demidov | 690 | 17.4 % |
| Juraj Slafkovsky | 286 | 7.2 % |
| Cole Caufield | 2920 | 73.5 % |
| Patrik Laine | 78 | 2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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