Ivan Demidov's KHL coach picks up Canadiens

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Jim Sullivan
November 11, 2024 (8:35 PM)

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While the Canadiens are languishing in the bottom of the National Hockey League standings at the start of the 2024-2025 season, Ivan Demidov is calling the shots in the KHL.

The Canadiens' first pick in the last draft has already collected 19 points in 25 games this season with SKA St. Petersburg, which places him third among his team's top scorers.

It is agreed that Demidov is quite well surrounded within the team, which includes former NHL players like Evgeny Kuznetsov, Tony DeAngelo and Mikhail Grigorenko.

We wonder what the young 18-year-old Russian prospect would have done if he were playing with the Canadiens, but it seems that he would not have the same success in Montreal.

At least that is the opinion of his head coach Roman Rotenberg and according to the site Responsible Gambling, the latter did not hesitate to pick up the Montreal organization.

"If we compare Demidov last season, when he was with us at the beginning of the season during training camp, and now, they are two completely different hockey players.

Today, he is a player ready to win battles and fight on equal terms with men. He is ready to win battles against any player in the KHL. In other words, he has improved in all aspects of the game. And I can honestly tell you that it is not only his hard work and our good work with him during the summer that helped him develop, but also his partners.

I can honestly tell you that there are no partners today in Montreal like Ivan has at SKA. This allows him to develop as a player and as a person. There are no such centers in Montreal, no such wingers today. Of course, opinions on this subject may differ. But this is my opinion." - Roman Rotenberg

Rather surprising comments from him and it shows how seriously the Canadiens organization is not taken on the hockey planet and it is time for the reconstruction process to pick up speed.