(Las Vegas) General manager Kent Hughes wanted a forward, he found one. The Canadiens selected Ivan Demidov in the first round (5e overall) of the 2024 draft.
It was none other than singer Céline Dion who came to pronounce her name on the podium. Hughes described her as the Canadiens’ “number 1 fan.” The singer greeted the crowd in French before announcing the choice of CH.
For months, the Russian has been the dream of fans who follow his prowess on social networks. He is not known for his speed, but he is such a magician with the puck that some observers saw him starting from the second row. We even heard “Demidov!” » emanate from the stands of the Sphere in Vegas, location of the repechage.
He became the fourth forward drafted Friday, after Macklin Celebrini (1er), Beckett Sennecke (3e) and Cayden Lindstrom (4e).
On the eve of the draft, vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton suggested that club management was not worried about the idea of selecting a Russian player. He was obviously telling the truth.
The organization was able to see him play during the season, he said. The co-directors of amateur scouting met with him in Florida last week, and senior management spoke with him over the past few days in Vegas.
Demidov, who is expected to play in the KHL next season, has explicitly expressed a desire to make the jump to North America as soon as possible. In St. Petersburg, in the MHL (Russian junior circuit), he amassed 60 points in 30 games last season.
During a short interview with the Sportsnet network, broadcast immediately after the CH selection, Demidov was delighted to join “an incredible club, with a lot of history”.
Who is better between him and Matvei Mishkov? the interviewer asked him. “Next question,” the striker replied with a laugh.