‘He’s sick out there’: Ivan Demidov makes noise at Canadiens rookie camp

BROSSARD — Ivan Demidov’s name jumped off the page when the Montreal Canadiens released their rookie camp roster.

The 19-year-old Russian phenom — pencilled in for a top-six role in the NHL — made sure his play popped just as loud once he hit the ice.

Demidov flew past tryout defenceman Simon Lavigne and buried a wrist shot behind top goalie prospect Jacob Fowler in a one-on-one drill. Then he turned Bryce Pickford inside-out with a silky move.

And in a scrimmage, he froze goalie Arseni Radkov on a breakaway, selling a deke to the backhand before pulling the puck to his forehand for a cheeky five-hole finish on Thursday at CN Sports Complex.

“Nasty breakaway goal,” said forward Florian Xhekaj, who’s skating on Demidov’s line at rookie camp. “He’s sick out there.

“I’m just trying to give him the puck and give him some space.”

Fowler, a Boston College standout, didn’t envy fellow netminder Radkov on that breakaway chance.

Demidov, he says, is incredibly difficult to predict.

“You don’t really know what’s going to come,” Fowler said of Demidov, who the Canadiens did not make available to reporters on Thursday. “A lot of guys have kind of different tendencies and stuff with that. With him, it’s the way he just reads the game as it comes to him.”

“He doesn’t have an idea in his mind of exactly what he’s going to do 10 minutes before he does it. He can read and react.”

One thing becoming predictable for Canadiens fans is Demidov finding his way onto the highlight reel every time he skates.

Demidov is the heavy — and way-too-early — betting favourite for the Calder Trophy, won last season by shifty Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson.

After leading SKA Saint Petersburg with 49 points in 65 games — a KHL record for under-20 players — the 2024 No. 5 pick joined the Canadiens sooner than expected late last season.

Thousands of fans from one of hockey’s biggest markets tracked his flight overseas. A large group even trekked to Toronto Pearson Airport to welcome the prized prospect.

He delivered with a beautiful goal and an assist in a memorable debut at the Bell Centre, before adding two assists in five playoff games against Washington.

“It was great when he came over, seeing videos of people tracking his flight,” Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said at the NHL/NHLPA media tour in Las Vegas this week. “I was like, ‘Oh, man, this is crazy.’ But that’s how big of a talent he is, honestly.”

Rather than escape the hockey craze in Montreal, where Canadiens players continue to make headlines in July and August, the six-foot-one Demidov spent most of his summer in the city, working on his game and acclimating to the culture.

While Demidov’s place is secure, other rookies will battle for NHL roster spots when the Canadiens host prospect games Saturday against Winnipeg and Sunday versus Toronto.

“He’s a special player and an even better person off the ice,” Fowler said. “His talent is some of the highest I’ve ever seen.

“It’s cool to see how good he’s done so far, and that’s only going to get better.”

MOM’S SPAGHETTI

Florian Xhekaj, known for being the younger brother of bruising Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj, is looking to make his own mark.

The 21-year-old from Hamilton impressed in his first pro campaign, tallying 24 goals in 69 games with the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket last season.

A long shot to crack the Canadiens roster this fall, Xhekaj focused on bulking up over the summer. The six-foot-four forward gained 15 pounds, bringing him to 220.

“My mom’s cooking fed me well,” he said, smiling.

Xhekaj models his game after power forwards Brady Tkachuk and Tom Wilson, and hopes he can one day play a similar role in Montreal.

“They put up big offensive numbers and they’re also big, strong, tough guys,” he said.

He also draws inspiration from his brother, who unexpectedly made the NHL roster out of camp in 2022.

“He forced them to put them on the team,” Xhekaj said. “That’s what I’m going to try to do.”

SLIM PICKINS

When it came time to choose his number, Jacob Fowler learned all about the long lineage of star Canadiens goalies, from Jacques Plante and Ken Dryden — who died last week at age 78 — to Patrick Roy and Carey Price.

Plante’s No. 1, Dryden’s No. 29 and Roy’s No. 33 all hang in the Bell Centre rafters. And Price’s No. 31 could be next.

Fowler, who wore No. 1 at Boston College, opted for No. 32 — in part as a nod to American goalie Jonathan Quick.

“You look at every number that a goalie has worn, pretty much all of them are retired. Or if not, going to be retired very soon,” Fowler said. “You look at the history of this organization, it’s the pinnacle of hockey.”

— With files from CP hockey reporter Joshua Clipperton.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2025.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press