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“He’s the best player on the ice” : Ivan Demidov attracts a lot of praise

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that Ivan Demidov is playing his first NHL game tonight at the Centre Bell.

A week ago, he wasn’t expected to leave SKA this season… and today, he received a standing ovation for his solo lap around the rink in Montreal.

And the kid didn’t waste any time stealing the show: he earned his first assist just six minutes into the game… just before adding his first career goal a few minutes later.

The art of making a good first impression.

And what’s noticeable is that Demidov is attracting a lot of praise. Even on the concourse at the Centre Bell, people can’t believe it.

That being said, we’ve seen other reactions to Demidov’s start to his career in the sports world.

Here are a few that caught our attention:

And even in the political sphere, Demidov’s debut is making waves.

Montreal mayor Valérie Plante is among those who like what they see tonight.

Demidov is the talk of the town, and so far, he’s delivering with a strong start to the game.

Now all that’s left is to hope the rest of the team will help him out.

Overtime

Notably, in the first period, Ivan Demidov became the first player in habs history to record his first goal and first assist in the first period of his first game.

Not bad, kid.

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Ivan Demidov scores his first career goal in the NHL

Ivan Demidov only needed six minutes to score his first point in the NHL. The young forward set the table for his team’s first goal with a clever play completed by Alex Newhook.

He is talented, the young man.

However, we were wondering when he would score his first goal… and we didn’t have to wait very long.

Barely a few minutes after his first point, Demidov found himself alone in front of the Blackhawks’ net…

And he didn’t miss his chance.

More details to come…

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Ivan Demidov only needed six minutes to get his first point

Ivan Demidov made his NHL debut tonight… and it’s at the Centre Bell that it happened.

He got a huge ovation during his solo lap around the ice.

Now, we were eager to see what the kid would look like on the ice… and he didn’t wait long to make his presence felt.

In fact, Demidov only needed six minutes to get his first point in the NHL.

He did everything to set the table for Alex Newhook.

We knew the young talented player, and clearly, he didn’t wait long to prove it tonight. It may be the poor defense of the Blackhawks, but it’s still a great play.

Note that in his first presence, we saw Demidov hand out a few shoulder hits… but in the end, he didn’t wait long to do what he does best: create things offensively.

A great moment at the Centre Bell, that… and I have the impression that it won’t be the last time he’ll get the crowd on their feet.

Overtime

After his goal, Demidov got a huge ovation from the crowd… and we could feel him being impressed by all of it.

Such a dose of love for an assist… we really don’t see that everywhere.

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Ivan Demidov : a huge ovation at the Bell Centre for his solo lap

It’s tonight that Ivan Demidov makes his debut in the NHL. For the occasion, the young player is in front of his fans at the Bell Centre… and he has a lot of fans.

The stands were filled… even before the start of the warm-up period.

Of course, since Demidov is playing his first game in the NHL, he had a solo lap on the ice… and what we notice is that the kid received a huge ovation.

We saw it last Thursday in Toronto: the Habs fans already love the young player. Seeing him being welcomed like that at the airport and seeing fans show up in Brossard when the team is on break just to see Demidov skate… it’s crazy.

Crazy in a good way.

We know: the Bell Centre is a special place. It’s the NHL arena with the most incredible atmosphere… and with the most promising prospect in a long time making his debut, it didn’t take much to get the crowd excited.

Ah yes, and add to all that the fact that the team could clinch its playoff spot with a win tonight. People are excited, and with good reason.

More details to come…

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Marc Denis: If Xhekaj doesn’t play, it’s because the others ahead of him are more effective

Since March 28, the Canadiens have played nine games.

And from the bunch… Arber Xhekaj has participated in only one of those games.

The Canadiens’ defenseman is often sitting out lately – especially since Kaiden Guhle’s injury. And it’s not because the Sheriff is not being kind…

Marc Denis perfectly summed up the situation this afternoon on On Jase (RDS): if Xhekaj is not playing right now, it’s because he is not always reliable on the ice.

Jayden Struble is (really) better than him at 5 on 5 and while the Habs are trying to get their ticket to the playoffs, the team can’t afford to have a guy who is struggling on the ice.

Xhekaj doesn’t always make the right decisions, he’s not efficient in zone exits… and that’s mainly why he’s not playing lately.

The explanations from the Habs’ game analyst on RDS are logical:

I really have the feeling that Xhekaj could play on Wednesday if – and only if – the Canadiens get their ticket to the playoffs tonight by beating the Hawks.

But… just because he plays on Wednesday doesn’t mean he’ll play in the playoffs.

Again: the Canadiens need to use the best players they have right now, and Xhekaj is not one of them for the moment.

Struble is efficient, Savard is more efficient than Xhekaj even if he has slowed down… and the other Habs defensemen (Matheson, Hutson, Guhle, and Carrier) are untouchable right now.

We know Xhekaj can bring a physical presence to the Canadiens’ lineup… but his physicality is not that important if he makes mistakes in the defensive zone – which happens often.

That being said, the rest of the story will be interesting in Xhekaj’s case. The more it goes, the more it seems like he’s having trouble cementing his place in the lineup, and at some point, maybe he’ll force Kent Hughes to make a decision.

Could he be included in a big trade this summer to go get a quality forward?

I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens…

Overtime

– Game face.

– To follow…

– I like the style.

– He’s having a great season.

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The tickets available for tonight are not many… and above all very expensive

Then… do you have plans for tonight?

Personally, I have friends coming over to my place to watch Ivan Demidov’s first career game in the NHL. And I have the feeling that many people in Quebec will be gathering tonight for the event.

Because going to the Centre Bell, let’s say it’s… a fairly expensive project.

In fact, there are no more tickets available on the official Canadiens website.

Tickets are selling out like hotcakes – especially since we know Demidov is going to play – and on resale sites, the prices are still very high:

(Credit: Billets.ca)
(Credit: StubHub)

$900 for a ticket in section 113 on the Billets.ca site… that’s intense.

Prices are a bit less exuberant on the StubHub.ca site, but still.

Tickets are really not cheap and it shows how much hype there is for the game.

Because we must not forget one thing in all this: Demidov is going to play his first game in the NHL… but the Canadiens also have the opportunity to secure their playoff spot with a win.

This is the biggest game of the season and it’s the biggest game in recent years in Montreal.

It’s normal to see people tearing each other apart for tickets to attend the game.

I really can’t wait to see what the atmosphere will be like at the Centre Bell.

Obviously, we should expect it to be (very) loud… and we should expect the fans to be fired up like a hot stove as soon as Demidov touches the puck for the first time.

A bit like we saw with Patrik Laine in his first preseason game:

I’m especially looking forward to seeing the welcome that will be given to Ivan Demidov.

We know that the Canadiens fans already love him a lot. And we know that the Canadiens fans never hesitate to show their love for a player who arrives in Montreal.

It’s really exciting, at the very least. I wonder how Demidov feels right now…

Overtime

– He’s here!

– The guys seem ready.

– Logan Couture’s career is over.

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Ivan Demidov’s contract with Warrior is the largest in the brand’s history

Ivan Demidov has a big reputation.

He is seen as one of the next stars of the NHL and it’s for this reason that he was able to sign a contract with the Warrior brand – before even playing a single game in the NHL.

And according to the player’s agent, we’re not talking about a “small” contract. Far from it…

Dan Milstein, in an interview with RG Media, revealed that Demidov’s contract with Warrior is the biggest in the company’s history.

Again, this is special because Demidov has not yet played in the National League.

But with his potential, the company did not hesitate to associate with him… and they took big means to make it happen.

Yes, we have already signed an important sponsorship contract with Warrior Sports. It’s the most important in Warrior’s history.

They (the managers) said that Ivan would be their most important client. – Dan Milstein

Leon Draisaitl, Rasmus Dahlin, Sebastian Aho, Mark Scheifele, Jake Guentzel, Dylan Larkin, Drew Doughty, Erik Karlsson, Brad Marchand, Adrian Kempe…

These guys all have something in common. And you will have guessed: we are talking about athletes who are sponsored by Warrior.

That being said, it’s still crazy to know that Ivan Demidov’s contract with Warrior is more important than Leon Draisaitl’s or Rasmus Dahlin’s, who are among the best players in the National League in their respective positions.

Dahlin is in the top 10 of NHL defensemen and Draisaitl is in the top 5 of the best players on the planet. Despite this, the Warrior brand still wants Demidov to become the new face of the company…

Note that the three-year agreement between Demidov and Warrior will start next season only and that for now, he is playing with equipment from the Bauer brand.

But from next season, we will see Demidov play with Warrior gloves, a stick, and a helmet.

And according to colleague Maxime Truman’s information, there may be skates that will be added to the deal at some point:

Overtime

– Indeed.

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Lane Hutson is playing his rookie season this week

Lane Hutson’s chances of winning the Calder Trophy are good this season. He’s having a fantastic rookie campaign and is leading the league in points among rookies.

But is the trophy in the bag?

The fact that he’s a defenseman, his team is in the playoff race, and he’s leading in points are clearly elements in his favor. But that’s not everything.

If Lane Hutson were to be overtaken by someone in terms of points, it would be an aspect that could hurt his candidacy, naturally.

And on that topic, Macklin Celebrini is pushing.

Yes, they’re empty calories since his points aren’t helping the Sharks make the playoffs. But if Celebrini finishes at the top of the rookie scoring list at 18 years old (age is an important factor), he’ll get some votes.

Celebrini has picked up nine points since the beginning of April and is approaching Lane Hutson’s 64 points, who hasn’t recorded a point in his last three games.

(Credit: NHL.com)

Note that if Dustin Wolf brings the Flames to the playoffs, he’ll also get some votes.

All this to say that Hutson will have to help himself this week if he wants to get the Calder. By getting points, he’ll help himself… and his team will qualify for the playoffs. But that, he’s understood for a long time, he who puts in the effort on the ice.

Let’s remember that Lane Hutson’s next point would allow him to surpass Chris Chelios for the most points by a defenseman in his rookie season in the history of the Canadiens.

If all goes well, he’ll get there.

Overtime

– Interesting.

– Note:

– Beautiful goal!

– Well done, Vlad.

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Ivan Demidov travels with Lane Hutson

Moving from one end of the continent to the other at 19 years old is not easy for anyone.

This is what Ivan Demidov had to do in recent days: the SKA let him go to North America and the Canadiens’ prospect arrived in Canada last week.

He made the trip from Russia with his girlfriend, but still: the habs had to find a way to surround him well upon his arrival. And the club may have found its man…

I say this because Demidov was spotted this morning in the same car as Lane Hutson. The two guys decided to make the trip together to go to or leave the Centre Bell after the morning skate and apparently, they are developing a certain chemistry.

Let’s also recall that yesterday, Hutson insisted on going to practice in Brossard even though he had a day off. The reason? He wanted to go skating with Demidov…

Usually, it’s the veterans of a club who ensure the transition of a young player arriving in the NHL.

Probably Savard, Matheson, and Suzuki are doing their best to make Demidov feel comfortable… but we can really sense that Lane Hutson wants to be part of this group.

Lane, at just 21 years old, is playing the role of a veteran right now.

He was eager to see Demidov arrive since he watched his games this season in the KHL and he made sure to keep a close eye on his performance with SKA St. Petersburg.

The two guys already seemed to have a good connection after the player’s selection in the last NHL draft and it might get even better:

I like the fact that Lane Hutson is there for Demidov because he had to navigate through adversity to get where he is today.

There were many doubtful comments about Lane due to his size and build… but he put the noise aside, he stayed himself and now we’re talking (already) about him as one of the good offensive defensemen in the NHL.

All this to say that Ivan Demidov is well surrounded at the moment and that’s good news. He is placed next to Nick Suzuki in the locker room and the guys (including Hutson) are there to help him get used to his new environment.

It remains to be seen how the Canadiens’ prospect will respond to all this pressure, as he will play his first career game in the show tonight. It promises to be…

Overtime

– Obviously.

– Beautiful goal.

– Good point.

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Emil Heineman is still injured: he is not an option tonight

In recent days, we learned that Emil Heineman was injured. But we didn’t know if he was upset with the habs (if he was just being left out) or simply upset about being injured.

Yesterday, we got a clue: Patrick Friolet was talking about symptoms of a concussion for the European.

And now, today, the Canadiens announced that Heineman is not an option to play in the last few days – not even tonight. We already knew he wouldn’t play tonight, but now we know he’s day-to-day. #HautDuCorps

Since Ivan Demidov is able to play tonight and Heineman won’t, it’s only Michael Pezzetta who will be sitting out. No surprise here.

Here is the lineup for the habs today, for those who haven’t seen it.

(Credit: Canadiens)

The question I ask myself is whether Heineman will be able to play on Wednesday, in the 82nd game of the season. If he can play and the habs are qualified, he could get back into the rhythm before the playoffs and give a veteran a chance to rest.

We also wonder if Pezz will play on Wednesday (if the habs are qualified, again)… and what will happen to Joshua Roy.

If Wednesday’s game doesn’t mean anything, we can think that Arber Xhekaj will play too. And we can even wonder if the habs will decide to use their last chance to call up someone from Laval to rest another veteran.

But we’ll see in due time.

in Overtime

– That’s something to talk about.

 

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– My column of the day with Tony Marinaro. [BPM Sports]

– Worth noting.

– Tough break for Edmonton.

– Worth reading.

– Good choice.

– Interesting.