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Dans les coulisses

“I’ve seen Ivan Demidov in person and he’s at least six feet tall.”

In recent weeks, Ivan Demidov and several other Russian players have not shown up at the NHL combine . That’s just the way it is.

But at least, to allow some teams to meet the big prospects playing in Russia, there’s a showcase taking place in Florida. This is the one that was announced in the last few weeks.

And it starts today.

The Habs will be there, as will several teams and journalists. He certainly wasn’t going to miss his chance to meet Demidov and other prospects.

After all, getting to know his personality and talking to him about the red flags surrounding his candidacy (injury, contract, Russian factor, etc.) is more than a luxury: it’s a necessity.

Seeing him in person helps clarify things. And Ryan Kennedy (The Hockey News) just proved it on Twitter.

He posted a tweet saying that he’d just done a face-to-face interview with Demidov and that, according to him, he’s definitely at least six feet tall. So he says he’s taller than publicly listed.

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Demidov is officially 5’11. There had already been rumours that he was taller than that, but to read it from someone who has seen him and has no advantage in lying about his height is even better.

Of course, there are growing prospects who make publicly available measurements obsolete, but when it comes to a less accessible prospect like Demidov, it always raises questions.

Note that this morning, the guys present at the showcase skated. Later in the day, there will be training sessions in the gym to see what the prospects have up their sleeves.

To be continued.

Overtime

– The coach is 49.

– Philadelphia and New Jersey on the menu (among others) for the Habs’ preparatory schedule.

– Good question.

– It’s a tough blow for New York… even if they’re having a bad season.

– Worth watching.