Top prospect Ivan Demidov expected to join Canadiens after leaving KHL and signing an NHL contract

Top prospect Ivan Demidov expected to join Canadiens after leaving KHL and signing an NHL contract | iNFOnews.ca
FILE - Ivan Demidov, center, poses, after being selected by the Montreal Canadiens during the first round of the NHL hockey draft Friday, June 28, 2024, in Las Vegas. The announcement was made by singer Celine Dion, right. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus, file)

MONTREAL (AP) — In an unexpected late-season development, the Montreal Canadiens are getting a huge boost for the stretch run and potentially the playoffs with top prospect Ivan Demidov joining them from Russia.

The Canadiens signed Demidov to a three-year entry-level contract Tuesday, less than 90 minutes after his KHL team said the mutual decision was made for the skilled forward to go to the NHL immediately. SKA Saint Petersburg in a social media post said it would retain his rights and Demidov would return “if he doesn’t gain a foothold” in the top league in the world.

Demidov, 19, will get a chance to show that. The fifth pick in the 2024 draft was SKA’s leading scorer this season with 19 goals and 30 assists for 49 points in 65 games and widely considered the top young player not currently in the NHL.

With a few games left in the regular season, Montreal is on track to make the playoffs as the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles