Montreal crowd shows appreciation for rookie in League debut
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By Christopher Detwiler
@Chris_Detwiler NHL.com Staff Writer
Ivan Demidov didn’t waste any time after taking the ice on Monday, and the crowd at Bell Centre seemed to appreciate it.
Just six minutes into his NHL career, the Montreal Canadiens rookie recorded his first NHL point (an assist on Alex Newhook’s first period goal). After Demidov’s name was announced to the crowd, Canadiens fans in attendance showed their appreciation with a standing ovation.
A standing ovation from Habs fans for Demidov as his first NHL point is announced 👏 pic.twitter.com/QhScEW0iLS
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 14, 2025
To add to the excitement of the evening, Demidov scored his first career NHL goal just seven minutes later.
CHI@MTL: Demidov tallies first NHL goal in debut
Demidov was the No. 5 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and signed an entry-level contract with the Canadiens on April 8.
Before making his NHL debut, the 19-year-old forward played in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), leading SKA St. Petersburg with 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists) in 65 games. He had five points in six playoff games before the team was eliminated on April 6.
