A recent development on the international scene could spell good news for Montreal Canadiens' forward Ivan Demidov.
Once upon a time, the Montreal Canadiens had a tendency to select many players from the USHL or the NCAA, but in recent years, we’ve seen a new trend emerge: drafting Russian players. The Habs made Ivan Demidov the fifth overall pick at the 2024 draft; they opted for Alexander Zharovsky with their first pick of the 2025 draft in the second round, and just last month they moved up to grab Gleb Pugachyov with the 26th overall selection.
Earlier this week, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board announced that it had provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee. They also added that recommendations to International Federations regarding Russian athletes’ participation are no longer applicable.
While this might not have any immediate repercussions for the Canadiens, it will more than likely have some down the line. Following Russia’s suspension from international events after it invaded Ukraine in 2023, Russian hockey players missed the Olympic Games, the IIHF World Championships, and the World Junior Championships; the NHL also decided to exclude Russia from its own international competition, which explains how the 4 Nations Face-Off came to be.
This decision from the IOC could very well result in Team Russia being reintegrated in all international hockey events. Since the NHL normally follows the IOC and the IIHF’s lead, this could also mean that the Russians are allowed to take part in the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, scheduled for February 2028 in both Canada and Czechia.
If it were the case, it would likely mean that Canadiens’ playmaker Demidov would finally be able to participate in a best-on-best competition, which is a great experience for any player. Nick Suzuki has raved about his participation in the Olympics, and it has definitely helped other markets to become aware of just how complete a player the Canadiens’ captain is.
Assuming no changes, by February 2028, Zharovsky should have joined the Canadiens, but it’s much too early to say whether he would be under consideration for Team Russia. After all, there are many talented Russian players in the NHL and beyond. Last season, Nikita Kucherov put up 130 points, Kirill Kaprizov racked up 89 points and pocketed a contract with a $17M cap hit, while Artemi Panarin took his production to the Los Angeles Kings. And that’s just up front; Team Russia could also have some of the top goalies in the league, including Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin, and Sergei Bobrovsky, to name a few. On the blueline, the names of Mikhail Sergachev, Dimitry Orlov, Alexander Nikishin, and Pavel Mintyukov come to mind.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.
