If Ivan Demidov gave a good show on Saturday night in Boisbriand, the Montreal Canadiens’ first pick at the last draft did the same thing earlier in the day. Second-round pick and 34th overall selection Alexander Zharovsky started his KHL year with a win at the league’s three-on-three tournament with his team, Salavat Yulaev Ufa. It was the first time the KHL organized a tournament with that format on smaller ice and with some of its teams. In the semi-final, Ufa got the better of HC Traktor while AK Bars defeated Dinamo Minsk. While three-on-three play typically leads to an avalanche of goals, both finalists were content to sit back and wait for a mistake from their opponent, which resulted in a goalless first frame. It took a penalty shot converted by Ildus Suleimanov to put Ufa in the lead, and this tiniest of leads stood until the end of the second period thanks to its effective defense. The third and final period brought an equalizer for AK Bars, who scored through Vladislav Shlyakhtov to send the final to a shootout, and it was Ilya Krikunov who gave Ufa the title of the first edition of that tournament. While Zharovsky had a quiet final, he showcased some nerves of steel in the group stage to score a shootout goal, which allowed Ufa to win the group stage with a 5-4 win over Ak Bars, who lost a 4-1 lead after Ildus Suleimanov scored a hat trick. If Demidov showcased some excellent skills in Brossard, Habs fans shouldn’t sleep on Zharovsky, as he showed insane puck skills and hands when he buried the game-winning goal in the group stage. The youngster is under contract until the end of the 2026-27 season, meaning Montreal won’t get to welcome him for a couple of years, but that’s fine. The 6-foot-1 forward still needs to develop and put some muscle on his lanky frame, as he only weighs 163 pounds. To give you a comparison basis, Cole Caufield is listed at 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds. Mind you, Lane Hutson is listed at 5-foot-9 and only 162 pounds, but his elusiveness allows him to avoid most hits, and not everyone has that skill. The Hockey News will be keeping a close eye on Zharovsky as he progresses and tries to work his way to the NHL. Photo credit: MHL Website -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News.
