Ivan Demidov - Photo credit: Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/59db274e-a6dd-4cf1-b811-7000cd88a527.webp] Ivan Demidov - Photo credit: Imagn Images Rg.org has done wonderful work interviewing former Russian NHLers recently, and their latest interview is with a former Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] player, Ilya Kovalchuk, even though he wasn’t with the team for long. The Canadiens Hits Leader May Not Be Who You Think [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/the-canadiens-hits-leader-may-not-be-who-you-think] Laine is Creeping up The Power Play Goal League Leaders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/laine-is-creeping-up-the-power-play-goal-league-leaders] Another Exploit For Lane Hutson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/another-exploit-for-lane-hutson] While he played less than 1,000 games in the NHL, Kovalchuk was a great offensive talent who scored 876 points over the course of his career. He’s also one of those players who played in the NHL but felt the need to go home after a while; after signing a 15-year deal with the New Jersey Devils [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils] in 2010, he announced his retirement from the NHL in 2013 and walked away from the 77 million left on his contract. After playing part of six seasons in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg, Kovalchuk decided to return to the NHL, signing a contract with the Los Angeles Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings]. After 17 games in his second season in LA, he was traded to the Canadiens and played 22 games with the Habs during the 2019-20 campaign before being flipped to the Washington Capitals. He went back to Russia at the end of that season. In his short tenure with the Canadiens, the left winger scored six goals and seven assists for 13 points, but he still made some highlight-reel plays that quickly made him a fan favorite. The "Kovalshow" brought in some light in an otherwise very bleak season for the Canadiens. In an exclusive interview with RG.org [https://rg.org/news/hockey/ilya-kovalchuk-on-demidov-michkov-trade-deadline-surprises-and-the-jets-playoff-push], the former NHL star was asked about Canadiens’ prospect Ivan Demidov and praised him, saying he was a bright and hard-working young man with a true passion for the game. He also mentioned that he’s heard he puts in a lot of extra work and is confident he will do well in Montreal. Just like Andrei Kovalenko a couple of days ago [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/former-canadiens-player-has-a-word-of-advice-for-demidov], Kovalchuk emphasizes the importance of respecting the local culture and not being shy about speaking the language. He also agrees hockey is like a religion in Montreal, which comes with intense scrutiny, and that’s something he’ll need to be ready for. Thankfully, the organization is well-aware of that fact, and any player joining the Canadiens has to complete a training and awareness program that prepares them for that reality, as France Margaret Belanger explained in a recent interview. There are only three games left in SKA St. Petersburg’s regular season, and after a losing streak, Roman Rotenberg’s men have straightened the ship of late, winning their last four games. We’ll see if that translates to success in the playoffs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
