Canadiens top prospect Ivan Demidov recently made comments about Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin, where he said he prefers the former over the latter.
If you’ve been following recent NHL news, you’ve probably heard the name Ivan Demidov mentioned.
The 19-year-old Montreal Canadiens prospect has been making waves on the ice, but also with some big-name comments in the lead-up to the playoffs.
Demidov made a strong first impression with a solid stint of regular-season time, recording one goal and two points in only two games before the Canadiens’ first-round playoff series against the Washington Capitals.
But it was at a Saturday media scrum that he really made headlines. Following a question about facing Alex Ovechkin in the first round, a follow-up question was asked whether or not the Capitals captain was among his childhood idols.
Demidov’s idol growing up was Evgeni Malkin, not Alex Ovechkin
Amazingly, Demidov’s idol growing up was Pittsburgh Penguins ace Evgeni Malkin. It’s not a bad one; Malkin, as is Demidov, is an esteemed playmaker and among the most accomplished Russian players ever to lace up an NHL skate.
“But I love Malkin much better than Ovi, you know what I mean?”
– Ivan Demidov
The 38-year-old boasts 514 goals and 1,346 points in 1,213 games, although he was infamously left off the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players list back in 2017.
Even though the remark was not intended to be insulting, it certainly adds a bit of spice to Demidov’s inaugural playoff meeting with Ovechkin, and what better moment than the Stanley Cup Playoffs in which to make a point?
Monday, April 21, at 7:00 p.m. ET is when Game 1 of the Canadiens vs. Capitals gets underway.