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Saying Montreal Canadiens fans are excited for Ivan Demidov might be an understatement.
After the team officially signed their Russian rookie sensation to an entry-level contract earlier this week, fans have been obsessively tracking flights to welcome the Habs’ fifth overall pick from the 2024 draft with open arms.
On Thursday, Demidov’s flight from Istanbul landed in Toronto — and even though it’s Leafs territory, Pearson Airport was a sea of red, white, and blue.
Dozens of Habs fans showed up just to catch a glimpse of the 19-year-old forward. Non-passengers crowded around the arrivals board, some wearing Canadiens jerseys, others holding signs. It was less of a quiet arrival and more of a full-on welcome party.
Meanwhile, over 90,000 people tuned in to podcast host Tony Marinaro’s live stream of Demidov’s landing from home.
But when he finally stepped down on Canadian soil, Demidov, accompanied by police officers and Montreal’s assistant general manager, John Sedgwick, avoided the commotion by opting for an alternative route to his shuttle van.
Back in Montreal, the hype hasn’t slowed down. The official Tricolore Sports store is completely sold out of Demidov’s jersey in all sizes after the team confirmed he’ll wear No. 93 — making him just the 30th player in NHL history to rock the number.
Demidov is the first Montreal player to wear No. 93 since Doug Gilmour. Tricolore Sports
Demidov is expected to make his NHL debut in Monday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. But if you want to be there, it’ll cost you. The lowest-priced tickets on Ticketmaster are currently listed at $271.33, and that’s for the highest possible seats at the Bell Centre.
This injection of talent couldn’t come at a better time for the Canadiens. With the team close to clinching a playoff spot (98.1% chance, according to Money Puck) for the first time since 2021, the young winger will likely be thrown into meaningful games right off the bat.
Here’s hoping he can live up to the hype.
