We have good news regarding young Montreal Canadiens forward, Ivan Demidov. As we suspected, the youngster truly seems to be a genuine hockey fanatic, much like Lane Hutson.

The two young players, who already seem to be becoming very good friends, were the last ones to leave the ice today.

A regular practice was scheduled for the Canadiens today, but for a reason still unknown, it was canceled at the last minute and replaced by an optional skate.

Good news: Ivan Demidov hit the ice, and his chemistry with Lane Hutson seems to be developing very quickly

Seven Habs players showed up for this optional session, including Hutson and Demidov.

“Six players on the ice for the Habs’ optional skate in Brossard:

Lane Hutson, Emil Heineman, Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, Oliver Kapanen, and Michael Pezzetta.

Ivan Demidov also joined the Habs for the optional skate in Brossard, bringing the total number of players on the ice to seven.”

– Stu Cowan

Demidov and Hutson stayed out together for quite a while, showing their commitment to the game and strong work ethic!

He’s still just as impressive to watch on the ice, even during a simple optional session.

It’s all good news and very promising ahead of the first-round series against the Washington Capitals.

The other good news is that, based on Martin St-Louis’ comments, it really seems like Demidov will be more and more included in the game plan, meaning he’s likely to have a growing role.

A reminder: it all starts Monday!