The Montreal Canadiens made a splash at the 2024 NHL Draft by selecting Russian forward Ivan Demidov with the fifth overall pick. In a surprising move, Demidov recently terminated the remainder of his KHL contract with SKA St. Petersburg and signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Canadiens—just as Montreal’s regular season wraps up next week and the playoffs loom.
The 19-year-old phenom arrived in North America on Thursday night, landing at Toronto’s Pearson Airport. Despite being in Leafs territory, Canadiens fans turned out in force to greet him, with videos of the enthusiastic welcome quickly going viral. While some supporters celebrated the moment, others online called the display excessive.
Mixed Reactions on Social Media:
Fans can be so creepy. “You see it with pro athletes and wrestlers—people stalking airports, hotels… it’s gross,”one person wrote.
Others quickly agreed:
– “Acting like the Pope is arriving, lol.”
– “Weird behavior.”
– “This is such a bad look.”
– “Just plain strange.”
– “Sociopathic behavior, honestly.”
Demidov, who tallied 19 goals and 49 assists (68 points) in 65 games this season with SKA St. Petersburg, is widely regarded as one of the top talents outside North America. According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the young forward is expected to make his debut Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks—though some fans had hoped for a storybook first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada.
“It would be so fitting to see him debut against the Leafs on Saturday,“Seravalli noted. “But at this point, Monday’s game seems far more likely—though the Canadiens haven’t officially ruled it out.”
As anticipation builds, the debate over fan enthusiasm continues—with some seeing it as passion and others as over-the-top. One thing’s certain: all eyes will be on Demidov when he finally hits the ice.
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