Ivan Demidov // Credit: Sergey Demidov
Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov recently told RG that fans in Quebec would idolize Ivan Demidov if he learned French. Apparently, the Canadiens' most anticipated prospect decided to follow the advice.
"I started learning French myself," Demidov told RG. "I started with letters and basic words. I'm learning without a teacher for now. I watch videos on YouTube in my free time. There are some excellent lessons there, and I like them. The hardest thing for now is pronunciation. I'm also learning English, but it's so much easier."
The Canadiens selected Demidov with the fifth pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old forward will most likely have to wait until the 2025-26 season to make his NHL debut. In the meantime, Demidov is not only learning languages but also studying at The Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health, a university in St. Petersburg.
Another preparation stage for Demidov's departure to the NHL is gaining weight. To do this, he began working with a nutritionist.
"I started consulting with a nutritionist, who tells me what I need to eat," Demidov said. "I don't think about it much, I just follow his recommendations. My goal is to gain weight. By the time I leave for the NHL, I want to weigh 88-90 kg [194-198 lbs]. Now I weigh 85-86 kg [187-189 lbs]. I also track my body fat percentage. Before the start of training camp, it was 9 percent."
Sergey Demidov
Sergey has been in sports journalism since 2007 as a reporter, editor, and manager. He has covered the Olympic Games, soccer World Cups, the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, the European championships, the Stanley Cup Finals, IOC events, and many others. Sergey interviewed the sport's greatest athletes, coaches, and executives. Since 2016, he has been an Independent Senior Editor of NHL.com/ru.
