LAS VEGAS – Listening to Kent Hughes speak, the Canadiens seem to have hit the jackpot in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas.
The Habs general manager was all smiles during his end-of-day media availability at the Sphere on Friday after getting his hands on forwards Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage.
Here are some excerpts from the GM, who is in his third draft with Montreal, and the team’s two first-round picks.
Please note that some answers have been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Hughes speaks on the offensive value added during the 1st round:
We said that – and I talked about it in our end-of-season meetings – that we had to continue to add offensive energy to our group. We always knew it; it’s not like we woke up one day this year and suddenly realized it. We know that Rome was not built in a day, and it was a process for us. We already knew about Demidov last year – even before making our choice last year, we were already pretty excited about him, without knowing where we would rank for the season. […] Of all the possible twists today, this was our favorite. I would say it all went perfectly.
Hughes on the possibility of trading picks on Day 2:
I don’t know if we’re close [de le faire]but we’re going back [à l’hôtel]make a report and try to sleep rather than thinking about the next step. We’re not done trying.
Demidov describes the feeling of becoming a member of the Canadiens:
Today I met Martin St-Louis, and it’s incredible… people like St-Louis and Vincent Lecavalier: I played NHL 07 with them, and now I shake their hands. It’s cool.
Demidov reacts to hearing his name called by Celine Dion:
It’s amazing. It’s like a book. Like a movie. It’s… me. I know who she is, I’ve seen the movie. Titanic.
Demidov on being ready to change the game for Montreal:
I think I am. My sports idol is Kobe Bryant and this season I tried to take inspiration from his […] killer instinct, and I think I’ve won a lot of games and scored a lot of game-winning goals. I think I can be a game-changer for Montreal.
Hage on the role his late father played in his development:
When I was a child, he pushed me to work and he had a lot of ambition for me. I believe this is why my expectations of myself are so high; because of how much he pushed me. And I expect a lot from myself. Especially this year, I want to continue to do everything like it’s watching me, to the best of my abilities. What mattered most to him was that I control what I could control. Often, if you care about what is in your control, you work a lot better and things tend to go a lot better.
Hage explains where his French comes from:
[En français] My entire family and my parents were born in Quebec. I was born in Oakville [en Ontario], but from the age of maybe four, until the age of 12, I went to French school. After that I went to an English hockey school, but I still speak [français] with my grandparents when I go to Montreal. I’m a little rusty now, but I’m trying.
