In Montreal, we see Ivan Demidov as a potential savior, a player capable of transforming the Canadian’s future and giving meaning to this endless reconstruction.
But while fans dream of seeing him step on the ice at the Bell Center, the reality is quite different: Demidov is literally taken hostage by SKA Saint Petersburg.
An elite prospect held back by a Russian system where KHL contracts dominate everything, even NHL ambitions.
With his 6 goals and 20 points in 29 games, Demidov is already turning heads in the KHL, despite a limited role with barely 10 minutes of ice time per game.
Imagine the raw potential he could exploit on a first or second line in North America.
But this scenario is fantasy, because in Russia, clubs like SKA do not easily let go of their rising stars.
And for Canadians, that means their new hope must wait, stuck in a rigid sports bureaucracy that refuses to collaborate.
The NHL and KHL do not have a formal transfer agreement, leaving players like Demidov at the mercy of their clubs.
Even a contract termination “by mutual agreement” remains highly improbable in a system where SKA, a true giant of Russian hockey, has no interest in releasing him.
And to make matters worse, this year the KHL extended its schedule until May 31, further pushing back hopes of seeing Demidov cross the Atlantic quickly.
It’s a frustrating, even absurd, situation. Montreal is impatiently awaiting its new jewel, but the SKA firmly holds the keys to its future.
Meanwhile, Kent Hughes and the Canadiens management have virtually no leverage to intervene.
Demidov remains a passive spectator in his own destiny, an elite player stuck in a system that restricts his opportunities.
But it’s not just a question of time or bureaucracy.
It is also a question of justice for CH fans.
The wait is becoming unbearable, and this situation highlights a larger problem in the NHL: how much longer will North American teams accept seeing their top prospects held hostage by foreign clubs?
Every year, promising talent gets locked out, making the development of young stars like Demidov almost inaccessible.
In Russia, Demidov accumulates points and shows flashes of genius, but in Montreal, we are starting to lose patience.
Time passes, expectations grow, and with them, the urgency to see this player join an organization that desperately needs his talent.
For now, all fans can do is hope.
But hope becomes more and more difficult when we know that, for the moment, Ivan Demidov is taken hostage in Russia.
Misery …
