Ivan Demidov selected 5th by the Canadiens… and by Celine Dion

The Montreal Canadiens selected Russian forward Ivan Demidov 5th overall in the NHL draft on Friday night in Las Vegas.

It was Quebec singer Céline Dion, invited on stage by the tricolor staff, who announced the Canadiens’ choice. She addressed the fans in French.

General Manager Kent Hughes introduced it as fan no1 of the Canadiens”,”text”:”the No. 1 fan of the Canadiens”}}”>the fan No. 1 Canadian.

Start of the Twitter widget. Skip the widget?End of Twitter widget. Return to start of widget?

Demidov, a dynamic winger renowned for his offensive talent, collected 60 points (23 goals, 37 assists) in 30 games with SKA St. Petersburg in Russia’s MHL junior circuit. He only has one more year left on his contract with St. Petersburg and has expressed his desire to come play in North America afterward.

It’s an incredible feelingDemidov told the media present after his selection. From childhood, all players dream of being drafted into the NHL, and to be chosen by an organization like Montreal is completely crazy.

Even though he was born in December 2005 and grew up in Russia, Demidov joked that he knew Celine Dion well.

I saw Titanic. For me, this moment is like a movie!

His creativity, his deceptions and his hands make him a top offensive prospect. He is also described as being much more involved in the game without the puck than Matvei Michkov, last year’s top Russian prospect, whom the Canadiens passed over in favor of Austrian defenseman David Reinbacher.

I think I can play without the puck, he said. In the offensive zone, it’s my strength, my talent. I read the game two or three steps in advance.

Demidov added that he is not afraid of the pressure associated with the Montreal market, noting that he shares the same passion for hockey as the fans of his new club. Confident, he also hopes to become a player who will make a difference in the rebuilding of the Montreal club.

My idol is Kobe Bryant. This season, I tried to understand his mentality, his killer instincthe said, explaining his curiosity about the late basketball player. I think we’ve won a lot of games when I’ve scored winning goals. I think I can make a difference with the Canadiens.

Several NHL organizations weren’t able to evaluate him on site this year, but Demidov met with them in Florida last week and the teams were raving about the quality of his English and the fact that he’s over 1.83 m (6 ft).

At 21st place, the Canadiens, who had obtained this choice from the Los Angeles Kings earlier in the day, chose Canadian center Michael Hage.

This is the player we were targeting from the start, when making this transactionKent Hughes told the network Sportsnet.

Hage has 75 points (33 goals, 42 assists) in 54 games with the Chicago Steel this season in the USHL.

The young man, who tragically lost his father last August, had a thought for him after his selection.

My dad would be so proud today. It’s a dream for our whole family. This is a team I dreamed of playing for growing up, and I’m going to do everything I can to wear this jersey one day.

The Canadiens have a total of 10 draft picks.

This is the fifth time since 2012 that the Canadiens have had a top-five pick in the draft. They also selected Alex Galchenyuk (2012) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2018) at No. 3, as well as Juraj Slafkovsky at No. 1 in 2022.

Surprises and suspense

As expected, the San Jose Sharks made Canadian center Macklin Celebrini, from Boston University, the very first pick in the draft. Celebrini is considered the best available prospect of the 2024 vintage.

A report from the NHL Central Scouting Bureau describes him as a high caliber skater with a smooth stride, elusive speed and quickness. He excels at one-timers on the power play and plays the complete game in a very alert manner..

The sequel left its share of surprises.

After selecting forward Connor Bedard first overall last year, the Chicago Blackhawks selected Belarusian defenseman Artyom Levshunov with the second pick out of Michigan State University.

The Anaheim Ducks selected Oshawa Generals Canadian right winger Beckett Sennecke third overall.

At No. 4, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Canadian forward Cayden Lindstrom of the Medicine Hat Tigers.

The Canadian spoke in the 5th row.

For their first selection, the new Utah franchise chose Canadian striker Tij Iginla with the 6th pick. He plays for the Kelowna Rockets.

The Ottawa Senators have reached out to the Calgary Hitmen to select Canadian defenceman Carter Yakemchuk with the 7th pick.

Yakemchuk is a right-handed defenseman with an offensive nature, with a solid frame that encourages him to multiply his body checks.

Third Canadian team to decide, at 9th place, the Calgary Flames chose defenseman Zayne Parekh, who recently won the Memorial Cup with the Saginaw Spirit.

Parekh is a quarterback who has just reached historic heights in the Ontario League with 96 points in 66 games.

Center player Sacha Boisvert, native of Trois-Rivières and playing with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL, was the first Quebecer selected, in 18th place, by the Chicago Blackhawks.

With information from The Canadian Press