Dozens of Montreal Canadiens fans gathered at Toronto Pearson Airport to chant Ivan Demidov‘s name as he arrived in Canada after a long flight from Russia Thursday night.
Dressed in Habs jerseys, they say they wanted to catch a glimpse and welcome the 19-year-old they hope becomes the team’s next star player.
“I haven’t seen it like this in a very, very long time,” said Sick Media co-owner Julianna Cavallaro.
Cavallaro was there with her brother and father. At the last minute, they decided to stream Demidov’s arrival on podcast host and sports talk radio personality Tony Marinaro’s X account.
“We were stunned at how many people tuned in,” she said of the hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Demidov was filmed leaving the airport to meet up with his new teammates sporting a huge smile on his face –and fans in Montreal are even more giddy.
The Russian player just wrapped up his season playing for Saint Petersburg in Russia’s professional hockey league.
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He led the team in scoring and notching several highlight reel goals.
The Canadiens picked him fifth overall in last year’s draft, but he had to play out his contract in Russia before joining the team.
Now with the Habs on the cusp of a playoff berth — he’s here.
“This is very much one of the best players to be drafted in this decade,” said Marco D’Amico from RG, a data-driven sports news and analysis site.
Fans were eagerly tracking Demidov’s flight from his home country to Turkey, where he completed his paperwork to come to North America.
His number 93 jersey is sold out on the Canadiens website before he has even put his on.
Some fans told Global they worry the scrutiny might get to him, adding that this amount of pressure placed on the young player could affect his performance. Others said they hope he doesn’t get too caught up in Montreal’s famous nightlife.
But D’Amico, who got an exclusive interview with Demidov earlier this week, thinks he’s ready for the spotlight.
“This is an individual that eats and breathes hockey, and was very comfortable with going to play for Montreal.”
Global’s Habs columnist Brian Wilde agrees. “That’s why he’s a great hockey player. He loves the pressure.”
Wilde joined Global News Morning in Montreal on Friday and told host Laura Casella that travelling to a player to greet them upon arrival and make them feel loved is commonplace in Europe, where fans often do that for soccer players.
He added that the 19-year-old will only join the team on the ice on Monday evening at the Bell Center against the Chicago Blackhawks. Tickets for that game are going for over $1,000 on resale sites.
The team has not made the playoffs since 2021. A number of scenarios will almost certainly guarantee their playoff spot this year.
