SKA wishes Ivan Demidov luck!

SKA Hockey Club and Ivan Demidov have taken a joint decision which will see the forward join the Montreal Canadiens this season.

His KHL rights remain with SKA. There is an agreement in place with the Canadian club concerning Demidov’s return to SKA if he can’t gain a foothold in the National Hockey League.

Demidov progressed through the SKA system from the youngest MHL team to the senior KHL side. He became a champion of the Kharlamov Cup in 2024 with SKA-1946, while also being named the best player of the Junior Hockey League two years in a row. Demidov became SKA’s leading scorer in the 2024/2025 season, tallying 54 (22+32) points across 71 appearances while setting a league record by being declared the best rookie of the week seven times. Ivan won the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in 2021 with Russia U18, before subsequently winning the Channel One Cup with the senior Russian national team in 2024. 

SKA Hockey Club thanks Ivan Demidov for his professionalism, commitment and time spent in Saint Petersburg. Good luck for the future!