After a three-game road trip to start their season, the Montreal Canadiens were back at the Bell Centre for their home opener on Tuesday night. Hosting a Seattle Kraken squad that had already won their first two games, it was a very tight game that ended up going all the way to overtime before a winner was determined.
And that game never would have made it to overtime without the dynamic Ivan Demidov.
IVAN DEMIDOV!! TIE GAME!! 🚨 #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/SiPM6zOwwD
— NHL (@NHL) October 15, 2025
Earlier in the game, he hit Alex Newhook with a magnificent pass to open the scoring, so it was fitting for him to bookend the regulation periods with some game-tying heroics. What made it all the more impressive is that it came just after the expiry of a power play, during which he was everywhere in the offensive zone. He was trying his level best to set up the powerful one-timer of Patrik Laine, and on his last attempt to do so, he got the puck back and buried it.
With the team in desperate need of a goal, Demidov found a different gear to take over the game. The power play hadn’t looked as dangerous as it did with him on the ice for that shift, and you could feel a particular sense of urgency in his play that ultimately created the opportunity for him to score. This is precisely the kind of thing that they drafted him for; when the chips are down, he has the kind of dynamic ability that can shift a game in his team’s favour.
You see that ability throughout games as well. He uses preposterously quick turns, stop and starts, and superior puck-handling to confuse defenders, often causing them to stumble around in disbelief. Considering that this was just his 11th time seeing the ice in the NHL, one can’t help but wonder how much better he can get as he gains experience.
He seized a huge moment in the home opener, and if the early returns are any indication, he’ll be doing that plenty more during his career with the Canadiens.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back for the next game of the home stand this Thursday night against the Nashville Predators.
