Demidov Scores First KHL Hat Trick

Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov was in action earlier today as SKA St. Petersburg took on Vityaz in the KHL. The right winger had the best game of his young career, thanks to just under 21 minutes of ice time.

While Demidov struggled to get sufficient ice time earlier in the season, since the Canadiens' brass made the trip to St. Petersburg and spoke to SKA coach Roman Rotenberg, the promising forward has seem much more action.

Related: Demidov Has Got A Fan In Boston

Today, not only did he score the first goal of the game, but he also scored the insurance marker and the last goal of the game in an empty net. Meaning he was on the ice in the dying minutes, protecting the lead, an assignment he wouldn't have dreamed of getting earlier in the season.

With those three goals, Demidov now has 40 points on the season (19 goals and 21 assists) and is the 14th best scorer of the league. He now only needs two points to tie Kirill Kaprizov's point record for a player under 20 years old in the top Russian league.

Related: Demidov To Replace DeAngelo

With 19 games remaining on SKA's regular season schedule, it's not a matter of if but of when Demidov will break the record. Kaprizov established his record in 49 games, only one more than the Canadiens' prospect has played so far this year.

The most exciting prospect in the Canadiens' organization will be back on the ice on Thursday when SKA will take on Spartak. This year is the longest season the KHL has ever seen and SKA's last regular season game is scheduled for March 22. The playoffs will then run from March 26 to May 25, 2025. Kent Hughes has already confirmed Demidov would not be joining the Canadiens this season.

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