When You’re the Best Thing a Franchise Has Had in 40 Years
Forty years. That’s how long Canadiens fans have been waiting. Four full decades since a forward wore the jersey and made people believe they were watching greatness, not just talent. Forty years since Guy Lafleur, the Flower, skated out of Montreal and left behind a shadow so massive that every winger after him looked like they were playing under a roof they could never break through.
Since 1985, Montreal has had stars, leaders, and fighters. Saku Koivu carried the franchise through illness and grit. Alex Kovalev dazzled with hands as smooth as silk. Max Pacioretty scored goals in bunches. Cole Caufield is a sniper fans adore. But none of them — none — were Lafleur. None had that mix of artistry and inevitability. None felt like a once-in-a-generation forward who could tilt the entire sport around him.
But now? A 19-year-old Russian kid named Ivan Demidov just stepped onto Bell Centre ice, and for the first time in 40 years, Canadiens fans felt it again. The roar, the electricity, the this could be it moment.
Stick around until the end, because the truth isn’t just that Demidov is good. It’s that he might finally be the answer to a ghost that’s haunted Montreal since 1985.
24 Comments
Carrey Price? 😭
must be frustrating facing Demidov in practice for habs goalies. Glad he's on our team.
It's pretty crazy to think that since last year, we added: Hutson, Demidov, Dobson, Laine, Bolduc to the lineup, all while keeping our first line intact! I've never been this excited about a lineup in the 30 years I've been watching the Canadiens!
Most excited I’ve been as a fan for this franchise in 11 years
🔥🔥
Demidov is the icing on the cake for fans. Seeing the owner of this team after years of bad drafting and horrible development. Finally spend the money on the management side to put in a proper drafting and farm system. Hard not to feel excited when you see what the near future of this team looks like. We are in for the best era of hockey since the 70s. For us GenX we've been waiting so long to see the Habs back on top.
110 points with Laine and Dach? Nah nah!! He should play first line.
Kovalev was the closest to Lafleur skillwise, even exceeded him
GUYGUYGUY! Tu es unique et tu seras toujours le meilleur à mes yeux, mais en voyant le petit Demidov jouer, j'ai eu un toc au coeur j'ai même eu l'impression de voir une similitude avec toi. Enfin de l'espoir…❤
I guess we just forgot about someone Habs fans colloquially nicknamed "Le Petit Viking": Mats Naslund.
Demidov: My job here is done.
Non-retarded fans: But you haven't done anything yet.
Cape leaves
DEMI-God! this guy has Mc Saviour levels of possible creative talents ! Our Franchise Player; like Croz-B or Akex Oven Chicken…we gots him!
Worst last name attempts but good vid
The hype train is getting ahead of itself. He hasn't done anything yet.
Well, I remember the hope about Kovalev xD
This is just the habitual craze about a kid that no one knows. I saw him play in the KHL, sure he's great, but hey, Mtl has a habit of destroying young talents like I've never seen elsewhere. Even Buffalo and Phoenix didn't do worse.
A wet dream is all this is.
and just think, if this stupid franchise had a clue , they could have had Tkachuk/Hughes instead of Kotkanimei, Michkov instead of Reinbacher AND Demidov
Gila Flur? You guys are so funny! It's Guy Lafleur.
Not fair for Demidov to be compared to the Flower or to that ahole from Tampa Bay who shit all over Canadiens fans. Kid will hopefully have a great future…
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀 LFG
Demidoof is overrated and nothing special. Toilet seats aren't anything special. Absolute joke of a team lmfao.
PK. SUB- BAN😅🤣🤣
Du calme, le p'tit gars n'a même pas joué 10 parties dans la ligue!!
You suck naming hockey players