Habs Prospects
SKA Coach Wants Canadiens Forward Demidov Back In The KHL

Top Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov may have left the KHL, but there’s at least one person who would like to see him back in an SKA Saint Petersburg jersey next season.
After firing Roman Rotenberg earlier in the week, SKA hired Hall of Famer Igor Larionov as their new head coach, with the intent of adding a little more experience to the mix. Larionov was recently let go by Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, where he coached another Canadiens prospect, defenceman Bogdan Konyushkov.
As a reminder, Rotenberg rewarded the highest scoring player in his lineup with a demotion on several occasions, with Demidov being used on the fourth line after putting together a very healthy streak of offensive production.
Larionov certainly holds more respect around the international hockey landscape, however, his desire to bring Demidov back to the KHL is a pipe dream. The Canadiens are counting on Demidov to be a key member of the team next year, with most analysts and fans projecting him to play in a top-six role.
“I understand that Demidov is a real gem for the Canadiens,” explained Larionov to RG. “But sometimes you need to take a step back to move three steps forward. I’d really love the chance to work with this kid. I don’t know if it will happen, but I will be asking for him to be loaned back for one year.”
“I’d like to speak with the Montreal management. I’ll be asking for him.”
Igor Larionov wants Ivan Demidov back at SKA for one more KHL season before returning to Montreal.
WHAT?!https://t.co/AUiLQpFlDk pic.twitter.com/TY52AoAALW
— RG (@TheRGMedia) June 6, 2025
Bluff City
With all due respect to Larionov, even if Demidov hadn’t been treated poorly by the former coach, there would still be little to no chance the Montreal Canadiens would acquiesce to the demand.
On that note, at the very least, Larionov can suggest he attempted to bring Demidov back, which should garner some good will around the league. Losing high-end players to the NHL is not the ideal situation for a league such as the KHL, especially since they’ve undergone a significant exodus in talent over the last few years.
