Canadiens podcast host responds to being called out by Darren Dreger for Ivan Demidov's Toronto airport coverage

Ivan Demidov arrived in Toronto last week after a long flight from Russia. His arrival was streamed live by "The Sick Podcast." The video was hosted by Tony Marinaro on his X account. NHL insider Darren Dreger later commented on the coverage, questioning if the livestream was too much.

Marinaro responded on X with a clear message, saying that Dreger could have his opinion and that he live-streamed Demidov for his audience.

"Darren is entitled to his opinion," Marinaro said. "On my end, I’ll say this. I do not work for the team, the coach or the player. I work for Sick Media and try to best serve our sponsors, partners and the fans."

Marinaro pointed to the strong interest in the livestream as proof:

• Twitter 180,000+ viewers, 793,000+ impressions, 121,000+ engagements, 87,000+ link clicks.
• YouTube 35,000+ views, 9000+ messages.

Many Canadiens fans went to the airport to welcome Ivan Demidov. Sick Media co-owner Julianna Cavallaro was at the airport, too. She said that the livestream was a last-minute decision.

"We were stunned at how many people tuned in," Cavallaro said about the number of viewers per globalnews.ca.

Marinaro defended his coverage and praised his small team. He said "The Sick Podcast" has only five staff members. Still, they finished last week as Canada’s third-ranked hockey podcast. Only "32 Thoughts" and "Spittin Chiclets" ranked higher.

"We at 'The Sick Podcasts' are a small company of 5 people trying our best to compete with the biggies who have unlimited resources," Marinaro said. "...I work to serve the most passionate hockey fanbase in the world. The media is supposed to give the fans what they want; Sick Media and I did just that ✌️"

Darren Dreger's comments on Ivan Demidov's livestream

Ivan Demidov recently finished a strong season (49 points in 65 games) with SKA Saint Petersburg in the KHL. He had to finish his contract in Russia before coming to Canada. He is expected to make his NHL debut on Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

On Saturday's "Barn Burner" podcast, insider Darren Dreger discussed Montreal's playoff push and said coach Martin St. Louis is under pressure to manage Ivan Demidov wisely.

“They want to see what potentially the future is, and he could be a big part of it, but, Holy Christ, can we just pump the brakes?," Dreger said. "Let this kid find his way."

The Canadiens are in a good position this season. They hold the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. With two games left, they are close to making the playoffs.