Canadiens sell $250,000-worth Ivan Demidov jerseys on his debut, internet reacts: "Kinda ridiculous"

The Montreal Canadiens made headlines when rookie Ivan Demidov’s NHL debut sparked $250,000 in jersey sales, setting a new franchise record for single-day merchandise revenue.

Demidov, the Canadiens' No. 5 overall draft pick in the 2024 NHL draft, signed his entry-level contract with the team on April 8 and suited up for his first NHL game on Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Many fans took to social media to express their disbelief at the hype surrounding the Russian forward, with one fan posting on X/Twitter:

"That's kind of ridiculous.”

“With how expensive jerseys are these days that’s probably not that many jerseys sold tbh,” another fan wrote.

Here are some more reactions from fans on X:

"They were sold for between $180-$250 so between 1000 and 1388 jerseys were sold…on one day," another fan said.

"Craziest part about this is I bet some if not most fans are worried he’ll switch back to 91, imagine if there was no fear of that it would be even more," one fan added.

"Great did the franchise. But he didn’t get a single point in tonight big game. One of the biggest games in whole for the franchise. Glad they made it," another fan commented.

"This is sick. The kid is fun to watch. Best of luck over the next few weeks!" one fan said.

In his debut game, Ivan Demidov got two points with a goal and an assist. Before joining the NHL, he played in the KHL, racking up 19 goals and 49 points last season.

Darren Dreger highlights Ivan Demidov’s impact in Montreal

Speaking on TSN's "Insider Trading", NHL analyst Darren Dreger pointed out that Demidov provides an instant offensive element that the Canadiens were hoping for but didn't expect to be this immediate in his NHL debut.

"I think that's fair because he's an added piece, and you can see that he provides an instant element of offense," Dreger said.

(from 2:50 mark onwards)

Looking at the bigger picture, Dreger noted that the Canadiens are expected to target top-six forwards — either via free agency or trades — as they look to keep pace with the league’s and division’s top contenders.

"If you're a player who has trade protection and Montreal isn't on the list, or you're a free agent looking at all your other options and you see a star quality player like Demidov, that just adds to the sales pitch," he added.

Overall, Dreger sees Ivan Demidov as an important addition that brings instant offense while also making the Canadiens a more enticing destination for other players looking for a new team.