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Montreal Canadiens draftee Ivan Demidov celebrated his 18th birthday on December 10, 2024. He received warm wishes and tributes from his loved ones on the occasion, including his girlfriend and brother.
The young Russian hockey star, currently playing for SKA Saint Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
On Tuesday, Demidov’s girlfriend, Ekaterina Yakovleva, shared a photo of the couple alongside a touching message on her Instagram stories. She wrote:
“С днём рождения @i.demidov ❤️ love you,” which translates to “Happy Birthday @i.demidov ❤️ love you”
The photo showed the couple seated close together indoors, by a window. Ekaterina wore a black top, and Ivan sported an unbuttoned white shirt.
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Selected fifth overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2024 NHL Draft, Demidov is praised for his scoring and playmaking abilities. He made his professional debut with SKA Saint Petersburg in 2022 at just 16 years old and has since earned accolades like KHL Rookie of the Month and a spot on the KHL All-Rookie Team this season.
Ivan Demidov’s brother Semyon sends birthday wishes
His older brother, Semyon Demidov, also marked the occasion with a nostalgic childhood photo of the two. Semyon Demidov is a player in the SKA Saint Petersburg system and was part of the team that won the Kharlamov Cup during the 2021-2022 season.
In the image the older Demidov posted, a young Ivan and Semyon can be seen crouching outdoors, with Semyon captioning the post:
“С днём рождения, Братишка 🎉❤️”, which translates to “Happy Birthday, Little Brother 🎉❤️”
Selected fifth overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2024 NHL Draft, Demidov is praised for his scoring and playmaking abilities. He made his professional debut with SKA Saint Petersburg in 2022 at just 16 years old and has since earned accolades like KHL Rookie of the Month and a spot on the KHL All-Rookie Team this season.
The Montreal Canadiens have confirmed their plans to bring Russian winger to North America after his current season with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. Demidov is under contract with St. Petersburg for the 2024-25 season but has expressed his intention to join the Canadiens once his KHL deal expires.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Canadiens have already made plans to visit Demidov and assess his progress, with the trip scheduled to take place within the next few months.
General Manager Kent Hughes and other team officials will be part of the visit, allowing them to get a closer look at Demidov’s development.
