“Maybe I have to pee on my hands for luck”

Ivan Demidov finally broke the ice! The Canadian prospect scored his first goal in his fifth game with SKA St. Petersburg in a 4-3 overtime victory over HC Lada.

If it was only a matter of time for Demidov, he was eager to break through after hitting a few posts and missing some great scoring chances in his first few games.

In an interview with Responsible Gambling conducted by Daria Tuboltseva, the field hockey player joked that, after missing a few scoring chances, he might be thinking of pissing on his hands for good luck.

Story on the @CanadiensMTL prospect Ivan Demidov’s first KHL goal. He wanted to pee on his hands to make it happen #GoHabsGo @RGSafePlay https://t.co/HD2ThQAZeb

– Daria Tuboltseva (@DariaTuboltseva) September 15, 2024

Fortunately for him, his first goal keeps his hands clean and, as he says himself, will take a lot of pressure off his shoulders.

After five games in the KHL this season, the fifth-round draft pick has one goal and one assist. He plays mainly on the third line with former NHL player Evgeny Kuznetsov, with whom he develops good chemistry both on and off the ice. He’s spent some time on the fourth line recently, but his performances have forced his coach to give him more playing time.

Demidov benefits in particular from the experience and baggage of Kuznetsov, an eleven-season NHL veteran who won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018, to develop in the Russian league.

The two players are finding each other better and better on the ice, as we saw on Demidov’s first goal set up by a fine pass from Kuznetsov.

The 18-year-old seems to be finding his feet more and more with his new team. He says he’s almost completely adjusted to the KHL level and feels good on the ice. This first goal should help him gain the confidence of his coach Roman Rotenberg, who was also delighted with the highlight of his young forward’s career, a historic event in his opinion.

And as we know, winning the trust of your coach is important for a young player in Europe, this is a good first step.

According to Rotemberg, Demidov has the potential to score in every game, and he wants to give him the chance to do so. That’s why he paired him with Kuznetsov, as the two players have similar skills and hockey sense. Canadien fans have plenty of reasons to celebrate Demidov’s interesting debut and first goal in the KHL.

We imagine the Habs must be happy to see him produce. After all, it will surely lead to more playing time, so the player can potentially develop more adequately this season.