Superb “tic-tac-toe” goal for Alexander Zharovsky

Will the Canadiens have the NHL's Rookie of the Year for the second season in a row? Last year, Lane Hutson won the Calder Trophy (ahead of the excellent Macklin Celebrini) and this year, Ivan Demidov is racking up points like I rack up differences of opinion with my two teenagers.

Except that Mathew Schaefer seems to be the favorite of those who will have the right to vote.

However, the Canadiens are almost guaranteed the KHL Rookie of the Year award for the second year in a row. Ivan Demidov won the Alexei Cherepanov Award in 2024-25 with 49 points in 65 games… and Alexander Zharovsky is on track to be even more productive than Demidov was this year.

Zharovsky already has 12 goals and 18 assists in just 35 games this season in Russia. He scored his 12th a few minutes ago… on an assist from new teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Zharovsky, 18, made an Oliver Kapanen of himself: he simply redirected a superb pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov (on the powerplay).

Kuznetsov assists, Zharovsky scores – new reality in Ufa! pic.twitter.com/UxkKFaBDaI

– KHL (@khl_eng) January 8, 2026

Zharovsky played nearly 17 minutes today, including 4:35 on the power play.

Kuznetsov played with Demidov last year and here he is now playing with Zharovsky. No, he wasn't able to convince the Canadiens to offer him a contract in the off-season, but he has indirectly found himself with a mission that pleases Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton: to get the organization's top prospects producing.

Getting back to Zharovsky, I don't even know if he's in contention for KHL Rookie of the Year. Remember that Bob Hartley described him as an Ivan Demidov with a worse shot a few weeks ago on Martin Lemay.

Note that Zharovsky is still under contract in the KHL for the 2026-27 season… but Kent Hughes has a knack for making magic happen sometimes. #ToFollow

Are you looking forward to a standing ovation on a Wednesday night, Alex?

overtime

– Of note.

In his interview, Moisés Paniagua's agent suggests that Montreal would have asked Miami for $1 million in compensation to give up negotiating rights.

Remember that MLS has set up a priority mechanism to avoid overbidding on incoming transfers. This 1… https://t.co/KuB7eaKbx2

– Nilton Jorge (@NiltonJorge) January 8, 2026

– Would Lane Hutson be in the Olympics if he played for the Wild? [JdeM]

– Another dismissal in the NFL.

It's the end of the McDaniel era in Miami! The Dolphins thank their head coach after 4 seasons at the helm pic.twitter.com/XVBKM9dq5P

– RDS (@RDSca) January 8, 2026