Gleb Pugachyov in action today | Two assists for Alexander Zharovsky

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Gleb Pugachyov in action today | Two assists for Alexander Zharovsky
Credit: Capture d'écran | Twitter

In recent days, rumors had been circulating that Gleb Pugachyov would not be starting the season in the KHL.

That made sense, considering he wasn't going to travel with his KHL team for the first games of the regular season, which is already underway in Russia.

But nothing had been confirmed.

Now, however, it's official: the Canadiens' first-round pick in 2026 is suiting up for Chaika, the junior team that holds his rights.

The game started at 6:30 p.m. local time.

We know that Pugachyov doesn't have the same tools as Alexander Zharovsky or even Ivan Demidov. Those two players, in fact, played their entire 18-year-old season in Russia's top league.

And they were named Rookie of the Year in 2025 and 2026.

It's unclear whether Pugachyov will see much ice time in the KHL this season—only time will tell. But here's hoping he continues to improve throughout the campaign.

I'm not saying this because of today's news—since you don't judge an 18-year-old prospect so quickly—but the question arises: Are you happy to see that the Habs didn't use their first-round pick in 2026 to bring in immediate reinforcements instead?

Meanwhile…

Speaking of the KHL, it's worth noting that Alexander Zharovsky picked up his first point of the season in the final minutes. We're talking about a (nice) pass in front of the net…

And he also picked up his second assist a few minutes later in a 4-0 win.

Keep in mind that the Canadiens prospect could finish the season in Montreal, if all goes well. Seeing him develop and get ice time will therefore be crucial for him.

He'll also need to learn—unlike last year—not to run out of steam along the way.


In a nutshell

– Stay tuned.

– For soccer fans.

– Note.

– Do you like the slogan?

– Oh, really?

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