Ivan Demidov: Tony Marinaro reveals the other reason why he spent the summer in Montreal

Ivan Demidov spent his entire summer in Montreal. The young Russian, who might very well have preferred to return to his native country, decided instead to stay in town to familiarize himself with Montreal life.Yes, Demidov is happy to be with the Habs, andit shows.Obviously,for Canadiens fans, it's cool to see a kid make the decision to spend the summer in town. But according to Tony Marinaro, who chatted about it all on 98.5 FM tonight, there's another reason for Demidov's decision. In fact, Marinaro explains that Demidov “didn't take a chance” for one simple reason: returning to Russia could have forced him to complete his military service.

He could therefore have been detained in Russia to complete his service. https://www.youtube.com/live/ITlusYbyJRA?si=afOms2rzq8aGMhLy&t=1263

We know that a few years ago, goaltender Ivan Fedotov wanted to make the jump to the NHL, but he was held back because he had to complete his military service. Demidov obviously didn't want to risk the same fate.Imagine what the reaction would have been in town if Demidov had suffered such a fate.That's why (among other things) Demidov spent the summer in town, skating non-stop in Brossard. Marinaro also revealed on 98.5 FM this evening that, during the summer, he shot a commercial in which he and Demidov were featured.The famous photo of the dinner with Demidov and Marinaro was taken that evening.

Excellent dinner with Ivan Demidov.

He's so smooth & his hands are so fast that he ate without touching the plate or the food.

Great supper with Ivan Demidov. He's so smooth & his hands are so fast that he ate without touching the plate or the food pic.twitter.com/UQqryEhIeK– Tony Marinaro (@TonyMarinaro) August 12, 2025

The post should air in about two weeks, according to Marinaro.I don't know about you, but I'd much rather see Demidov shooting commercials around town than being in Russia and possibly being held back to complete his military service. And I have a strange feeling that I'm not the only one who feels that way