Jeff Gorton Issues Big Statement on Ivan Demidov's Arrival with the Canadiens
On RDS, Montreal Canadiens' Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, Jeff Gorton, was asked about Ivan Demidov.
You're likely aware that Demidov's usage in the KHL has been a hot topic since the start of the season, as he's barely playing (less than 4 minutes per game) despite performing very well when he's on the ice.
It raises the question of whether it would be possible to bring Demidov to the Montreal Canadiens immediately to prevent him from losing nearly an entire season of development.
Jeff Gorton answers questions regarding Ivan Demidov
Here's what the excellent Alex Jodoin reports.
"We are in contact with his team over there, and we obviously would like him to play much more. It's a situation beyond our control and can be frustrating, but we are satisfied with his performance when he gets the ice time he deserves."
When asked if we could see Ivan in Montreal this year, Jeff responded:
"Due to the relationship between the NHL and the KHL, we have to respect his contract over there. He has only one year left on his contract with SKA. We will be patient with him and look forward to seeing him in Montreal."
- Via Alex Jodoin
Wow, we love it! It's obviously not the most convincing answer regarding his early arrival in Montreal and the NHL, but we really like the message it sends.
It's good news to learn that the Canadiens' management is in contact with SKA, and we also take note of the following quote from Jeff Gorton.
He's absolutely right, and it's great to hear this coming from Gorton.
Moreover, when he plays, Demidov almost always has an impact on his team's success. He even scored another goal yesterday:
Gorton's statement about Demidov's arrival is also fairly clear but should be taken with a grain of salt. Even if there were behind-the-scenes talks to buy out his contract, Gorton wouldn't discuss it publicly, which is perfectly normal.
Check out the very interesting full interview here:
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