Real Reason the Blackhawks Passed on Ivan Demidov at the 2024 NHL Draft Finally Revealed
PUBLICATION
L. Honein
July 26, 2025Â Â (8:48 PM)
Photo credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Several hockey experts were surprised when the Montreal Canadiens selected Ivan Demidov with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 Draft.
Not because he was picked by the Habs, but because the young prospect slipped all the way to fifth, to everyone’s surprise.
The fact that he’s Russian likely played a role, and some teams were hesitant to select Ivan Demidov-but certainly not the Canadiens.
Anyway, we’ve just learned something big.
Nick Bobrov, one of the Canadiens’ scouts, had been keeping an eye on Demidov for quite some time, and insider Marco D’Amico shared an interesting behind-the-scenes detail from the 2024 Draft.
Other Teams Knew Ivan Demidov Really Wanted to Play for the Montreal Canadiens-And That’s Likely Why He Slipped
“Everyone knew Ivan Demidov wanted to be drafted by the Canadiens.”
– Marco D’Amico
One of the reasons people closely or loosely connected to the hockey world believed this was due to the presence of Nick Bobrov in the Habs organization.
“Bobrov gives the Canadiens a huge edge when it comes to Russian prospects because he has a Russian passport and can enter and exit the country freely.”
– Marco D’Amico
Bobrov’s connections to the KHL also paid off during the last draft, as Kent Hughes selected Alexander Zharovsky with the 34th overall pick.
Some experts had that prospect ranked even higher, and it’s fair to say Bobrov’s presence with the Canadiens paid off once again.
We strongly recommend the full episode:
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