Why Pascal Vincent Believes Demidov Is the Canadiens’ Secret Weapon – Could This Change Everything?

Day one of the Montreal Canadiens’ rookie camp kicked off with a flurry of activity as young prospects faced the usual rigmarole of medical and physical exams. Meanwhile, on the other side of the locker room glass, coaches Pascal Vincent, Martin Laperriere, and Daniel Jacob were quickly thrust into the spotlight — navigating media queries without missing a beat. Vincent’s enthusiasm is palpable; he’s confident this year’s crew will hold their own, especially when matched up against stiff competition like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Ottawa Senators in the weekend’s prospect faceoff. And yes, if you were wondering about Ivan Demidov’s presence on the ice, it looks like the promising Russian winger will be getting his game time. Vincent, ever the realist, is quick to stress the importance of rookie camp beyond just making the roster — it’s about growth, understanding the pace, and sharpening those defensive plays that separate stars from the also-rans. With rookies slated to hit the ice Thursday morning at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, anticipation is building for the first glimpse at line compositions and what this camp might reveal. LEARN MORE

On day one of rookie camp, the Montreal Canadiens’ rookies underwent medical and physical testing. At the same time, coaches Pascal Vincent, Martin Laperriere, and Daniel Jacob were thrown in the deep end right away, facing the media questions on day one.

Vincent is eager to get the ball rolling and mentions that the Canadiens will have a good team for this rookie camp. Still, he does expect the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Ottawa Senators to ice very competitive sides for this weekend’s prospect showdown. If you were wondering if Ivan Demidov will be seeing any action this weekend, the answer seems to be yes.

Canadiens To Honour Former Blueliner Andrei Markov
Canadiens: Behind The Scenes At The Draft
Pierre LeBrun Brings Up The Canadiens To Crosby

Asked what the youngster had to gain from attending rookie camp even though he’s all but guaranteed a spot on the Canadiens’ roster for the upcoming season, the bench boss said:

Playing games and measuring up against players his own age is beneficial, as is seeing the town’s frenzy for this event, even in September during training camp. I believe that even though he finished the year with the Canadiens, it’s always beneficial. We’ll be introducing a few concepts, refreshing his memory, and allowing him to play games in real situations. Practicing is one thing, but facing actual in-game action is quite another. I think he can benefit from this environment.

– Pascal Vincent on what Ivan Demidov can get out of rookie camp.

Vincent admits that expectations will be high for the Russian youngster this season because he’s so talented, but adds that, at the same time, the goal is for him to dominate in the NHL eventually; he doesn’t have to do it at training camp. What the coach wants to see is how fast he can actually master the concepts that will be taught in the couple of practices that are on schedule. He explains that to be successful in the NHL, you can’t just play on one side of the ice; you must master and play the defensive side of the game as well.

The Canadiens’ rookies will hit the ice for the first time on Thursday morning at 10:00 at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, and we should have a better idea then of what the lines and pairings are likely to be for this camp and for this weekend’s games against the Jets and Leafs.

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens’ page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens’ roundtable on The Hockey News.