Ivan Demidov collected 49 points in 65 games this season in the KHL.
He finished the campaign as the leading scorer for his club – which had some good players – and helped SKA St. Petersburg to success.
Oh, and he also had the best season in league history for a player in his 18th season.
You might say that’s illogical… but it wasn’t enough for him to win KHL Rookie of the Year.
Instead, Yegor Surin, a player with 21 points in 60 games, goes home with the trophy.
Ahem…
The news is a bit… insane.
Ivan Demidov deserved to win this title, and we agree that it’s no secret.
Because not only was he the league’s best rookie, Demidov was also one of the most productive players on the circuit, while playing less than the others.
We know that his playing time hasn’t always been ideal with SKA this season. And we also know that, in spite of everything, he found a way to be among the league’s best players…
But what probably explains all this is the fact that Demidov won’t be attending the KHL ceremony to present the trophy. The Canadiens player will be spending the summer in Montreal:
But hey.
Ivan Demidov can take comfort in the fact that, in 24-25, he’ll have the opportunity to win the NHL Rookie of the Year award.
And if he plays the way he did at the end of the season with the Canadiens, he’ll give himself a chance.
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