Mr Viral
Ivan Demidov has finally arrived in Canada tonight. The young player and his girlfriend arrived at Toronto’s airport… and they were greeted by a welcoming committee of habs fans and media on site (including DLC) to cover the event.
Here are the pictures we took, in case you haven’t seen them yet:
The first images of Ivan Demidov upon his arrival in Canada (Toronto) pic.twitter.com/Zl4deqqNrn
— DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) April 11, 2025
However, the welcoming committee is not unanimously approved. Some find it quite cool to see the young player being welcomed this way, but others, like Darren Dreger, find it intense.
It’s intense and unusual according to North American standards, but no, it won’t break the kid.
For those who doubt it, look at Demidov’s reaction when he saw the people welcoming him: he smiled and waved at them. He looked like a guy who knew what to expect, and above all, a guy in perfect control, especially for someone who had just gotten off a 10-hour flight.
DemiMANIA has taken over (: zackasante) pic.twitter.com/J6yp3NQysz
— HFTV (@HFTVSports) April 11, 2025
If all this had happened in Montreal and thousands of fans had been on site, maybe the young player would have been uncomfortable. But today, he was greeted by… a few dozen people at most.
It’s not different from what he will experience when fans ask him for autographs during a practice… but since people don’t usually see this, it strikes the imagination, and that’s normal.
For fans who go to morning skates/practices for autographs, you get used to some crazy fans being around so for me, I wasn’t too fazed and neither are the players. I think everyone at the airport was respectful. Livestreaming it just exposed it to people who never experienced it.
— HFTV (@HFTVSports) April 11, 2025
The Canadiens knew this was a strong possibility (it’s not for nothing that we had planned for it with a large security contingent), even by sending him to Toronto. Moreover, it’s the habs who asked him not to speak tonight: we want to wait until it’s done during a press conference.
This allows us to better control the message and relieve some pressure on the young player’s shoulders.
And clearly, seeing how much it’s been reacting since the beginning of the evening on social media, we understand that it’s something that interests people. Listening to a live broadcast but being offended by a group of people being on site is… particular.
The whole thing lasted, roughly, two minutes in total. No, two minutes of fans waiting for him and following him at the airport won’t break a kid who is already used to being a star everywhere he goes and having the spotlight on him.
Respire. Ça va aller lol
— DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) April 11, 2025
And precisely, for a young player like Demidov who is already quite used to all this, we can think that it may have motivated him more than anything else.
It’s not for nothing that the habs selected him: they believe he’s capable of handling a market like Montreal’s.
Si un joueur ne veut pas jouer à MTL à cause de moi, y’est pas fait fort.
Les vrais adorent le marché montrealais. Ils veulent y jouer. Ils y carburent. Crois moi.
Les autres… qu’ils jouent ailleurs.
Et Demidov était souriant. Il a adoré son accueil.
— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) April 11, 2025
Let’s all take a moment to breathe: Demidov is fine, he wasn’t destabilized by what happened, and he’ll get over it.
Instead, let’s be happy that he has his feet in Canada rather than in Russia and that he’s just a few days away from making his debut in the Canadiens’ uniform. That’s what matters most.
Ivan Demidov au Canada, c’est fait!
(DansLesCoulisses était sur place pour l’accueillir, avec deux, trois autres médias et une quarantaine de partisans qui s’étaient déplacés à Toronto) pic.twitter.com/ejZ7h41rBy
— DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) April 11, 2025
Overtime
– I couldn’t have said it better.
Meh, it’s all in good fun.
Sure, I would never spend my time that way, but if others want to, why the hell should I care?
This is so tame compared to what happens with soccer clubs in Europe.
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) April 11, 2025
– Speaking of Demidov.
Les Amateurs de sports I Les joueurs des @CanadiensMTL ont bien hâte de voir de près Ivan Demidov.https://t.co/6hm8ER1ZWC
— 98,5 Sports (@985Sports) April 11, 2025
– That would be cool!
On pourrait avoir le droit à un duel de l’Ontario entre Toronto et Ottawa en première ronde des séries !
Aimeriez-vous voir une séries Leafs vs Sens ? pic.twitter.com/cmzfbaFIdo
— L’Antichambre (@Antichambre) April 11, 2025
