BUFFALO – The «Demidov Era» in Montreal has officially reached a fever pitch. On Tuesday, the National Hockey League announced that Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov has been selected as a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy for the 2025-2026 season.
Demidov is joined by Matthew Schaefer and Beckett Sennecke as the three finalists for the prestigious award, which is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
A Statistical Powerhouse
The 20-year-old Russian sensation didn’t just participate in his rookie year; he dominated it. Standing at 6’1″ and 192 lbs, Demidov lived up to the hype of being the 5th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft by leading all league rookies in several key categories:
- Points: 62 (1st among rookies)
- Assists: 43 (1st among rookies)
- Power Play Points: 20 (7G, 13A – 1st among rookies)
- Game-Winning Goals: 4 (Tied for 2nd among rookies)
Consistency and Clutch Performance
Demidov’s season was defined by historic consistency. In January, he became the first Canadiens rookie since Gilbert Dionne to record ten multi-point games within the first 50 games of a season. By the end of the campaign, he tallied an incredible 14 multi-point performances.
His peak came in December, where he was named the NHL Rookie of the Month after torching the league for 14 points (4G, 10A) in just 15 games.
Can Montreal Go Back-to-Back?
History is on the line for the «Bleu-Blanc-Rouge.» This marks the second consecutive year that a Montreal player has led the NHL rookie scoring race and been named a Calder finalist. If Demidov wins, he will follow in the footsteps of teammate Lane Hutson, who took home the trophy in 2024-2025.
Did You Know? The Calder Trophy was first awarded in 1936-37. It was named in memory of Frank Calder, the NHL’s first president, following his death in 1943.
For a franchise that has been rebuilding through the draft, seeing the 2024 5th-overall pick reach these heights so quickly is a testament to the Canadiens’ scouting and development. Montreal fans now wait with bated breath to see if the Sergiyev Posad native will bring the Calder back to the Bell Centre for the second year in a row.