A group from the Montreal Canadiens front office, comprising Kent Hughes, Vincent Lecavailer, and Nick Bobrov, are in Russia to watch some SKA St. Petersburg games for the second time this season. The untrained eye will make it seem like they are in Russia to watch prospect Ivan Demidov, but some rumors are circulating that the real reason for this trip could be to make plans for a future game.
Nick Bobrov & Vinny Lecavalier & Habs GM Kent Hughes in St. Petersburg, Russia 🇷🇺 to watch Ivan Demidov play for SKA pic.twitter.com/iNXxdcw1Bf
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) December 19, 2024
The NHL and KHL haven't played many games against each other since the league began. The Soviet Union travelled to the NHL to play some games in the past, but it has become less frequent in recent years. The New York Rangers played against Metallurg Magnitogorsk in 2008, which was the first recorded matchup between an NHL and KHL team. The Carolina Hurricanes played SKA two years later in the 2010 NHL Premiere Challenge. The Phoenix Coyotes also played against Dinamo Riga that same season, which is a Latvian team that plays in the KHL.
The Rangers defeated Metallurg in that first matchup, 4-3. However, SKA returned the favor against NHL counterparts when they defeated the Hurricanes two years later. It was only a matter of time before another game happened, but that happening was even less likely given the current political landscape.
The international issues aren't over, so it's unlikely that the game is on the cusp of happening. However, some comments have come out of the SKA camp that believe the international ban on Russian national Teams being unable to play in tournaments will soon end.
Roman Rotenberg isn't the most excellent source for such serious things, but he had to have heard some kind of talks from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation to make such public claims. We aren't in the business of discussing issues and whether it is ethical for Russians to be allowed back into tournaments, but a game between the most historic North American franchise and possibly the most historic Russian franchise would rekindle memories of old Soviet Union visits.
Some trusted Habs insiders are fighting back against the claims, which is where I would land on the rumors. It's too risky for the Canadiens to test these waters, and it's likely just a plot by the Russian Hockey Federation to put themselves back on the map.
Notwithstanding the chaos, I'm being told that this is not in the cards. It's something that folks on the ground in St. Petersburg would love, but it's a one-way street.
— Marco D'Amico (@mndamico) December 19, 2024
The Montreal Canadiens are not in Russia to discuss this nor have interest in this kind of an event. https://t.co/CWXnLVoSvU
Are the Canadiens planning to be the team that plays against SKA to give Russia re-entry into world hockey? Do you agree with it if that is the case, or would you prefer the Habs to stay out of it? Will Ivan Demidov play the first 30 minutes with SKA, then change uniforms at center ice mid-game to signal his arrival to North America? There are so many questions left to answer.