Ivan Demidov stars in first game with Russia U23 team at Puchkov Tournament

Ivan Demidov had quite a day in Russia in the first game of the Puchkov Tournament. Demidov recently wore an "A" for SKA-St. Petersburg in preseason action, fueling rumors that the initial plan to have him as the 13th forward may end after a good start to training camp. However, Demidov won't be suiting up for SKA in the KHL's preseason Puchkov Tournament. Instead, he is captaining a Russian U23 squad, who defeated Sochi today 4-2 in their opener.

It was Demidov's first game since an injury in April, but the Canadiens' fifth-overall pick showed no signs of rust. He potted two goals to lead his team to victory, earning Player of the Game honors. Responsible Gaming snagged an interview with the captain, where he made comments about representing his country.

"It's really nice to wear the C letter. I'm glad they trusted me with leadership. I'll try to live up to expectations. There were many moments today when I took control of the game. We were down 1-2, then tied it, and I knew I had to score another goal quickly. It turned out that I was put 1-on-0, and I scored."

The media also asked Demidov about the potential of playing in the AHL before joining the NHL, where he said he'd be willing, as his end goal is to be an NHL player. He may be right about needing extra seasoning before joining the Canadiens, but if he continues playing like he did in today's preseason opener, we think he'll be just fine.

Demidov's leadership skills are beginning to shine through, which is impressive considering he is an 18-year-old captaining a U23 squad. There continues to be nothing but good things coming out about the Habs' future, and it's making it very difficult not to get fans hopes up when seeing what Demidov is capable of