The Nikolai Puchkov Tournament is a KHL preseason event comprising some of the best teams in Russia. The teams include SKA St. Petersburg, AK Bars, Severstal, HC Sochi, Kunlun Red Star, and the Russia U23 team. Ivan Demidov won't play with his club team SKA, but will captain the U23 squad.
CAPTAIN DEMIDOV 🫡#GoHabsGo prospect Ivan Demidov will captain Russia U23 at the Puchkov tournament August 22-29 pic.twitter.com/5kdjjnkSJ7
— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) August 14, 2024
It's an honor for Demidov to be given the chance to lead his country's U23 team as an 18-year-old. However, it could show a more substantial problem we covered a few days ago. If SKA had plans for Demidov to be part of their team next season, a preseason tournament would be a good chance for him to gel with the team. If they are willing to let him play with the U23 group, the rumors of him being an extra forward could be true.
The opportunity for Demidov to play with a Russian U23 team is one he won't take lightly. The ongoing war in Russia caused the IIHF to ban the Russian Hockey Federation from any international tournament, meaning we won't see Demidov in the World Juniors this season. They still haven't decided for the 2025-26 season, so there's still a chance Russia will play in the 2026 Olympics.
However, Habs fans are hoping that Demidov will be wearing a different red, blue, and white jersey before that decision is made.