Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes is currently a long way from home, and his destination is sparking mixed reactions.
Hughes, joined by scouting director Nick Bobrov and special advisor Vincent Lecavalier, is currently in St. Petersburg, Russia, to check on the development of top prospect Ivan Demidov.
The highly touted winger has struggled to find consistent ice time under SKA head coach Roman Rotenberg, prompting the Canadiens’ brass to fly overseas to negotiate with the KHL club holding his rights for the rest of the season.
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 timing of the trip, however, has raised eyebrows. With Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and the country being banned from many international events, some critics question whether it’s appropriate for the Canadiens to conduct business in the region.
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis faced a question about the GM’s trip after practice on Thursday.
“There are people who believe that, given the international political climate, the Canadiens should not be in Russia during a time of war,” one reporter said during the scrum.
St. Louis kept his response short: “I’m not going to comment on that.”
With that in mind, Hughes will likely face similar questions when he returns.
In the meantime, the Canadiens’ meeting with SKA’s head coach seemed to be productive, with the bench boss posting multiple clips of their encounter on social media.
“[Demidov] became much stronger. Last spring, I had a talk with him. He was weak. Now he’s stronger, winning battles on the boards,” he said of the Canadiens’ fifth overall pick in a chat with the Habs’ brass.
SKA coach Roman Rotenberg just posted a video of him meeting Habs GM Kent Hughes, Nick Bobrov & Vinny Lecavalier in St. Petersburg, Russia 🇷🇺
Here’s a clip from the 7 min video: pic.twitter.com/XQR17gPS1I
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) December 19, 2024
Demidov, who has 21 points in 35 NHL games, seemed to rise to the occasion with his future boss in attendance. The 19-year-old ended a 12-game goalless drought as he scored the game-winner against Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod on Thursday evening.
Ivan Demidov ended 12-game scoreless streak!
Right in front of @CanadiensMTL GM Kent Hughes. pic.twitter.com/uhulBMkK0C
— KHL (@khl_eng) December 19, 2024
Barring any contractual changes, Demidov is expected to join the Canadiens organization before the start of the 2025-26 season.