Canadiens: Ivan Demidov misses practice and Martin St-Louis disciplines roster
Les Canadiens se sont entraînés pour une deuxième journée de suite sans Ivan Demidov, qui a profité d’une journée de traitements après avoir été atteint par un lancer sur le pied droit lors du match préparatoire contre les Sénateurs d’Ottawa. Head coach Martin St-Louis interrupted practice to discipline the roster following an inadequate performance.
Demidov Sidelined for Treatment Following Ottawa Preseason Hit
Ivan Demidov missed his second straight day of on-ice activities, spending Thursday receiving medical treatments alongside forward Lucas Condotta. The sequence stems from Monday’s third period in a preseason matchup against the Ottawa Senators, where a puck struck Demidov on the right foot. According to the team’s official schedule update, the organization expects the forward to return to the ice on Friday.
The absence kept Demidov out of the intra-squad scrimmage held between Group A and Group B at the team’s training facility. While Group A featured the primary players slated to open the regular season in Montreal—including captain Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Chris Kreider—the groupings were thoroughly mixed for Thursday’s game simulation.
Martin St-Louis Disciplines Roster After Sluggish Session
Frustrated by the intensity and execution level during Thursday’s skate, Martin St-Louis abruptly halted the practice session to reprimand the roster. The head coach gathered the players on the ice before putting them through a rigorous line-to-line skating punishment to enforce accountability.
“C’était pas assez bon. Je fais ma job,” St-Louis stated to reporters during his post-practice press conference, addressing the decision to halt the drill and demand a higher competitive standard from the group.
The timing of the conditioning reset comes as the Canadiens prepare to wrap up their exhibition schedule. The club will play their final two preseason games on Saturday evening in a simultaneous doubleheader against the Toronto Maple Leafs, splitting the roster between games in Montreal and Toronto.
Group Rosters Ahead of Preseason Finales
The organization structured two distinct units for the week’s evaluations:
- Group A Forwards: Josh Anderson, Owen Beck, Alex Belzile, Cole Caufield, Phillip Danault, Jared Davidson, Jake Evans, Chris Kreider, Hunter McKown, Samuel Poulin, Nick Suzuki, Tyler Thorpe.
- Group A Defensemen: Alexandre Carrier, Lane Hutson, Luke Mittelstadt, Ethan Samson, Jayden Struble, Arber Xhekaj.
- Group A Goaltenders: Kaapo Kähkönen, Samuel Montembeault.
- Group B Forwards: Brett Berard, Zachary Bolduc, Kirby Dach, Laurent Dauphin, Oliver Kapanen, Aleksandr Legkov, Filip Mesar, Alex Newhook, Sasha Pastujov, Juraj Slafkovsky, Alexandre Texier, Florian Xhekaj.
- Group B Defensemen: Noah Dobson, Adam Engström, Mike Matheson, David Reinbacher, Maksymilian Szuber, Reilly Walsh.
- Group B Goaltenders: Jakub Dobes, Jacob Fowler.
Players dealing with maintenance days, such as Demidov and Condotta, remain under evaluation by the team’s medical staff.
Disclaimer: The insights provided in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or sports betting recommendations.