Alex Kovalev Gives Advice To Ivan Demidov And Reportedly Rejected A Tribute Night At The Bell Centre
On Wednesday, in an article that RG Media’s Sergey Demidov (no relation to Ivan) wrote about an interview he recently had with former Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Kovalev, it was stated that the Russian star recently rejected a proposed offer to come to Montreal for a tribute night in his honour. However, that was just a minor part of their interview; the main discussion at hand was advice that Alex Kovalev had for Ivan Demidov as a potential superstar forward in Montreal and how he can have more success in the long term.
Alexei Kovalev says Ivan Demidov must prioritize efficiency over style — and confirms he declined a proposed tribute night from the Montreal Canadiens. Read the full story:https://t.co/1TAGWxz8XT
— RG (@TheRGMedia) November 26, 2025
The topic of the Andrei Markov Tribute Night that is set at the Bell Centre for next Wednesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets came up, and that’s how Kovalev explained he appreciated the offer from Geoff Molson and the Montreal Canadiens, but at the time he had to reject the offer. Before anyone gets upset at Kovalev for not accepting the offer, it was because at the time, Alex Kovalev was still an assistant coach with Spartak Moskva in the KHL, so he had a valid reason. However, he was actually relieved of his duties on Monday, November 24th, just a few days after the original interview that Sergey Demidov had with Kovalev. With that being said, it’s possible he may be given another opportunity to be honoured someday at the Bell Centre as one of the best players on the team during the 2000s.
As for what he had to say about Ivan Demidov, it was advice that felt kind of ironic, considering the type of player that he was during his 4.5 years with the Canadiens. What he basically had to say was that Demidov needs to be more efficient with his plays and not try to be too fancy with the puck, as that’s what it will take for him to produce points at the NHL level. That fact that all Russian players are saying that is funny, given that Kovalev’s revolved around making the beautiful move and less so the easy plays that could easily lead to goals.
Of course, like Demidov, Kovalev was a tremendously skilled player who made incredible passes when he showed up to games, but sometimes he would go invisible for 3-4 games at a time. The reality is at 19 years old, Demidov shows effort every single game, which is better than what many of us can say for Kovalev.
Now don’t get me wrong. I loved Alex Kovalev as a kid; he and Saku Koivu were two of my hockey idols, but when thinking back to the way he played sometimes, it was embarrassing how little of an effort he’d put out on the ice. Then he’d go on a little sequence where he’d register a few multi-point games, and his bad performances would be forgotten for a while until it would happen again. The only season he was truly consistent was likely the 2007-08 regular season, where he put up 35 goals and 84 points in 82 games. It was truly incredible to watch, and until Lane Hutson last season, there wasn’t a more skilled player in a Habs sweater for 15 years.
Lane Hutson on his Habs teammate Ivan Demidov:
“His work ethic towards his craft is really special.”
👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/Nw2dT1AZ6L
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 21, 2025
With that being said, if it was a comment on how Demidov could improve his skill, I would get it from Kovalev, but it was about the style of play that Demidov possesses. It’s almost as if he’s telling Demidov that the style that he himself played was the wrong way, when in fact it was incredible to watch when he actually came out and tried.
Ever since he has been drafted into the NHL, it really seems like everyone who has been involved with the KHL has made it sound like Demidov is playing the wrong way, when in fact he’s just getting started and is also a workhorse on the ice, which will potentially allow him to play like a Nikita Kucherov in the near future. His work ethic is the difference between why Kovalev isn’t an all-time great and why Demidov has a chance to be one of the best players of the next generation.
What are your thoughts on what Kovalev had to say about Demidov’s play?
