Demidov, Hutson and other Canadiens prospects keep working as offseason time runs short

The Montreal Canadiens’ summer routine is already moving past the idea of “rest.” According to a report from The Hockey News via Yahoo Sports, key players have been back on the ice in readiness for the next NHL season, treating July as an extension of training rather than a pause between campaigns. The point is less about novelty than about tempo, Montreal’s internal message that development does not stop just because the calendar flips to mid-summer.

One of the more striking details in the reporting involves Ivan Demidov, who is described as having “the keys” to the Canadiens’ CN Sports Complex in Brossard and skating multiple times a day there. Demidov’s summer work is also framed as mentorship, with Alexander Zharovsky joining him for ice time “until the youngster must head back to Russia” for the KHL schedule. The contrast matters: the KHL season can begin earlier than the NHL’s, so Montreal’s young contingent is balancing immediate development with longer-range planning for international competition.

The same account places another Canadiens pipeline name into the Brossard picture. Lane Hutson, who was in town for the organization’s development camp, is reported to have joined his road roommate on the ice alongside Adam Nicholas, working intensely with the group while they prepared prospects for their on-ice workload. After that session, Hutson reportedly stayed around to watch the organization’s future on the ice and to deliver a presentation to rookies, blending the practical grind of training with leadership and education.

Montreal’s offseason attention is not confined to one city, either. The report notes that players do not have to be based in Montreal to stay in game-shape, and it cites the appearance of Juraj Slafkovsky training in his native Slovakia alongside Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak on social media. Even without a formal team session, the underlying theme is the same, building habits with a consistent training partner pool and keeping the body accustomed to skating and conditioning.

The training emphasis extends to the Canadiens’ goaltending group. Newly re-signed goaltender Jakub Dobes is described as speaking to the media from his summer home in St. Louis, with a plan to keep training there for roughly three to four weeks before returning to Montreal to continue preparing for the next phase of the season. For teams still shaping depth and competition behind their expected starters, consistent offseason goaltending work is often the difference between early-season rust and readiness for a new structure.

Montreal’s summer agenda also includes additional team-adjacent hockey beyond the traditional development camp setting. The reporting says Alex Carrier, Jake Evans, and Zach Bolduc signed up to play in the three-on-three Living Sisu hockey league starting July 7 at Hockey Etcetera. The move reflects a broader NHL pattern, using shorter-format games to sharpen skating, puck decision-making, and quick-hit transitions, even when the regular season is still weeks away.