And now their youngest player, Ivan Demidov, has been recognized as NHL Rookie of the Month for December, the league announced Thursday.
Montreal has the best record of any Canadian team and also has the youngest average age of any team in the league.
The 20-year-old winger led all rookies with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in the month. Demidov also led all rookies in assists and even-strength points.
Only three Canadiens rookies have recorded more points in a single calendar month in the last century: Michael Ryder (16, in January 2004), Cole Caufield (15, in March 2022) and Lane Hutson (15, in March 2025).
Hutson took home the Calder Trophy for the NHL’s top rookie last season and won Rookie of the Month in both December and March of that year.
Demidov, the fifth-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, leads all rookies this season with 33 points (10 goals, 23 assists) in 39 games.
