Ivan Demidov, who is expected to be one of the top ten prospects in the next National Hockey League draft, played a convincing game against SKA-1946 Saint Petersburg on Wednesday in the Molodiojnaïa Hokkeïnaïa Liga (MHL).
In his team's 12-0 win over Amurskie Tigry, Demidov found the net five times, including his hat trick in the first nine minutes of the game.
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During his successes, the 18-year-old winger showed all his creativity and above-average shooting ability, especially in the third period, when he taunted an opposing defender with a great feint before sending the puck upfield with a backhand throw.
This season, Demidov has 20 goals and 25 assists for 45 points in 23 games. For comparison, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov had 43 points in as many MHL games the season after he was drafted in 2011.