Drew O'Connor is set to make franchise history on Monday when the Vancouver Canucks take on the San Jose Sharks. Barring any last-minute lineup changes, the 26-year-old will become the first player in Canucks history to play over 82 games in an 82-game season. O'Connor is on pace to finish 2024-25 with 84 games played and is one of less than ten players who have a chance to play over 82 games this season.

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The reason O'Connor has this opportunity is because of the timing of his trade to Vancouver. When he was dealt from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Canucks, O'Connor had already played 53 games this season. Flash forward to today, and he has suited up for 29 games with Vancouver, which equals out to 82 games, despite the Canucks having only completed 80.

It is important to note that there are players in franchise history that have played either 83 or 84 games in a season. The difference is that the seven previous times it has happened were during 84 games seasons. Yes, the NHL had 84-game seasons at one point, with the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons being the only two to eclipse the 82-games played mark.

While playing over 82 games in a season is not uncommon in the NHL, it has never happened in Vancouver. According to the NHL's stat page, no Canucks player has finished the season with over 82 games in an 82-game season. In the end, it is a unique first in Vancouver's history as O'Connor will now become the answer to a Canucks-related trivia question.

Vancouver wraps up their season series with the Sharks on Monday night. The Canucks are 3-0 against their Pacific Division rivals, and will have their eyes on the season sweep. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT from Rogers Arena.

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On Saturday’s Barn Burner podcast, NHL insider Darren Dreger criticized the fact that a livestream was made of Ivan Demidov’s arrival at Toronto Pearson’s airport on Thursday night. If you didn’t see it, there was live footage of Montreal Canadiens’ prospect’s arrival on Canadian soil on BPM Sports and Sick Podcast broadcaster Tony Marinaro’s X account. The post generated nearly 800,000 impressions and was very popular with Habs fans.

Ivan Demidov has arrived in Canada! Took the side route to avoid the commotion.#gohabsgo#thesickpodcastpic.twitter.com/lMlhCy6x3G

— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) April 11, 2025

Granted, filming a 19-year-old’s arrival at the airport is a bit intense, but this fan base is intense. This fan base wants to see everything related to their team, and why shouldn’t it be given to them? Every year, the Canadiens are one of the biggest money-makers for the NHL, and that’s down to one thing: their passionate fanbase.

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The fact that so many people watched the stream is proof that it was a good idea. In the end, media members need to adapt to the times they live in. Last week, there was also talk that the excitement for Demidov was too intense and that it was even higher than when Guy Lafleur and Jean Beliveau joined the team.

Today, fans are more informed; they know what’s coming. Thanks to social media, we had a regular source of highlights from the KHL all season long. Every time Demidov made a great play, everyone saw the footage. Back when Jean Beliveau and Guy Lafleur were coming up the junior ranks, there was no social media, and their games weren’t broadcast on TV.

For the most recent generation of Habs fans that has been starved for offensive stars for years, Demidov looks like one of the missing pieces to bring the once offensively powerful Canadiens franchise back in the fold of the offensive juggernauts. Of course, they loved seeing Carey Price make save after save and keep them in games, but you need to score goals to win hockey games and eventually hoist the Stanley Cup. These young fans didn’t see the 1970s dynasty, which had fantastic goaltending with Ken Dryden, defending with the big three (Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe, and Larry Robinson), and attacking (Guy Lafleur, Yvan Cournoyer, and Steve Shutt to name a few).

Ivan Demidov is going to make an immediate impact in Montreal pic.twitter.com/gaOl8wOI16

— World Hockey Report (@worldhockeyrpt) April 8, 2025

Will it be too much pressure for the youngster? Some argue it will be, but I don’t think so. The way players are drafted these days after interviews designed to assess, among other things, their suitability for the market they would be going to, I’m convinced the Canadiens picked a player with the tools necessary to cope with both the pressure and the scrutiny Demidov will have to deal with.

He didn’t look scared or shocked when he saw the crowd at the airport; he smiled and waved, taking it all in stride. On Monday morning, Montreal woke up to find 93 “Ivan Demidov Is there for the Canadiens” signs on lampposts throughout the city, a fantastic marketing initiative from Warrior that is sure to make the fans even more excited. Let them enjoy it; they waited long enough.

Coup de génie marketing de la part de Warrior Hockey : la compagnie vient de s'associer à Ivan Demidov... et a installé une centaine de pancartes "électorales" pour en faire l'annonce.

En voici 2 aperçues sur l'Île de Montréal 👇 pic.twitter.com/enOddQBNQm

— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) April 14, 2025

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