Apr 26, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes (75) looks on against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Apr 26, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes (75) looks on against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Young stars took center stage as the NHL announced its 2025-26 All-Rookie Team, with the Montreal Canadiens leading the way with two selections.
On Friday, June 12, the selections for the 2025-26 NHL All-Rookie Team were confirmed by the National Hockey League. Only the Canadiens had more than one of their players among the six names, including forward Ivan Demidov and goaltender Jakub Dobes.
Apart from Demidov and Dobes from the Canadiens, the All-Rookie Team had Calder Memorial Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders and fellow defenseman Alexander Nikishin of the Carolina Hurricanes. Forwards Beckett Sennecke of the Anaheim Ducks and Jimmy Snuggerud of the St. Louis Blues also got featured in it.
“Announcing the 2025-26 NHL All-Rookie Team!” wrote the NHL in a post on their official X account. The voting took place after the conclusion of the 2025-26 regular season last month, with the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) conducting it.
Notably, the Canadiens finished third in the Atlantic Division in the 2025-26 regular season (48-24-10 for 106 points) with key contributions from Demidov and Dobes. They also played a big role in taking them to the Eastern Conference Final after beating the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres in seven games each.
The postseason for these two youngsters and the Canadiens ended with a loss in five games in the East Final at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Montreal had actually won Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoff Series 6-2 with a goal from Demidov and 25 saves in front of the net from Dobes.
How did Ivan Demidov and Jakub Dobes Fare in the 2025-26 NHL season?
As far as Ivan Demidov was concerned, the No. 5 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft from the Montreal Canadiens scored 62 points (19G / 43A) in 82 games. He got the most points (62), assists (43), power play points (20), power play assists (13), and multi-point games (14) among all the rookies in the 2025-26 NHL season.
In the 19 Stanley Cup Playoff games for Montreal, Demidov registered nine points (3G / 6A) to his name.
While the postseason performances don’t count for the NHL All-Rookie Team selections, it gives a clear indication of the player’s capabilities in big moments.
Jakub Dobes, who joined the Canadiens as the No. 136 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, secured 29 wins in his second season with them after 43 games. He was ahead of the next best rookie goaltender on the list by eight more wins for the 2025-26 season.
With a 29-10-4 record, his save percentage was very impressive at .901 after making 1,187 save attempts, to find himself in fifth place among all goaltenders. He also conceded goals at an average of 2.78 per game, putting him in third place on the list.
Dobes ended up playing in 19 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026, winning nine and losing 10 of them. After making 564 save attempts, his save percentage of .908 and goals conceded at an average of 2.66 per game were quite incredible for the playoff stage.
Will Ivan Demidov and Jakub Dobes continue to deliver stellar performances for the Montreal Canadiens in the coming NHL seasons? Tell us your opinion in the comments.
Written by
Arjun Sharma
Edited by
Ankita Yadav