Canadiens' Ivan Demidov finds himself in legal trouble as judge makes key ruling
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Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov could lose his Québec licence until January after two speeding tickets, but a judge just let him keep driving for now.
Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov could lose his Québec driver's licence until January, according to Camille Payant of the Journal de Montréal.
Two speeding tickets in a matter of months put his licence in danger, though he's allowed to keep driving for now.
How the points add up
Demidov holds a probationary licence, which only allows four demerit points.
A ticket in February for going 145 km/h on Highway 40 in Trois-Rivières during the Olympic break cost him three of them, leaving just one.
Then came a summer ticket for allegedly doing 111 km/h in a 70 zone on the Bonaventure Expressway.
That one carried three more points, which is two more than he had left.
The July ticket is where it gets messy.
Demidov says he wasn't going that fast, and after talking with the officer he believed his licence was safe.
The Canadiens' director of player security, Mitch Janhevich, paid the $328 fine online, which has since been called a mistake.
Since an earlier payment caused no visible trouble, it was handled as routine paperwork.
Last Friday, a lawyer went to a Montreal courthouse and asked a judge to undo that payment, since paying amounts to pleading guilty.
The judge allowed the guilty plea to be withdrawn.
What happens next
Demidov can keep driving until Montreal's municipal court reaches a verdict.
If he's found guilty, he'd be out of points and the suspension would last until January.
Nothing is settled yet.
It's an awkward storyline for a 20-year-old who played a major role in Montreal's strong season, as the Canadiens finished sixth overall in the NHL.
Nobody wants a key forward dealing with court dates and a possible ban on driving while the new season gets going.
Habs fans will definitely be watching this one very closely.
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