Photo credit: All Montreal Hockey
Alexander Zharovsky just added another trophy to his dream KHL season.
The 18-year-old right winger for Salavat Yulayev Ufa has just been named Rookie of the Month for November in the KHL, thanks to a haul of 15 points in 15 games, including 5 goals and 10 assists, with a +3 differential.Across his entire start to the season, Zharovsky already shows 20 points in 24 games, with 8 goals and 12 assists. This pace has placed him among the best season starts for an 18-year-old in KHL history, right behind Eeli Tolvanen’s 16-points-in-13-games streak in 2017-2018.
In the category of players under 20, he remains at the top of the scoring race, sitting second behind Nashville Predators prospect Yegor Surin, who has played more games than he has. In short, Zharovsky is producing, and he is doing it quickly against men, in one of the best leagues in the world.
Alexander Zharovsky changes the game in Russia
Recall that the Canadiens traded up in the 2025 Draft to select him 34th overall, after a 50-point season in 45 games in the MHL with Tolpar Ufa, a performance that earned him the title of top rookie in the KHL junior circuit.
At 6’1″ and about 163 lb, he is still in full physical development. Before this Rookie of the Month title, Zharovsky had already been named Rookie of the Week in the KHL, a sign that his rise has been underway for some time.
He also started his season by winning the KHL 3-on-3 Cup with Ufa, a way to get on the radar immediately. When you rack up a summer trophy, Rookie of the Week, then Rookie of the Month, it is no longer a coincidence.
In Montreal, the storyline is well known: last year, it was Ivan Demidov who captured a Rookie of the Month title in the KHL with SKA Saint Petersburg before coming over and making noise at the Bell Centre. Seeing another Canadiens prospect follow a similar trajectory in the same league sends a clear message to the rest of the NHL.
For now, the official plan remains to let Zharovsky continue his development in Russia, even though Salavat Yulayev has already opened the door to a move to Montreal at the end of the season in certain scenarios.
One thing is certain: with a career start like this, Canadiens fans can already dream of the day when Zharovsky and Demidov will be speaking Russian… and goals… at the Bell Centre.
Previously on All Montreal Hockey