- Ivan Demidov is fighting to keep his Quebec driver’s license after two speeding tickets
- A judge allowed him to withdraw a guilty plea, so he keeps the license until a municipal court ruling
- Read below for the details on the 145 km/h ticket and the July ticket that put him in jeopardy
Ivan Demidov could lose his driver’s license in Quebec.
The Canadiens winger has two speeding tickets on his record, and his lawyer is in court trying to keep the license alive, Journal de Montréal reporter Camille Payant reported Wednesday.
Demidov holds a probationary license, which starts with four demerit points. The first ticket came during the Olympic break, when he was clocked at 145 km/h on the highway toward Trois-Rivières. That cost him three points and left him with one.
The second ticket is dated July 21, for 111 km/h in a 70 zone. Demidov maintains he wasn’t going that fast. Another three points off a license with one left is the problem.
Canadiens player security director Mitch Janhevich paid the July fine on Demidov’s behalf. Janhevich explained in the court request that the first ticket had no visible effect on Demidov’s license, so he treated the July one as a simple administrative formality. Demidov had also understood from his exchange with the officer that he wasn’t losing his license.
Paying the fine amounted to a guilty plea. Attorney Alfredo Munoz appeared Friday before Superior Court Justice Éliane Perreault and asked her to cancel it.
The withdrawal of the plea has been authorized. That means Demidov can keep his license until Montreal’s municipal court reaches a verdict.
Here’s the Gino Hard post on the story:
A guilty verdict would cost him the license until January, since he would have no demerit points left.
Demidov is also sidelined right now. He was already out two to four weeks with a lower-body injury, which has given him time to deal with the court dates.
His case heads to municipal court next, with the license on the line.
