Author: Gary Laws

Jan152010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Martins Karsums assigned to HC MVD of the KHL

Martins Karsums assigned to HC MVD of the KHL (Photo © AP Photo) Latvian right wing Martins Karsums has been assigned by the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL to KHL's HC MVD. Karsums, 23, has been waived by the Lightnings five days ago. The Riga, Latvia, native started the season in the AHL with the Lightning's affiliate, Norfolk Admirals, and scored four goals and sixteen points in thirty-six regular season matches. He has a total of 24 NHL games under his belt, six of them played with the Boston Bruins, the rest with Tampa Bay, scoring a total six points. He will play now under Olympic Team Latvia's head coach Olegs Znaroks, which has called him for the upcoming 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Jan132010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Nikolay Lemtyugov traded to Ak Bars Kazan

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Nikolay Lemtyugov traded to Ak Bars Kazan (Photo © Hccska.ru) St. Louis Blues' Russian prospect Nikolay Lemtyugov has been traded from Severstal Cherepovets to Ak Bars Kazan. The former Peoria Rivermen's player has been sent to Severstal for the quick winger Evgeny Ketov, who disappointed in Kazan after being brought there from Lada Togliatti. Nikolay Lemtyugov scored this year nine goals and twenty-three points in 39 regular season matches, being -1 and gettin an average ice time of about fifteen minutes a game. Just a week ago Ak Bars got Hannes Hyvonen from Dynamo Minsk.

Jan132010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Sergei Gonchar: “Would like to be paired with Andrei Markov at Olympics”

Russian National Hockey Team News

Sergei Gonchar: "Would like to be paired with Andrei Markov at Olympics" (Photo © Getty Images) Russian defenceman Sergei Gonchar of the Pittsburgh Penguins, whose inclusion in Russia's Olympics roster came as no surprise, talked about playing on one line with Andrei Markov of the Canadiens at the Olympics in Vancouver, main rivals of Team Russia, compared the Stanley Cup and the Olympic Games and said that he expected European referees to give more penalties. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of Gonchar's interview to Alexander Chekhov of Sport-Express. Q. What do you expect from the Olympic Games in Vancouver? Gonchar: "Just have a look at our roster and you will see what I expect. We have a great team and there is no other aim except the gold medals." Who would you like to ...

Jan132010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Ovechkin drops the gloves, Bradley fights instead

Russian Players In NHL

Ovechkin drops the gloves, Bradley fights instead (Photo © AP Photo) Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin was really close to battle in another NHL fight, but Matt Bradley stole him the scene and fought instead of him during the third period of the Tuesday's match between the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The first brawl was started by Stewe Downie after a clean hit by Ovechkin, but it was quickly stopped by the refs, who gave the two players a minor penalty. When they got out of the penalty box Ovechkin was ready to go as he dropped the gloves and the helmet too, but when he and Downie were approaching each other, Matt Bradley intervened and started fighting Downie himself, not allowing his captain to fight. "I didn't see him actually," said Ovechkin after the match to ...

Jan122010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Semin: “In a year I’ll be a free agent, have more opportunities”

Russian Players In NHL

Alexander Semin: "In a year I'll be a free agent, have more opportunities" (Photo © Bill Wippert/Getty Images) Right on Christmas time the Washington Capitals extended Alexander Semin's contract for one more year, with sources from TSN claiming that it was worth around six million dollars. Semin's contract will now run out in June 2011. This was the main topic of an interview that Alexander gave to Slava Malamud of Sport Express. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation. Semin: "For now I'm satisfied with the conditions of my contract. My agent and I considered other variants but we decided that 1 year is an optimal variant." Why? Semin: "Just because. I'm going to play in Washington for this last year and then think things over. I will have more opportunities as I will be a free age...

Jan122010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

KHL player to carry Russian flag at Olympics opening ceremony

Russian National Hockey Team News

KHL player to carry Russian flag at Olympics opening ceremony (Photo © vancouver2010.com) The Vice President of the Russian Olympic Committee, Vladimir Vasin in an interview to Russian newspaper Sovetskiy Sport claimed that a KHL player will most likely carry the Russian flag at the Vancouver Olympics' opening ceremony. Vasin: "The opening ceremony will take place on the 12th of February. Our hockey players will arrive in Vancouver one day before and will play only on the 16th, so it is quite logical to choose the standard-bearer from the hockey players. This player will be from the KHL." Q. Maybe you should choose Sergei Fedorov, the most experienced player? Vasin: "Why not." 9 out of 23 players in the Russian Team will represent the KHL, they are: defencemen Ilya Nikulin, Dmitriy Kalinin...

Jan112010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Avangard and Vityaz get 840 PIMs, set new world record

KHL News and Interviews

Avangard and Vityaz get 840 PIMs, set new world record (Photo © khl.ru) The participants of the Saturday's bench-clearing brawl in the KHL, Jaromir Jagr's Avangard Omsk and Vityaz Chekhov, set a new world hockey record getting 840 PIMs. The KHL disciplinary committee met on Sunday to spend 7 hours studying the incident. As a result, the total number of PIMs was increased from 691 to 840 minutes. Six Vityaz and one Avangard player were suspended for one game. Both teams got fined for the total of $133,000. Vityaz was warned that in case of a similar situation happening in future the team will get excluded from the KHL. According to Russian newspaper Sport-Express the teams were awarded with enormous 840 PIMs. Vityaz got 421 minutes, Avangard -- 419. The teams surpassed the record set by NHL...

Jan102010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Jaromir Jagr: “I’ve never seen a fight like this before”

KHL News and Interviews

Jaromir Jagr: "I've never seen a fight like this before" (Photo © khl.ru) Jaromir Jagr, playing for Avangard Omsk of the KHL, spoke about the yesterday's massive brawl in the game against Vityaz Chekhov. The game was canceled because there was not enough players to continue the match as the lion's share of them got game misconducts. Jagr himself fought against Darcy Verot. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of this Jagr interview to Sovsport.ru. Jagr: "I've never seen anything like this before. I have never even heard of such situations. And of course it never happened in the NHL when I was playing there. It just couldn't happen. Why not? Jagr: "The rules. If players fight during the warm-up or jump from the bench to the ice during a fight they can get suspended...

Jan92010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

KHL game cancelled after bench-clearing fight, teams get 691 PIM

KHL News and Interviews

KHL game cancelled after bench-clearing fight, teams get 691 PIM (Photo © khl.ru) A Saturday game between Vityaz Chekhov and Avangard Omsk in the KHL didn't last any longer than 3 minutes and 39 seconds. It was postponed after a massive brawl because there was not enough players to continue the game. Teams got 691 PIM (Update: KHL increased it to 840), which look like a record in hockey history. Just seconds after the game started Brandon Sugden, former AHL tough guy who recently joined Vityaz to replace Chris Simon, jumped on Alexander Svitov. Other players present on the ice started fighting too, among them was a former NHL star Jaromir Jagr who fought Darcy Verot. Here is an interview with Jagr on this fight. After the first wave of fighting was gone the second wave came bringing a benc...

Jan92010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Avtsin: “I could have been useful at the WJC”

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Alexander Avtsin: "I could have been useful at the WJC" (Photo © RIA Novosti/Ilya Pitalev) Habs' prospect Alexander Avtsin was surprisingly left off the Russian WJC squad and in this interview appeared on Sports.ru he discussed the WJC outcome, tried examinating the reasons of his exclusion from the team and admitted that he could have been useful for the Russians. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of the interview with Avtsin. On the morning of January 3rd, Team Russia's fans were shocked as the national junior team just lost to Team Switzerland. Who did tell you about this result? Avtsin: "We were on our way to Khabarovsk when my mom texted me about the result. We were landing and I read her messages." Did this upset you a lot? Avtsin: (Pause) "Of course this upset me, it ca...