Author: Gary Laws

Dec232009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

David Ling: “KHL is in between AHL and NHL”

David Ling: "KHL is in between AHL and NHL" (Photo © hcamur.ru) During an interview with Nova Scotia newspaper The Chronicle Herald, Canadian player David Ling, who's playing for Amur Khabarovsk, was asked about the difference in the level between NHL and KHL. Ling: "[The KHL] is in between the AHL and NHL. Many good players, though. Just a different game." He also stressed the difficulties of playing on a team whose nearest competitor is more than 3,000 kilometers away. Ling: "The travel is crazy where I am. The closest team is a six-hour flight. It feels like we are always on the road, even when at home, because we’re battling jet lag. It’s hardest being away from family. They are most important to me. It’s lonely here. I am either at the rink or at my apartment." David Ling is curre...

Dec232009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

KHL Marketing vice president: “CHL lacked professionalism”

KHL News and Interviews

KHL Marketing vice president: "CHL lacked professionalism" (Photo © IIHF) On November 25th, the official KHL-TV program "Ledoviy Kontinent" examined the reasons behind Champions Hockey League's failure through an interview to KHL Marketing department vice-president Ilya Kochevrin, who claimed that the main problem was the lack of professionalism. He also stated that he still hopes to work on a joint solution with the IIHF to resurrect the competition. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation: Dmitri Derunets: We are now going to talk about the Champions’ league prospects. What’s your opinion about the project? Ilya Kochevrin: This is a complicated question. There is a part of the question which is prerogative of KHL president, but as one of the persons who contributed to the CHL’s fi...

Dec222009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Mikhail Fisenko added to WJC roster

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Mikhail Fisenko added to WJC roster (Photo © Vancouver Giants) 19 years old center Mikhail Fisenko has been added today to the World Junior Championships Team Russia roster. The native of Magnitogorsk, Russia, grabbed a silver medal at the 2008 Under-18 WJC held in Russia, and the following summer moved to the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, where he scored 28 points in his first season. This year, after moving to the Calgary Hitmen, the two-way center added three goals and twelve assists in 24 matches, with 19 PIMs. Fisenko, who is undrafted in the NHL, is probably going to be played as third line center.

Dec212009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Pechursky to join Tri-City Americans

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Alexander Pechursky to join Tri-City Americans (Photo © fhr.ru) 19 years old Alexander Pechursky decided to report to North America as he's going to play for the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League, according to allhockey.ru. Pechursky has been drafted by the US team in this spring's Import Draft with the 55th overall pick. Let's remember that Pechursky has been drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the fifth round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Pechursky, who won a gold medal at the 2007 Under 18 WJC, has played only one match with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL this year, and had a short stint in the MHL. Recently the club signed national team goalie Vasiliy Koshechkin and thus he lost his backup role. On top of that he'll represent Russia at the upcoming World Junior Ch...

Dec192009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Prospects » Alexander Burmistrov: “This time Russia will win the Gold”

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Alexander Burmistrov: "This time Russia will win the Gold" (Photo © Terry Wilson/OHL Images) Blue-chip prospect Alexander Burmistrov, in this interview with Andrei Osadchenko of allhockey.ru talks about his experience in the OHL, analyzes his chances in the upcoming WJC and tries to anticipate the tournament's outcome. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation: Q. Recently many talks were about the fact that some guys weren't released for the WJC. Did you have any talk with the Barrie Colts? Burmistrov: "I didn't have a single problem. They were willing to release me already on December 5th to join the camp in Novogorsk and they even bought me the ticket and all was set, but then, three days to the depart, the CHL unexpectedly took the decision not to release me. Did this affect your ...

Dec192009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Vyacheslav Bykov: “Yashin lacks the energy we want”

Russian National Hockey Team News

Vyacheslav Bykov: "Yashin lacks the energy we want" (Photo © khl.ru) Team Russia head coach Vyacheslav Bykov in an interview to Sport-Express explained why he didn't invite Alexei Yashin to the national team. Bykov: "Why didn't we include Yashin in our Olympics' candidate list? We need different energy from the one he displayed in the Eurotour, where he disappointed us. We have no conflicts with Alexei. I know that it made him feel bad but that's life." Most likely Yashin won't play at the Olympics in Vancouver. Translated by RussianHockeyFans.com

Dec192009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Ilya Kovalchuk: “Olympics more important than Stanley Cup”

Russian Players In NHL

Ilya Kovalchuk: "Olympics more important than Stanley Cup" (Photo © Elsa/Getty Images) Russian forward Ilya Kovalchuk gave an interview to Russian site sportbox.ru where he talked about the Olympics in Vancouver. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation. Q. How often do you think about the Olympic Games in Vancouver? Kovalchuk: "Pretty often, but right now I'm focused on playing for the Thrashers. We got into a functional slump and now have to get out of it as soon as possible." Do you agree that Russia has the best attack and Canada has the best defence? And what do you expect from the Russia-Canada game? Kovalchuk: "Let's wait until February when we face Canada, if we face them at all. I don't think that Canada has the best defence, I'd rather say their defencmen are the most toute...

Dec172009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Prospects » Team Russia WJC roster released

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Team Russia WJC roster released (Photo © Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images) The roster for the World Junior Championships has been released today by head coach Vladimir Plyuschev and Russian Hockey Federation. Just as usual it looks like that the team's strongest area will be the offensive front, with many high quality forwards. The defense looks a bit thin and there isn't a clear starting goaltender. The team's leader will be Nikita Filatov. This is how the roster appears to be: Goalkeepers Igor Bobkov, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, 1991 Alexander Pechursky, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, 1990 Ramis Sadikov, Erie Otters, OHL, 1991 Defensemen Dmitri Orlov, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, 1991 Maxim Chudinov, Severstal Cherepovets, 1990 Dmitri Kostromitin, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL, 1990 Nikita Zaitsev, Sibir No...

Dec172009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Avtsin: From Vympel to Montreal

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Alexander Avtsin: From Vympel to Montreal (Photo © Bernard Brault, La Presse) RussianHockeyFans.com offers you the translation of an article about Alexander Avtsin published on Russian site Sport day by day by Roman Sergeev. The story sheds some light over Alexander's biography and also contains quotes from Alexander himself, his agent and his coaches. It’s not the first time that this week’s top KHL rookie, Dynamo Moscow player Alexander Avtsin didn’t get a chance to play for Vladimir Plyuschev’s national team. He thus directed his anger to his hometown club as this week he scored two goals and one assist, being picked up as first star in both matches. Avtsin’s career began in Moscow’s district of Perovo, in the central-eastern part of the city, where he used to play for the local team “V...

Dec172009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Team Russia » Vyacheslav Bykov: “Olympic silver would be a failure”

Russian National Hockey Team News

Vyacheslav Bykov: "Olympic silver would be a failure" (Photo © Sports.ru) Team Russia head coach Vyacheslav Bykov had an interview with Sport-Express in which he discussed many things about the Olympics and the Russian national team. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of the most important parts: - I think that among the top teams only Finland has little pressure. The Americans will try hard to show that they aren't inferior to Canada and thus they'll do all the possible to disappoint their neighbors. Pressure on the Canadians is heavy, since they play at home and they got to the last two WC finals. It's heavy also on Sweden, because they the reigning Olympic champions. Czech Repubblic will have to deal with pressure too, they didn't manage to repeat their Nagano triumph and p...