Author: Gary Laws

Dec42009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

NHL » Coyotes want Tikhonov back, he refuses

Coyotes want Tikhonov back, he refuses (Photo © AP Photo, Fred Chartrand) Viktor Tikhonov's father, Vasiliy, gave an interview to a Russian newspaper Sport-Express where he stated that the Coyotes want Tikhonov to come back to the North America. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation. - Were there any problems with the Coyotes when Viktor decided to leave for the KHL? - Yes. In Viktor's contract with the Coyotes there is a clause saying that he can return to Russia if he gets sent to the AHL. We used this clause and now he is going to play for Severstal of the KHL on a loan basis. But recently we have been contacted by the Coyotes, they want Viktor to return to the North America*. They say he has a contract. - Is he going to return? - No. We want him to play in the new Russian leag...

Dec42009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

SKA to offer Kovalchuk a contract?

Russian Players In NHL

SKA to offer Kovalchuk a contract? (Photo © AFP) Alexander Medvedev, the president of SKA St. Petersburg and the KHL, in an interview with Russian newspaper Sport-Express stated that SKA is going to offer Ilya Kovalchuk a contract. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of this brief interview. - We do have an interest in Kovalchuk. We know that the Thrashers are going to offer him the maximum salary within the limits of the salary cap. But there are differences between the tax systems in the USA and Russia so our offer can turn out to be better. It's up to Kovalchuk to decide where to continue his career. - Have you talked with Kovalchuk already? - We're talking!

Dec32009 by Gary Laws1 Comment

KHL » Nikita Filatov: “Returning to Russia was my idea”

KHL News and Interviews

Nikita Filatov: "Returning to Russia was my idea" (Photo © Associated Press) Nikita Filatov had an interview with eurosport.ru website in which he talked about his return, his opinion about his path towards the NHL and about his future. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of the most interesting questions and answers. - How do you feel after the fly through ocean and within Russia? - Well, not bad. I’m adapting gradually. They say that the hardest thing is fly towards East. I landed from America and then at once even farer: Chelyabinsk, Ekaterinburg, Magnitogorsk. I was in Moscow for the last time on September 8th. - Was it hard getting to the games? - Nothing special. I knew all the guys and it helped me. When I met the team I wasn’t familiar only with a couple of guys. It was ...

Dec32009 by Gary Laws2 Comments

KHL » Sergei Zubov: “NHL and KHL are almost the same”

KHL News and Interviews

Sergei Zubov: "NHL and KHL are almost the same" (Photo © khl.ru) Former NHL defenceman Sergei Zubov, currently playing for SKA St. Petersburgh of the KHL, answered to fans' questions on Russian site sportbox.ru. He talked about his moving from Dallas to St. Petersburg, differences between NHL and KHL, what would his dream team look like and his chances to play on the Olympics in Vancouver. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of the most interesting questions and answers. - You returned to Russia after living in America for so many years. Do you see any changes here? - Not many. Of course such cities as Moscow or St. Petersburg have improved a lot. But that's just superficial changes, a lot remains the same. - Why did you move from the Dallas Stars to SKA? - My contract with Dall...

Dec22009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Igor Zakharkin: “Starting goalie will be known only in February”

Russian National Hockey Team News

Igor Zakharkin: "Starting goalie will be known only in February" (Photo © Sportdaily.ru) After stating that the Olympic starter should be Evgeny Nabokov, team Russia assistant coach Igor Zakharkin makes an u-turn and says that the first goalie will be known in February only. Russian Hockey Fans offers you a translation of an interview with Sovietskiy Sport interview in with Zakharkin speaks about goalies' chances and about Ovechkin's need not to change his style. - The other morning i turned on the computer and I got shocked when I read the news about Ovechkin's injury. We are already thinking seriously about the Olympics. At any moment an injury can arrive. I don't know which diagnosis Sasha got, but you can't joke with knees. This is already Ovechkin's second injury of the season. I unde...

Dec22009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Extended WJC roster for Team Russia released

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Extended WJC roster for Team Russia released (Photo © Shaun Best/Reuters) Today coach Vladimir Plyuschev released the extended list of the players called for the WJC. Nikita Filatov is there, as well as Evgeny Grachev, who recently has been ruled out by the Rangers. isn't part of the roster. The team will start the training camp in Novogorsk on December 7th and will go on until December 18th. This is how the roster appears to be: Goalkeepers Igor Bobkov, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, 1992 Alexander Zalivin, Dinamo Moscow, 1991 Ramis Sadikov, Erie Otters, OHL, 1991 Alexei Trifonov, Lada Togliatti, 1990 Defensemen Anton Klementyev, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 1990 Dmitri Orlov, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, 1991 Maxim Chudinov, Severstal Cherepovets, 1990 Dmitri Kostromitin, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL, 1...

Dec22009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Olympics » Igor Zakharkin: “Evgeny Nabokov should be the Olympics’ starter”

Russian National Hockey Team News

Igor Zakharkin: "Evgeny Nabokov should be the Olympics' starter" (Photo © Associated Press) In this interview with Sovietskiy Sport, Team Russia's assistant coach Igor Zakharkin stated that Evgeny Nabokov will most likely be the starting goalkeeper in Vancouver. He also indicated that they plan to reunite the famous ZZM (Zaripov, Zinoviev, Morozov) line. - Did you have talks with Evgeny Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov? Did you talk with Evgeny Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov? Who of them will have to be a backup goalie and resign himself to this decision? - There can't be two first goalies in a game and there is no doubt that Evgeny Nabokov should be the starter. He's a great goalkeeper with undeniable qualities. He excellently commands the defense. He’s a player with a winning soul who can turn up...

Dec22009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Prospects » Rangers won’t let Evgeny Grachev go to WJC

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Rangers won't let Evgeny Grachev go to WJC (Photo © Getty Images) The New York Rangers refuse to allow Evgeny Grachev, currently playing for their AHL team Hartford Wolf Pack, to participate in the upcoming World Junior Championship in Saskatoon, says the official Russian Hockey Federation site. Yesterday the Rangers sent a fax to RHF where they say that Grachev can't go the WJC because he is expected to play in official games during the time the championship will take place. Russian Hockey Federation plans to appeal to the IIHF for explanation.

Dec12009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

KHL » KHL launches All-Star Game web site and opens fan voting

KHL News and Interviews

KHL launches All-Star Game web site and opens fan voting (Photo © khlallstar.ru) KHL announced an opening of the All-Star Game website, also available in English, where fans can select the starting lineups. The Press Release: The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) today launched www.khlallstar.ru, the official Web site for the 2010 KHL All-Star Game. This new site, available in English by clicking on “English” above the main KHL All-Star Game logo on the front page, features all relevant news and information for the League’s second All-Star Game, scheduled for Saturday, January 30, 2010, in Minsk, Belarus. Visitors to the site will find a wide variety of content, including news and ticket details, schedule information on the planned hockey festival that will be held in conjunction with the K...

Dec12009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Ovechkin talks to media about knee injury

Russian Players In NHL

Alexander Ovechkin talks to media about knee injury (Photo © AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Alexander Ovechkin talked to media about his knee injury after skating for 4 minutes in today's practice before leaving the ice. It's not a bad injury. I thought it was going to be worse, but thank God I can walk, I can skate. Of course, it's a little bit sore, but it's not that serious. I can do nothing about it. It's just a moment of the game. I turned and realize I don't have time to stop. Why do I have to listen to somebody who say, 'Hey, you have to change your game, and somebody going to kill you'. Well, nobody going to kill me. I just play my game and I just enjoy my time and I enjoy my life. It's me, and it is what it is.