Author: Gary Laws

Dec12009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Bruce Boudreau: “It is hard to tell Ovechkin to change”

Bruce Boudreau: "It is hard to tell Ovechkin to change" (Photo © REUTERS/Joe Giza) The Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau says that it is hard to tell Ovechkin to change the way he plays, reports Corey Masisak of The Washington Times in his twitter. He's pretty reckless. It is hard telling a guy who scores 60 goals a year to change the way he plays. At the same time, you don't want to see him getting hurt. Maybe he needs to pick his spots a little better. I just don't want him to put himself in harm's way. I don't think anything being said will change the way he plays. I don't think there is a malicious bone of him trying to hurt anybody. He just plays hard and he plays to win every shift. It is a really fine line between taking that away from him and I don't see how you can take it...

Dec12009 by Gary Laws1 Comment

NHL » Alexander Ovechkin skates after knee injury, expected day-to-day

Russian Players In NHL

Alexander Ovechkin skates after knee injury, expected day-to-day (Photo © The Canadian Press) Alexander Ovechkin, who got injured in Monday's game after going knee-on-knee with Tim Gleason, skated on ice for about four minutes during today's practice, reports Corey Masisak of The Washington Times in his twitter. Alex Ovechkin is on the ice right now, but not in full equipment -- just gloves, stick and skates. Well, Alex Ovechkin's time on the ice this morning last about four minutes. He did bend his knee a few times, but not much. More from The Washington Times: Alex Ovechkin was on the ice this morning for about four minuntes in a track suit, gloves and skates. He had a stick with him and whacked at a couple of pucks, but it was a very light skate. At first, Ovechkin was skating with...

Dec12009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Ovechkin injured after his own hit

Russian Players In NHL

Alexander Ovechkin injured after his own hit (Photo © Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) Alexander Ovechkin was helped off the ice after his own hit on Tim Gleason. Erik El-Bashir of the Washington Post is reporting that Ovechkin was walking after the game. I caught up to Alex Ovechkin before he boarded the team bus following tonight's 3-2 win in Raleigh, but the star winger would only say "no comment" when I inquired about his knee and the first period hit that resulted in his ejection. I did, however, get to observe him walking. He had a slight limp, but he did not appear to be wearing a brace and was not using crutches. Here is the video of the hit:

Nov302009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Denis Bodrov leaves Atlant

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Denis Bodrov leaves Atlant (Photo © atlant-mo.ru) Through Atlant's official site, the team's General Manager Ravil Ishakov reported that the contract with Denis Bodrov is ceased with immediate effect. The parts mutually agreed to separate ways. Bodrov joined Atlant last season, after spending his whole career within Lada Togliatti. A couple of years ago he has been very near to a move overseas as the Philadelphia Flyers manifested much interest towards him, but he apparently refused offers from both the Flyers and Avangard Omsk to remain in his hometown club. Denis Bodrov was a second round draft pick on the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. In the 33 games he played with the Moscow Region team during 08-09 and 09-10 seasons, he scored two goals and five assists, with 30 PIMs. He also played four post...

Nov302009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Sergei Fedorov: “Pleased to become first Russian to score 1500 points”

KHL News and Interviews

Sergei Fedorov: "Pleased to become first Russian to score 1500 points" (Photo © khl.ru) Former NHL player Sergei Fedorov, now playing in the KHL, has scored his 1500th career-point. He became the first Russian player ever to reach that mark, leaving behind such players as Igor Larionov, Alexander Mogilniy, Alexei Kovalev, Alexei Yashin and others. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of Fedorov's interview to a Russian newspaper Sport-Express. - Did you know you were stuck at 1499 career-points mark before this game? - Yeah, they told me about it. I knew the numbers but didn't pay much attention to it. Today I recorded two assists so I may say that I exceeded the plan (laughs). - You are the first Russian player to achieve this result. Even the players from the legendary top CSKA...

Nov292009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Andrei Loktionov to undergo surgery, will miss four months

Russian Players In NHL

Andrei Loktionov to undergo surgery, will miss four months (Photo © AP Photo) Andrei Loktionov will undergo surgery, taking him out of the lineup for four months, reports Rick Hammond of LAKingsInsider.com. Andrei Loktionov will have surgery to repair a torn capsule in his shoulder and will be out of action approximately four months, according to Dean Lombardi. It sounded as though Loktionov’s surgery and Thomas Hickey’s surgery will both take place relatively soon. Loktionov was injured in his NHL debut on November 25, after being called up from the AHL's Manchester Monarchs.

Nov282009 by Gary Laws1 Comment

KHL » Nikita Filatov: “I might stay in KHL for one more year”

KHL News and Interviews

Nikita Filatov: "I might stay in KHL for one more year" (Photo © khl.ru) Nikita Filatov, who was loaned to CSKA Moscow by the Columbus Blue Jackets, keeps on doing great in the KHL. He played 4 games so far and amassed 8 points, scoring 4 goals and giving 4 assists. Filatov also managed to set a new KHL record, scoring 3 game-winning goals in 3 matches in a row. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of his interview published by Sovetskiy Sport, which he gave after yesterday's game against Spartak. - One can see that now you are playing as if you had wings on your back. Is it because you don't have to focus so much on defence in CSKA as you had to in Columbus? - Yes, it is. But I wouldn't say that I spend all my time in the offensive zone, I don't forget about the defence too. Th...

Nov282009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

NHL » Coyotes’ Viktor Tikhonov follows Filatov’s route, leaves NHL for KHL

Russian Players In NHL

Coyotes' Viktor Tikhonov follows Filatov's route, leaves NHL for KHL (Photo © khl.ru) Phoenix Coyotes' Viktor Tikhonov, who spent most of the season with their AHL affiliates, the San Antonio Rampage, is back in Moscow, as seen on the photo, where he's thought to be joining Filatov's CSKA. "My son has been sent to the KHL, he has already landed in Moscow and he's ready to play for CSKA" - said Tikhonov's father, Vasily Tikhonov, to Sovetsky Sport. "The only problem is that the league is investigating where his rights belong to. He left the NHL playing for Severstal Cherepovets, but that was two years ago". If his rights will be cleared property of the Cherepovets team CSKA will have to give some compensation to them, most likely being it a couple of picks for the next KHL draft. The 21 yea...

Nov272009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Andrei Markov eyes return on ice

Russian Players In NHL

Andrei Markov eyes return on ice (Photo © Montreal Gazette) After a long injury, finally Montreal Canadiens' superstar Andrei Markov started eyeing his return on ice, even if it won't be that soon, probably not earlier than New Year's eve, "surely before the Olympics", using his own words. Let's remember that the defenseman got injured on the season's opening night when he had a collision with team mate, goalie Corey Price and he got a teandon slashed by Price's skate. He needed a surgery and a long rehabilitation program, but now it looks like it's going to end rather soon. Markov had an interview with Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette, Russian Hockey Fans offers you a resume: I felt it in my ankle, I just bent over and saw the cut. At the time I wasn't thinking it was too bad. It's pa...

Nov262009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Sergei Fedorov: “No hard feelings against Bowman. Now”

Russian Players In NHL

Sergei Fedorov: "No hard feelings against Bowman. Now" (Photo © Elsa/Getty Images) Former Detroit Red Wing Sergei Fedorov sit down for an interview with KHL magazine "Hot Ice", where he talked about his escape in the United States after the USSR collapse and about the adaptation towards a new way of live. But the most interesting part was when he talked about his relationship with Scott Bowman. I understand it now: Scotty Bowman had too many hot potatoes on his hands that he needed to juggle to keep the team successful. But back then, I think North American coaches still hadn't realized that Russians play every game from the heart, that it's not routine. For years those reproaches were all we heard: "The Russians have no idea what a playoff is, they haven't felt the Stanley Cup..." Nowada...