Canadian fight on Russian soil: Darcy Verot vs. Martin Grenier
Two of the best fighters in the KHL finally met each other. Darcy Verot of Vityaz in red-white vs. Martin Grenier of Traktor in black.
Author: Gary Laws
Ovechkin gets game misconduct for hit on Kaleta
From Corey Masisak of the Washington Times Ovechkin was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta 3:38 into the third period.
According to the league rulebook, Ovechkin was hit with the major penalty at the official’s discretion, but an injury to the head or face on a major infraction is grounds for an automatic ejection. Kaleta left the ice holding his nose, and Ovechkin tossed his glove in the air in frustration as he went to the dressing room.
This is the second game misconduct in Ovechkin’s career, and both have come against the Sabres. He was ejected from a game Dec. 2, 2006 during his second NHL season for checking then-Buffalo forward Danny Briere into the boards from behind. Ovechkin was also fined earlier this season after slew-footi...
Afinogenov is back to his old production
Afinogenov is back to his old production (Photo © Curtis Compton/Ajc.com)
Darryl Dobbs, a popular The Hockey News writer, wrote on his blog about Maxim Afinogenov's very good start this year in a new scenario, opposed to the last two years' bad numbers.
The Moscow native signed this summer a one year deal with the Atlanta Thrashers worth a relative low amount of $800,000. The shifty Russian had 134 points in 133 games for the Sabres between 2005 and 2007. In 2007-08, he was pretty much a write-off due to injury and then last campaign he got off to a slow start. In this case, Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff didn’t have a whole lot of patience. And who would? Afinogenov was coughing up the puck on a regular basis and was also snake-bitten in the scoring department.
Things are different in Atlanta....
The Hockey News Hot List: Burmistrov #1
The Hockey News Hot List: Burmistrov #1 (Photo © Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
In the popular The Hockey News Hot List feature, Ryan Kennedy put center Alexander Burmistrov on the top of this week's list. Like fellow Russian imports Ivan Telegin and Kirill Kabanov, Burmistrov came over to the Canadian League this year for more ice time than he would get in the Kontinental League and better competition than he would have seen on the Russian junior circuit.
“The OHL is a better league,” he said. “Fast, many hits. I like it.”
And the Colts like him. The dynamic pivot from Kazan has 20 assists and 29 points in 23 games this year, quarterbacks the second unit of Barrie’s power play and even kills penalties. He has an English tutor who comes twice a week and also watches some TV to round out the...
Dmitri Orlov: “I have to work on my confidence”
Dmitri Orlov: "I have to work on my confidence" (Photo © Russianprospects.com)
Dmitri Orlov is a 18 years old defenseman who has been drafted by the Washington Capitals in the latest NHL Entry Draft, with the 55th overall pick. In this translated interview with Metallurg's press attache Sergei Druzhinin, he talked about his feelings about being a first team player, about his ability to play both forward and defense and about the Russian Junior National Team.
Dmitri, do you feel a full fledged member of the first team now?
Yes. Now I play with the first team, I get a lot of ice time and I try to be helpful for the team. The coaches trust me and I thank them for that. And off the ice I’ve got good ties with all my team mates, we have a very good group.
Do you remember your first match with t...
Evgeny Artyukhin: “I have an offer from KHL”
Evgeny Artyukhin: "I have an offer from KHL" (Photo © Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Evgeny Artyukhin in an interview with a Russian newspaper Sport-Express talked about the lack of ice time in Anaheim, said he would do his best to gain the coach's trust, stated that the other day he got an offer from the KHL but would finish this season in the NHL, and spoke about what the Olympic Games mean to him.
RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of this interview.
- After Nikita Filatov's departure you became that Russian with the least time on ice in the NHL. Did you think about what's going on with you in Anaheim? Maybe Andy Carlyle just doesn't trust you?
- Yeah, maybe there is some distrust. He might be afraid that I will get a penalty in some situations. It's a tough question. I don't f...
Sergei Gomolyako invited to HK Vetra Vilnius management
Sergei Gomolyako invited to HK Vetra Vilnius management (Photo © hcvityaz.ru)
Vityaz's former head coach Sergei Gomolyako might become one of HK Vetra Vilnius staffers, according to Sport Express. The Lithuanian team is trying to enter the KHL in the 2010-11 season.
It's planned that Gomolyako will assist General Manager Alexander Kharlamov in forming team's roster.
"I have recieved an offer from Vetra some days ago, but to tell the truth I haven't said yes yet. Vilnius is a great city, but first I have to discuss with the team's management. It would be' very interesting to take part to the creation of a new KHL team.
Gomolyako, now 39, played 18 seasons in the RSL, mostly with Metallurg Magnitogorsk and Traktor Chelyabinsk.
Sergei Gaiduchenko: I have a chance to move on as Florida drafted me
Sergei Gaiduchenko: I have a chance to move on as Florida drafted me (Photo © Miklin.ru)
20 years old Sergei Gaiduchenko, in a translated interview published on Russianprospects.com, said that he would like to move to another team as he doesn't get much playing time. In some teams goalies play one game each, in some others a goalie plays six games and the second two. [Lokomotiv's head coach] Kari Heikkila uses a system in which the first goalie of the team plays 85-90% of the games. Asked about the future: I would like to move and I got a chance, as Florida drafted me. But first I want to stay in Russia to consolidate, play one or, better, two seasons playing a bigger quantity of games and then go there, just the same way as Semen Varlamov did. The goalie, who is nicknamed Godzilla by ...
Filatov’s second KHL game: 2 goals, 20 minutes on ice, player of the game
Filatov's second KHL game: 2 goals, 20 minutes on ice, player of the game (Photo © Official KHL site)
Nikita Filatov continues to shine in the KHL.
In his second KHL game he scored 2 of 3 CSKA goals, one of them being the game-winning goal. His ice-time increased by 4 minutes in comparison with the previous game and reached 20 minutes 23 seconds (the best result in his team).
As the result Filatov was named first star of the game.
KHL » Barry Melrose: “Filatov came to the NHL too early”
Barry Melrose: "Filatov came to the NHL too early" (Photo © Doug Benc, Getty Images)
In this translated interview with Telekanal Sport by Vladimir Italyantsev, Barry Melrose, former NHL head coach and now TSN analyst, talks about Filatov's career in the NHL, about the reasons of his return in Russia and tried shading a light over Nikita's future.
- What do you think about Filatov's decision to return to Russia?
- I think it's not a thoughtful act from his side. But what is even harder to understand is why Columbus signed this player at all. With Ken Hitchcock as coach it's very tough for finesse players like Filatov to make the team.
- But what about Rick Nash, another finesse player?
- Nash is bigger and he can hit. This is not what you can say about Filatov. To tell you more, Columbus is...