Blog

Sep222010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Semin on being playoff choker, contract with Caps

Alexander Semin on being playoff choker, contract with Caps (Photo © Luis M. Alvarez/Associated Press) Alexander Semin talked with Slava Malamud of Sport-Express about being a playoff choker and his contract with the Capitals. Here is a quick translation. Semin: "I can't get into the Caps bosses' heads. I don't know what they are thinking. Even if they trade me, so what? I'd finish the season somewhere else, then become a free agent. But I have been here for five years and I like it. It's comfortable here." Some say that you are a playoff choker. What do you think? Semin: "They can say whatever they want. I think that a player must be a player everywhere - in the regular season and in the playoffs. You know, it happens when you have no luck and it just doesn't click. And what, should I thi...

Aug212010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

KHL legalizes and regulates fighting

KHL News and Interviews

KHL legalizes and regulates fighting (Photo © khl.ru) The KHL just released the set of rules for the 2010-11 season, and it contains an interesting part, how the KHL will regulate fights. Until the 2009-10 season it just followed the IIHF rules, which had a five minutes major plus game misconduct for any fight. But from the next season it's going to change. All that follows is coming from the official KHL rulebook, which can be found here (Russian only). Firstly the KHL gives a definition of a fight, which says that "it's a situation in which more than a player or a goalkeeper fight another with or without gloves, or two players start fighting and the refs can't break the fight." So the refs have a wide selection of penalties to punish the players who participated in the fight: a) the play...

Jul302010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Ovechkin gets Kharlamov Trophy

Russian Players In NHL

Alexander Ovechkin gets Kharlamov Trophy (Photo © Getty Images) Alexander Ovechkin won the Valeri Kharlamov Trophy awarded by Sovietskiy Sport to the best Russian player in the NHL. It's the fifth consecutive win for the Washington Capitals' superstar. "I'm very happy to get the trophy named after Kharlamov for the fifth time. Deserved or not deserved, I've got it and I'm glad that the NHL guys voted for me. Now I've got to try to win it for the sixth time", said Ovechkin after the ceremony. "It's great that Alexander won the award for the fifth time", added Ovechkin's mom Tatiana. "Valeri Kharlamov was a great player and it's great that Ovechkin won the trophy named after him. It's sad that Kharlamov's father passed away, we miss him."

Jul282010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Radulov: “I never regretted my choice”

KHL News and Interviews

Alexander Radulov: "I never regretted my choice" (Photo © Le Soleil) After his move from Nashville to Russia, Alexander Radulov has been very discreet with the media. But he decided to give an exclusive interview to Mikaël Lalancette of Le Soleil, in which he talked about his controversial move, about his future and about Quebec City. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation. Early Years Alexander Radulov moved from Russia to North America in 2004, when he was picked up by the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. "At this point we can say that it was the first betrayal of my career. The Remparts drafted me and so I decided to come and play in Quebec. Back at home my relatives and my friends didn't understand me. They told me that I could keep on playing in Russia and still dreaming ...

Jul192010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Ilya Kovalchuk re-signs with the Devils

Russian Players In NHL

Ilya Kovalchuk re-signs with the Devils (Photo © nypost.com) Russian superstar Ilya Kovalchuk will be back with the New Jersey Devils as he will re-sign with the team. The contract's details will be released during a conference the team will host on Tuesday afternoon. Kovalchuk is a recent addition by the Devils as they added him to their lineup during the 2010 NHL trade deadline. But the move didn't boost the Devils like expected as they were defeated by the Philadelphia Flyers during the playoffs' first round. During this year's free agency Ilya Kovalchuk was reported to have refused offers from the Los Angeles Kings, the Atlanta Thrashers and SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.

Jul152010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Pavol Demitra signs with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL

KHL News and Interviews

Pavol Demitra signs with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL (Photo © Jim Mone/Associated Press) Unrestricted free agent Pavol Demitra from Slovakia signed a 1-yr deal with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL. The 35 years old forward played in the NHL a total of 16 season with the Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks, with a total of 848 NHL games, with 768 points. Lokomotiv is reported to be in talks also with Calgary Flames' Ales Kotalik.

Jul122010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Denis Bodrov signs with Spartak Moscow of the KHL

KHL News and Interviews

Denis Bodrov signs with Spartak Moscow of the KHL (Photo © khl.ru) Denis Bodrov signed a 1-yr deal with Spartak Moscow of the KHL. Bodrov, 24, spent part of the last season with the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL. After leaving Russia to play within the Philadelphia Flyers system, many were expecting that the NHL franchise would sign a new contract with the defenseman, but it didn't work out and now Bodrov is back in the KHL. Bodrov, soon to be 24, scored four points (1+3) in 17 games with the Phantoms. He'll play with Spartak with the number 33.

Jul92010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Nabokov’s agent Isakov: “For Evgeny Russia isn’t an empty word”

KHL News and Interviews

Nabokov's agent Isakov: "For Evgeny Russia isn't an empty word" (Photo © Getty Images) After the announcement of Nabokov's signing with SKA St. Petersburg, Russian popular portal Sport day by day had an interview with agent Sergei Isakov, in which he talked about the negotiating with SKA, about Nabokov's family and about the length of the contract they signed with Alexander Medvedev's team. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation. Isakov: "I met SKA's representatives more than once. At first we couldn't agree about some fundamental terms of the contract. So there were moments that should have been discussed in detail. But in any case I felt that if SKA would want to approach us again they would have done the right thing." - Surely a goalie of Nabokov's level would interest most of K...

Jul72010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Evgeny Nabokov signs with SKA of the KHL

Russian Players In NHL

Evgeny Nabokov signs with SKA of the KHL (Photo © Avelar/AP) Evgeny Nabokov has signed a 4-year, $24-million contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, as reported by the Russian newspaper Sovetsky Sport. In the 10 seasons he played in California he recorded a 293-215-29 record, with a 2.39 goals against average. He also was awarded with the Calder Trophy of the top rookie of the year in 2001.

Jul32010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Avtsin parts with Dynamo Moscow

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Alexander Avtsin parts with Dynamo Moscow (Photo © rds.ca) From RussianProspect.com Alexander Avtsin and Dynamo Moscow decided to break the player's contract as he wants to try and get a spot with the Canadiens, as reported by Sport-Express. During the last couple of months there was a lot of speculation around Avtsin's contract as he was under contract with Dynamo, but now he decided to report to North America. Avtsin, 19, will skate in next week's rookie camp with the Habs, and then will skate in the main team's training camp in late August. The promising right winger had three goals and six assists with Dynamo last year, but a wrist injury in January prematurely ended his season.