Blog

May172010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

NHL – Evgeni Dadonov: “If Panthers don’t guarantee me a spot in the NHL, I’ll get back to Russia”

Evgeni Dadonov: "If Panthers don't guarantee me a spot in the NHL, I'll get back to Russia" (Photo © Turner.com) As the hockey season is just finished, Evgeni Dadonov of the Florida Panthers has got back to his home town Chelyabinsk to rest after his first North American season. In this interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda he talked about his debut season and about the future. You said that your dream was to play in the NHL. And at the end of the season it happened. Evgeni Dadonov: "Yes, it did. At the end season, when Florida had no chances to get to the playoffs. The team's sport director, Jack Birch, said that he wants to see me in the main team. He said that I looked good in Rochester and then they wanted to see me in the NHL. They called me to the Panthers as many first team players we...

May72010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Avtsin leaves KHL, joins Canadiens

Russian Players In NHL

Alexander Avtsin leaves KHL, joins Canadiens (Photo © Getty Images) Alexander Avtsin is going to join the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL this summer, as reported by sportbox.ru The 19 years old wing spent the latest season with the Dynamo Moscow of the KHL, scoring nine points in 30 regular season games, before picking up a wrist injury that shut down his season in late January. Most likely Avtsin will start the 2010-11 campaign with the Canadiens' AHL affiliates, the Hamilton Bulldogs.

May62010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

2010 WC: Russian preliminary roster is out

Russian National Hockey Team News

2010 WC: Russian preliminary roster is out (Photo © Sport-Express) Team Russia released the preliminary roster for the upcoming 2010 World Championship, that will be played in Germany from May 7th to 23rd.. Bykov and Zakharkin made some changes from the LG Hockey Games line-up. The roster is made up of 11 NHL players and 12 KHL players. The team's captain isn't decided yet. Most likely the starting goaltender duties will be shared between Eremenko and Varlamov, with Koshechkin acting as third goalie. Goalkeepers: Alexander Eremenko (Salavat Yulaev Ufa) Vasily Koshechkin (Metallurg Magnitogorsk) Semyon Varlamov (Washington Capitals) Defencemen: Konstantin Korneev (CSKA Moscow) Vitaly Atyushov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk) Dmitriy Kalinin (Salavat Yulaev Ufa) Ilya Nikulin (Ak Bars Kazan) Alexei E...

May42010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Maxim Goncharov signs with Phoenix

Russian Players In NHL

Maxim Goncharov signs with Phoenix (Photo © Sportbox.ru) 20-years-old, Russian defenseman Maxim Goncharov signed an Entry Level Contract with the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL. His contract with CSKA Moscow run out on April 30th. Maxim Goncharov is an offensive defenseman with a great shot and an excellent technique. During this season he scored four goals and a career high seventeen points in 51 KHL regular season games, finished +5. In the 2008-09 campaign Goncharov amassed seven goals and as many assists. In his junior career he won a gold medal in 2007 U18 World Junior Championship in Finland and captured a silver medal in the 2009 WJC, where he scored five goals in seven games, the tournament's best result for a blue liner.

May42010 by Gary Laws2 Comments

World Championship – Ilya Kovalchuk: “We need to win now like never before”

Russian National Hockey Team News

Ilya Kovalchuk: "We need to win now like never before" (Photo © Bruce Bennet/Getty Images) Ilya Kovalchuk gave an interview to Russian newspaper Sovetskiy Sport where he talked about going to the World Championship without a contract in the NHL, his favorites to win the Stanley Cup, what Russian players agreed to do after failing at the Olympics. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation. Many thought that you won't play for the national team. It is very risky as you don't have a contract for the next season in the NHL. Besides your wife gave a birth to your son in March. Was this decision hard to take? Kovalchuk: "After failing in Vancouver all guys agreed to go to the World Championship if there is a chance. We must win and make this season end well. My wife Nicole understood me at ...

Apr282010 by Gary Laws2 Comments

Dmitry Orlov: “I still don’t know if I’ll go to the NHL this summer”

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

Dmitry Orlov: "I still don't know if I'll go to the NHL this summer" (Photo © mhl.khl.ru) During an interview with portal Sport Novokuznetsk, Washington Capitals' prospect Dmitry Orlov stated that he still doesn't know where he will spend the 2010-11 season. Dmitry Orlov: "I still don't know if I'll go to the NHL this summer. I still have two more years of contract with Metallurg Novokuznetsk. I don't really know, we'll see what will happen." The blue liner, who did skate in last year's rookie camp with the Capitals, has just been in the roster of the MHL runners-up. The Kuznetsk Bears lost the Russian Junior League finals 3-1 to the Steel Foxes from Magnitogorsk. Playoffs' top scorer was 2010 eligible Maxim Kitsyn with 20 points in 17 games, while Dmitry Orlov was third in the standings w...

Apr282010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Ilya Kovalchuk, Denis Grebeshkov and Alexander Frolov added to Team Russia

Russian National Hockey Team News

Ilya Kovalchuk, Denis Grebeshkov and Alexander Frolov added to Team Russia (Photo © RIA Novosti) As reported by the official site of the Russian Hockey Federation, forwards Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey Devils) and Alexander Frolov (Los Angeles Kings), as well as blue liner Denis Grebeshkov (Nashville Predators) have been added to team Russia's roster for the upcoming 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany as their NHL teams were excluded from the Stanley Cup run. This is surely a boost for team Russia, who will miss Anton Volchenkov and Igor Grigorenko due to injuries. Bykov and Zakharkin will be also without Alexei Morozov, Danis Zaripov and Sergei Zinoviev, all sidelined with injuries. Salavat Yulaev's Alexander Radulov got a mild injury too and will miss the upcoming LG Hockey games in S...

Apr272010 by Gary Laws2 Comments

Anton Volchenkov: “I’m not planning a trip to Germany”

Russian National Hockey Team News

Anton Volchenkov: "I'm not planning a trip to Germany" (Photo © Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images) During an interview with Russian popular newspaper Sovietskiy Sport, Ottawa Senators' defenseman Anton Volchenkov won't go to the upcoming 2010 World Championship in Germany. The 28 years old would be free as his Senators just lost the first round NHL playoffs series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Anton Volchenkov: "Now I'm not planning of doing the trip to Germany to play on the World Championship. I need some rehabilitation. There are some problems with my health. I will discuss about this with National Team's head coach Vyacheslav Bykov." CSKA Moscow forward Denis Parshin has been cut from the National Team camp for the upcoming LG Hockey Games in Sweden, Euro Hockey Tour.

Apr252010 by Gary Laws3 Comments

2010 U18 WJC: Team Russia finishes without medals

Russian Prospects Profiles, Reports and News

2010 U18 WJC: Team Russia finishes without medals (Photo © fhr.ru) After the defeat against Team Sweden in the 2010 U18 WJC semifinals, Team Russia lost the third place to Finland losing the bronze medal game 5-1. Team Finland got the lead only during the second period with a goal by Teemu Pulkkinen, then in the third period they scored four unanswered goals (with Pulkkinen getting the hat trick) to get a five goals lead. Team Russia lost the nerves and at the 57th minute a fight broke out and six players were sent off, three for Finland, Hovinen, Partanen and Moisio, while for Russia Nikita Nesterov, Zakhar Arzamastsev and Maxim Shalunov. On the 58th minute team Russia scored the consolation goal with Emil Galimov. "I have no claims toward players", declared team Russia's head coach Mikha...

Apr192010 by Gary Laws2 Comments

Nikita Filatov: “I am determined to get back to the NHL”

KHL News and Interviews

Nikita Filatov: "I am determined to get back to the NHL" (Photo © sportbox.ru) During an interview with popular Russian website Sovietskiy Sport Nikita Filatov, currently playing for CSKA and who recently got a call from Russian national team, talked about his future, about NHL players' participation to the Olympics and about the upcoming season. Nikita Filatov: "I am determined to return to the NHL next year. Surely the salaries are better in the KHL, but overseas the level of play is higher. I'll try to make the first team in the NHL. And I'll try getting on the roster for the World Championships too. I don't really think that NHL players won't come to Sochi for the 2014 Olympic Games. The best players in the world want to play there. And no one can force them out."