KHL, NHL, Russian Prospects and Olympics 2010

The Washington Capitals of the NHL signed Russian winger Dmitry Kugryshev to an entry level rookie contract. He has been drafted by the Capitals during the second round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, with the 58th overall pick.

Kugryshev, who turned 20 in January, has spent the latest two seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, scoring respectively 74 and 81 points. The Moscow, Russia, native won a gold medal with Team Russia U18 back in 2007, with a silver and bronze medal at the WJC stage. He has been included in this year's WJC long roster, but he has been cut during the preparation camp.

Kugryshev also skated with the Capitals in the training camp on September and during other rookie camps.

The 2010 Olympic Hockey Tournament has probably been the biggest disappointing ever for Team Russia. The early quarterfinal elimination against Team Canada was the worst result ever.

As soon as the tournament was over for Russia, we published the Top 5 reasons for this fail, now RussianHockeyFans.com judged all the players on the roster.

Russian star Evgeni Malkin gave an interview to Vasili Osipov of Sport-Express after the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers at the Madison Square Garden. In this interview Evgeni talked about the reasons of Team Russia's defeat to Canada at the latest Olympic Tournament, examined the differences between the management of the two national teams and tried to suggest some changes to get the revenge in Sochi.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of the interview.

Another Russian player joined the Atlanta Thrashers as they got Evgeny Artyukhin from the Anaheim Ducks. Ilya Kovalchuk's former team features in their lineup also Maxim Afinogenov, Vyacheslav Kozlov and Nikolai Antropov.

Evgeny Artyukhin this season scored four goals and nine points in 37 regular season games.

The Ducks obtained defenseman Nathan Oystrick and a 2011 conditional draft pick.

Artyukhin's first match with the Thrashers will be played tonight against the Florida Panthers.

Let's remember that in February Atlanta got the young defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy from the Dallas Stars.

Russian defenseman Denis Grebeshkov has been traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Nashville Predators as the trade deadline is approching.

The Oilers got a second round pick for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

In the 2009-10 regular season Grebeshkov scored 19 points (6 goals and 13 assists) in 47 games.

His contract with the Predators will run out on June 2010 and he'll thus be a free agent at the end of the season.

He will play his first match as a Predator tonight, against his old team, the Edmonton Oilers.

With the early quarterfinals exit, Team Russia set a new negative record as this was the worse Olympic outcome in their history. Since the first participation, 1956 Olympics in Cortina, Italy, Russia never had such a poor result.

Team Russia's roster was, on paper, the tournament's finest, but they couldn't live up to the expectations, even in the round robin, which Bykov's team ended with two wins and one loss, which determined the pairing with Canada.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you top five reasons why Russia failed at 2010 Olympics.

Team Russia coach, Vyacheslav Bykov, gave an interview to Sovetskiy Sport where he talked about the quarterfinal game between Russia and Canada.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation.

Bykov: "I would like to congratulate Canada with this victory. Unfortunately, the Olympic Games are over for us. I would like apologize to our fans. Today we faced a very strong team. We couldn't get out of their pressure since the very beginning. It was really hard. We tried different variants to change the game and move it to the opponent's zone, but we failed. Canada demonstrated very interesting hockey. It was a pleasure to watch them, and I can't say the same about our team."

- Maybe the reason of the loss is that the Russian players visited some parties recently?

Team Russia lost 7-3 to Team Canada in the 2010 Olympic Tournament's quarterfinal.

A goal by Ryan Getzlaf gave the Canadians an early lead. Team Russia didn't use a powerplay chance and Dan Boyle made it a 2-0 game at the twelfth. Rick Nash scored the 3-0 goal some seconds later with a quick counterattack.

But the Russians didn't give up and with a blue line shot by Dmitriy Kalinin cut down Canada's lead after fourteen minutes.

After a good scoring chance wasted by Ilya Kovalchuk, Brendan Morrow restore Team Canada's three-goal lead with less than two minutes to go in the first period.

In the second period Canada scored two quick goals with Corey Perry and Shea Weber, and Bykov decided to bench Nabokov in favor of Ilya Bryzgalov.

Not much later Maxim Afinogenov with a nice shot scored the second goal of the game for the Russians, but midway through the game Corey Perry scored again after a neutral zone error by Sergei Zinoviev.

Russia added one goal to the count with a blue line slapshot by Sergei Gonchar to finish the second period 7-3.

In the third period team Russia tried hard and got a big chance with Evgeni Malkin, but they didn't manage to shift the momentum.

With this win Canada advances to the semifinals, where they will face Slovakia.

Team Russia's general manager at the Olympic Games, Vladislav Tretiak, gave an interview to Vitaliy Slavin of SovSport. Tretiak talked about the canceled practice on Monday, seriousness of Sergei Zinoviev's injury and the players' thoughts on a possible Russia-Canada quarterfinal.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation.

- Why did you cancel a practice on Monday?
Tretiak: "The coaches decided to give the players time to recover. The ice practice was optional and nobody wanted to skate. Everyone went to the gym and rode bikes. By the way, we are not the only team to cancel a practice. The Americans and Swedes also did it."

After the 4-2 victory against Czech Republic many players agreed that the Ovechkin hit on Jagr turned the momentum in Russia's favor. Team Russia players felt that this was the key event of the game and it helped their team getting the edge over Czech Republic.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of short quotes taken right after the game from Sergei Gonchar, Ilya Kovalchuk, Evgeny Nabokov, Alexander Ovechkin and Anton Volchenkov.

Team Russia forward Alexander Ovechkin commented on his hit on Jaromir Jagr of the Czech Republic in a game between Russia and Czech Republic at the Olympic Games 2010 in Vancouver.

"I see him coming and my first reaction was to play the puck," Ovechkin said to NHL.com . "He made a move to my side and I just hit him."

Alexander Ovechkin switched the moment in favor of Russia with a bone crushing, open ice hit on Jaromir Jagr in the first few minutes of the final stanza. The puck then ended up on Alexander Semin's stick, who served Evgeni Malkin with a great cross ice pass. Malkin one-timed the puck in for the game winning goal in Russia's 4-2 win over Czech Republic.

Ovechkin told Russian site sports.ru, "I hit Jagr automatically. I'm happy that we managed to score a few seconds later. We hugged each other after the game. Jagr bears no grudge at me. This is hockey, this is the Olympics, anything can happen here."

After the game Jagr told SovSport, "I wish I had a concussion, I would forget Ovechkin sooner. I don't think the hit was legal."

Jagr, quoted by Craig Custance of SportingNews.com, acted like a true teamplayer, not looking for excuses after losing the puck to Russia in the neutral zone. "The hit I don't really care, the mistake, the turnover I made...that hurts. That hurt me the most."

Kovalchuk, quoted by Craig Custance, added: "That's a great hit. It's a clean hit... It was a big moment for us."

Video of Ovechkin's hit on Jagr.

In the round robin's last game Team Russia defeated Team Czech Republic 4-2 and got a bye to the quarterfinals as they finished the Group B on the top of the standings with seven points against Czech Republic's six, Slovakia's five and Latvia's zero. Team Russia's first game of the medal round is scheduled for wednesday.

During the first period of the game the teams are still 0-0. Alexander Ovechkin had a couple of good chances, but Tomas Vokoun saved both attempts. Later on the Russians wasted a powerplay opportunity.

At the fifteenth minute Evgeni Malkin scored the 1-0 goal for Russia tapping in a rebound after a shot from the point by Sergei Gonchar.

At the end of the first period the Czechs tied it up with Tomas Plekanec taking full advantage of a double powerplay.