KHL, NHL, Russian Prospects and Team Russia

Team Jagr won the KHL All-Star game in Minsk with a 11-8 score, repeating last year's victory in the Red Square. The match was played in front of more than 15,000 spectators, including Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.

Sergei Zubov, Andrei Mezin and Alexei Yashin have been named Team Yashin's players of the game, while for Team Jagr the honors went to Karri Ramo, Marcel Hossa and Ville Peltonen.

Team Yashin - Team Jagr - 8:11 (1:4, 5:3, 2:4)
1:0 - Zaripov (Babchuk), 02:05
1:1 - Hossa (Strbak), 07:32
1:2 - Thoresen (Kukkonen, Peltonen), 11:59
1:3 - Hudler (Jagr, Weinhandl), 13:32
1:4 - Weinhandl (Jagr, Hudler), 14:52
2:4 - Yashin, 21:00
2:5 - Hudler (Weinhandl), 26:14
2:6 - Strbak (Jagr), 31:15
3:6 - Fedorov (Radulov), 31:59
4:6 - Sushinsky (Yashin), 34:52
4:7 - Hossa (Stumpel, Radivojevic), 35:10
5:7 - Zubov (Babchuk, Tereshchenko), 38:33
6:7 - Sushinsky (Yashin), 39:34
6:8 - Vasicek (Peltonen), 40:33
6:9 - Peltonen (Hossa, Kukkonen), 44:27
6:10 - Thoresen (Rachunek), 45:04
6:11 - Jagr (Gudler, Kukkonen), 49:51
7:11 - Babchuk (Sushinsky), 51:47
8:11 - Morozov, 54:30

Before the gala match, Team Yashin secured the Skills Competitions relay with a 5-3 score.

Read also:
All-Star Game rosters released

Linus Omark, who plays for Dynamo Moscow of the KHL, attempted another fancy shoot-out in the January 20th regular season match against Dynamo Minsk, months later his amazing goal against Team Switzerland that made him famous around one year ago.

This season Omark scored so far 19 goals and 31 points in 50 regular season games with Dynamo.

Here is the video of Omark's attempt:

The complete KHL All-Star Game rosters have been released today. The event will be held in Minsk, Belarus, on January 30th.

This is how the rosters look like:

Team Yashin (Russian stars)

Goalkeepers: Georgy Gelashvili (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl); Andrei Mezin (Dynamo Minsk)

Defenders: Sergei Zubov (SKA St. Petersburg); Ilya Nikulin (Ak Bars Kazan); Dmitriy Kalinin (Salavat Yulaev Ufa); Anton Babchuk (Avangard Omsk); Konstantin Korneev (CSKA Moscow); Vitaly Atyushov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk)

Forwards: Alexei Yashin (SKA St. Petersburg); Alexander Radulov (Salavat Yulaev Ufa); Alexei Morozov (Ak Bars Kazan); Danis Zaripov (Ak Bars Kazan); Sergei Fedorov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk); Sergei Mozyakin (Atlant Mytischi); Alexei Tereschenko (Ak Bars Kazan); Sergei Zinoviev (Salavat Yulaev Ufa); Denis Parshin (CSKA Moscow)

Team Jagr (International Stars)

Goalkeepers: Karri Ramo (Avangard Omsk); Michael Garnett (HC MVD)

Defenders: Kevin Dallman (Barys Astana); Sandis Ozolinsh (Dinamo Riga);Martin Strbak (HC MVD); Lasse Kukkonen (Avangard Omsk); Karel Rachunek (Dynamo Moscow); Jaroslav Obsut (Spartak Moscow)

Forwards: Jaromir Jagr (Avangard Omsk); Marcel Hossa (Dinamo Riga); Mattias Weinhandl (Dynamo Moscow); Patrick Thoresen (Salavat Yulaev Ufa); Josef Vasicek (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl); Chris Simon (Vityaz Chekhov); Jiri Hudler (Dynamo Moscow); Ville Peltonen (Dinamo Minsk); Jozef Stumpel (Barys Astana)

Read also:
Fedorov, Babchuk, Kalinin, Simon added to All-Star Game roster
KHL All Star Game's starting lineup announced

After the Habs lost 4-3 in an overtime to the St. Louis, Russian defenceman Andrei Markov had something to say to their goalie Carey Price.

According to the TEAM990 radio, Markov told Price "If you are not going to play with heart, stay home. We don't need you here."

The same radio station reported that some players supported Markov while some part of the team sided with Price.

The Montreal Canadiens didn't comment on the situation yet.

NHL Blue Jackets forward Nikita Filatov, playing on a loan basis for CSKA of the KHL, was knocked down by Darcy Verot of Vityaz Chekhov in Monday's game between Vityaz and CSKA.

After the famous bench-clearing fight Vityaz, a team having an enormous for the KHL amount of tough guys, didn't fight at all. There were rumors that players were told not to fight in order to calm down fans. The KHL even warned Vityaz to exclude the team from the league in case of another cancelled game.

The peace didn't last long as on Monday Darcy Verot knocked down youngster Nikita Filatov with a cheap shot to the head and got a game misconduct.

Here is the video of Verot's cheap shot on Filatov:

Kirill Petrov is likely to join the New York Islanders of the NHL at the end of this season. His KHL team, Ak Bars Kazan, isn't giving him ice time as he was demoted down to the Russian High League.

"I wasn’t getting ice time and I was going to leave for the second half of the season," Petrov said through a translator to The Hockey News. "But management told me after the World (Junior) Championship I will get ice time. I will finish the season in Russia and maybe come to North America next year."

Kirill Petrov was a big part of this year's WJC Team Russia. In the six games of the tournament he scored four points an six assists. He also got the C on the chest after head coach Vladimir Plyuschev decided to strip Nikita Filatov of the captaincy, after the surprising defeat against Team Switzerland in the quarterfinals.

"It means I must be a leader on and off the ice," Petrov said of the captaincy to The Hockey News. "It was the coach’s decision, so I took it."

NHL star Alexander Semin gave an interview to Russian newspaper Sovsport.ru which was translated on the popular Washington Capitals' blog Japers' Rink. In this interview he talked about the upcoming Olympic Games in Vancouver, about 2008 WC final match and about his composed personality. Special guest of the interview: Ovechkin's dad.

RussianHockeyFans.com collected the most interesting parts of the interview.

Sergei Zubov, who spent 17 years in the NHL and decided to play in the KHL past summer, commented on his inclusion in the list of substitute players for the Olympics.

RussianHockeyFans offers you a translation of Zubov's interview to Sport-Express.

Sergei Zubov: "I've just been called by the national team's administrator and informed that I'd been included in the list of substitute players for the Olympic Games. Honestly, I didn't even know what to answer. This situation was really, really surprising.

Also I was astonished and I'd even say offended by the words of Vladislav Tretyak, the president of the Russia Hockey Federation, and the head coach Vyacheslav Bykov. They said something like that to make the team every player should do his best and that no one will be in the team for previous achievements. I was really disappointed by all these words. That's a complete humiliation of me as a person and a sportsman. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I honestly earned my reputation in hockey. I'm not a 25-year-old guy. I proved by 17 seasons in the NHL that I play at high level. I'm not going to prove anything to anyone anymore!

If they found a spot for me among substitute players then I think its a spit in my face. I really wanted to play for the national team but, unfortunately, it won't happen. I want to tell the fans I'm sorry. I think they will understand me. I wish good luck to our guys in Vancouver."

The Philadelphia Flyers signed Denis Bodrov to an AHL deal. The Russian defenseman was a second round pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and was released by KHL's Atlant Mytischi in November due to bad performances.

"He hasn't played in about a month," GM Holmgren said to philly.com. "I don't really know the process over there in Russia, but it worked out where he was free to do what he wanted. He's been here the last few days."

Bodrov, 23, started his pro career with Lada Togliatti. He was drafted by the Flyers after his good performances at 2006 WJC, where he won the silver medal with Team Russia. He was then traded to Atlant Mytischi after he was rumored to have a bad influence on the team's youngest players. In the Moscow Region team he didn't manage to play up to the expectation and he was finally released in November.

"He was a highly thought of defenseman in our system at one time," Holmgren said to philly.com. "He was on our reserve list. He's not in shape right now. He needs to get down there and play. We'll see what happens."

The move to North America might be a successful change of scenario for the young defenseman, who was very near to sign with the Flyers already on summer 2007, but then he decided to spend a further year with Lada.

Read also:
Denis Bodrov leaves Atlant

Mikhail Grigorenko is arguably the best 1994 born player in Russia. He plays with the 1993 national team and has played in this summer's Ivan Hlinka Tournament, playing against 1992 born players.
In the latest World Under-17 Hockey Challenge he scored six goals and ten points in six games, and Team Russia finished the tournament at the fourth place.
In this interview given to Russian website allhockey.ru he talked about his performances with the national teams, about his future plans and he also replied to some personal questions.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation.

Sergei Fedorov, Anton Babchuk, Dmitri Kalinin, Chris Simon and others were added to the All-Star game roster today as KHL journalists decided the teams' second lines.

The All-Star Game will be played in Minsk, Belarus, on January 30th and it will be a challenge between Team Yashin (Russian Stars) and Team Jagr (International Stars).

The second lines look like that:

Team Yashin (Russian stars)
Goalkeepers: Andrei Mezin (Dynamo Minsk)
Defenders: Dmitriy Kalinin (Salavat Yulaev Ufa); Anton Babchuk (Avangard Omsk)
Forwards: Danis Zaripov (Ak Bars Kazan); Sergei Fedorov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk); Sergei Mozyakin (Atlant Mytischi)

Team Jagr (International Stars)
Goaltender: Michael Garnett (HC MVD)
Defenders: Martin Strbak (HC MVD); Lasse Kukkonen (Avangard Omsk)
Forwards: Patrick Thoresen (Salavat Yulaev Ufa) – 112,681; Josef Vasicek (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl); Chris Simon (Vityaz Chekhov)

The KHL will name the third lines on January 28th.

Read also:
KHL All Star Game's starting lineup announced

Alexei Kovalev, Alexander Frolov, Sergei Zubov and Nikolai Kulemin are going to the Olympic Games in Vancouver as substitutes for the Russian team.

It is not officially announced yet but according to Russian site infox.ru Kovalev, Frolov, Zubov and Kulemin have received the Olympics equipment as well as other players from the official Team Russia roster. It means they are going to the Olympics in the status of substitute players.

Overall Russia will have 9 substitute players, three from the NHL and six from the KHL.

The list of Russian Olympics substitute players

NHL
1. Alexei Kovalev, Ottawa Senators
2. Alexander Frolov, Los Angeles Kings
3. Nikolai Kulemin, Toronto Maple Leafs

KHL
4. Vasiliy Koschechkin, Metallurg Magnitogorsk
5. Alexander Eremenko, Salavat Yulaev
6. Sergei Zubov, SKA St. Petersburg
7. Vitaliy Proshkin, Salavat Yulaev
8. Oleg Tverdovskiy, Salavat Yulaev
9. Alexei Tereschenko, Ak Bars

Read also:
Sergei Gonchar: "Would like to be paired with Andrei Markov at Olympics"
KHL player to carry Russian flag at Olympics opening ceremony