Dynamo Moscow News

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.

In spite of the recent news it looks like Alexander Avtsin will spend the 2010-11 season in the KHL with Dynamo Moscow. Dynamo's General Manager Andrei Safronov declared through the team's official site that all the young players remain property of the new formed OHC Dynamo and all contracts are valid.

"At the end of May the KHL confirmed that all the contracts with our players are valid. Our youngsters will stay. Avtsin and Dvurechensky have a contract up to April 2011 and 2012 respectively. Anton Krysanov (Phoenix Coyotes) and Andrei Plekhanov (Columbus Blue Jackets) are among the group of players that will skate in the team's training camp in Belarus.

We will part with Pavel Valentenko. He has a big contract and we can't afford that. According to my informations he plans to get back to North America."

As reported by sportbox.ru Alexander Avtsin is going to join the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL this summer.

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.

Swedish players Johan Harju and Linus Omark decided to leave KHL and Dynamo Moscow. Both players had an out clause in their contract after the first season and they decided to use it.

"I was happy about the KHL, but one season is enough", Johan Harju told Aftonbladet. "Not everything went according to my plans. There was the possibility to walk away from the contract with Dynamo after the first season and I decided to do so. I can't say anything about my future right now, we'll see."

Harju finished the season with four goals and 18 points in 55 regular season games, while he scored one goal in two playoff clashes. Omark scored more in the regular season, 20 goals and 36 points, but was pointless in the post season.

Alexander Avtsin is without a doubt one of the highest touted prospects from Russia. Unfortunately he is not playing now because of a hand injury, and will come back most likely only in one month.

In this interview with Olga Alexandrova, appeared on the official Dynamo Moscow's site, Avtsin explained why he decided to remain in Russia for this season, discussed his own current season's performances and he also told how he met his girlfriend Milana.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation.

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 KHL named the players of the month. They are: goalie Vitaly Eremeev, defenceman Dmitri Bykov, forward Sergei Mozyakin.

KHL goalie of December: Vitaly Eremeev, Dynamo Moscow. Eremeev recorded 3 shutouts in 6 games, having 1.33 GAA and 95.5 saving percent.

KHL defenceman of December: Dmitri Bykov, Atlant Mytischi. Bykov scored 2 goals and 4 assists in 9 games, having a plus-9 record.

KHL forward of December: Sergei Mozyakin, Atlant Mytischi. Mozyakin scored 5 goals and 9 assists in 9 games, having a plus-7 record.

The latest winner of the Rookie of the week award, Alexander Avtsin, during an interview published on KHL official site, talked about his first goals in pro hockey, about the upcoming WJC and about his plans for the next season.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation:

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you the translation of an article about Alexander Avtsin published on Russian site Sport day by day by Roman Sergeev.

The story sheds some light over Alexander's biography and also contains quotes from Alexander himself, his agent and his coaches.

After notching his first KHL goal on Friday during a 4-0 home win against Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk and scoring the game-winner against SKA in St. Petersburg two days later, Dynamo's player and Habs' prospect Alexander Avtsin has been named KHL rookie of the week.

Let's remember that he also had an assist in the game against Neftekhimik. In the two games played he finished +3 and had around 7 minutes of average ice time.

The other awarded players were goalkeeper Vitaly Eremeev (Dynamo Moscow), blueliner Vitaly Atyushov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk) and forward Mikelis Redlihs (Dinamo Riga).

Dynamo Moscow forward Alexander Avtsin, drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, scored his first KHL goal. On December 11, 2009, Avtsin scored his team's fourth goal in a game against Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Dynamo won 4:0.

"I think it was my best game in Dynamo jersey. I scored a goal, our line got some points too. We will work even harder. Now I feel great not only because I scored but also because the whole team played great," said Avtsin to a Russian site Championat.ru after the game.

Below is the video of Avtsin's first KHL goal.

Dynamo Moscow players had to use Moscow underground to reach the Luzhniki arena in time for a game against Ak Bars Kazan.

Most of Dynamo players were driving to the game in a club's bus but due to a traffic jam they had to leave the bus and use metro. Only the players who used their cars got to the arena beforehand and skated in the pre-game warm-up. They players who used metro joined their partners in the locker room after the warm-up.

"All of our players are in the locker room right now, preparing for the game," said Dynamo coach Igor Zhilinskiy to Gazeta.ru minutes before the game.

The game start wasn't delayed.

"As usual, we left our base for the game 3 hours before the starting whistle. Normally it would take us 40-45 minutes to get to the arena. But this time we had to leave the bus one hour before the game and use metro due to heavy traffic jams. I accompanied the players in metro and looked after the Finns, Swedes and Czechs so that they wouldn't get lost, " said Zhilinskiy in an interview to Sport channel after the first period.

Dynamo defeated Ak Bars 4:2, two goals were scored by Linus Omark, who prefered the KHL to the NHL past summer. Former Red Wings forward Jiri Hudler amassed 2 assits.

"Should we always get to the games by metro from now on? We should think it over. Today was the first time the Swedes saw the metro. And they liked it," said Dynamo head coach Andrei Khomutov in an interview to Sport channel after the game.

It is not the first time when players in Moscow have to use metro to get to the game in time. In 2006 Spartak Moscow football players used underground too.

After being a healthy scratch in the last few games with Dynamo Moscow, former Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators and CSKA Moscow player Oleg Saprykin has been traded to SKA St. Petersburg for hot prospect Igor Makarov.

Makarov was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round of the 2006 NHL Draft as 33rd overall pick. The quick winger participied to the Hawks' training camp a couple of seasons ago, but decided to get back to Russia after he failed securing a roster spot within the main team and apparently refusing to play in the AHL.

This year Makarov's role has diminished a bit because of SKA's depth and thus he scored only three goals in twenty-five matches. Saprykin's season has been disappointing as well, with only four markers in twenty-one regular seasons clashes.