Russian Players In NHL

Dec12009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Ovechkin injured after his own hit

Alexander Ovechkin injured after his own hit (Photo © Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) Alexander Ovechkin was helped off the ice after his own hit on Tim Gleason. Erik El-Bashir of the Washington Post is reporting that Ovechkin was walking after the game. I caught up to Alex Ovechkin before he boarded the team bus following tonight's 3-2 win in Raleigh, but the star winger would only say "no comment" when I inquired about his knee and the first period hit that resulted in his ejection. I did, however, get to observe him walking. He had a slight limp, but he did not appear to be wearing a brace and was not using crutches. Here is the video of the hit:

Nov292009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Andrei Loktionov to undergo surgery, will miss four months

Russian Players In NHL

Andrei Loktionov to undergo surgery, will miss four months (Photo © AP Photo) Andrei Loktionov will undergo surgery, taking him out of the lineup for four months, reports Rick Hammond of LAKingsInsider.com. Andrei Loktionov will have surgery to repair a torn capsule in his shoulder and will be out of action approximately four months, according to Dean Lombardi. It sounded as though Loktionov’s surgery and Thomas Hickey’s surgery will both take place relatively soon. Loktionov was injured in his NHL debut on November 25, after being called up from the AHL's Manchester Monarchs.

Nov282009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

NHL » Coyotes’ Viktor Tikhonov follows Filatov’s route, leaves NHL for KHL

Russian Players In NHL

Coyotes' Viktor Tikhonov follows Filatov's route, leaves NHL for KHL (Photo © khl.ru) Phoenix Coyotes' Viktor Tikhonov, who spent most of the season with their AHL affiliates, the San Antonio Rampage, is back in Moscow, as seen on the photo, where he's thought to be joining Filatov's CSKA. "My son has been sent to the KHL, he has already landed in Moscow and he's ready to play for CSKA" - said Tikhonov's father, Vasily Tikhonov, to Sovetsky Sport. "The only problem is that the league is investigating where his rights belong to. He left the NHL playing for Severstal Cherepovets, but that was two years ago". If his rights will be cleared property of the Cherepovets team CSKA will have to give some compensation to them, most likely being it a couple of picks for the next KHL draft. The 21 ye...

Nov272009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Andrei Markov eyes return on ice

Russian Players In NHL

Andrei Markov eyes return on ice (Photo © Montreal Gazette) After a long injury, finally Montreal Canadiens' superstar Andrei Markov started eyeing his return on ice, even if it won't be that soon, probably not earlier than New Year's eve, "surely before the Olympics", using his own words. Let's remember that the defenseman got injured on the season's opening night when he had a collision with team mate, goalie Corey Price and he got a teandon slashed by Price's skate. He needed a surgery and a long rehabilitation program, but now it looks like it's going to end rather soon. Markov had an interview with Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette, Russian Hockey Fans offers you a resume: I felt it in my ankle, I just bent over and saw the cut. At the time I wasn't thinking it was too bad. It's p...

Nov262009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Sergei Fedorov: “No hard feelings against Bowman. Now”

Russian Players In NHL

Sergei Fedorov: "No hard feelings against Bowman. Now" (Photo © Elsa/Getty Images) Former Detroit Red Wing Sergei Fedorov sit down for an interview with KHL magazine "Hot Ice", where he talked about his escape in the United States after the USSR collapse and about the adaptation towards a new way of live. But the most interesting part was when he talked about his relationship with Scott Bowman. I understand it now: Scotty Bowman had too many hot potatoes on his hands that he needed to juggle to keep the team successful. But back then, I think North American coaches still hadn't realized that Russians play every game from the heart, that it's not routine. For years those reproaches were all we heard: "The Russians have no idea what a playoff is, they haven't felt the Stanley Cup..." Nowad...

Nov262009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Ovechkin gets game misconduct for hit on Kaleta

Russian Players In NHL

From Corey Masisak of the Washington Times Ovechkin was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta 3:38 into the third period. According to the league rulebook, Ovechkin was hit with the major penalty at the official’s discretion, but an injury to the head or face on a major infraction is grounds for an automatic ejection. Kaleta left the ice holding his nose, and Ovechkin tossed his glove in the air in frustration as he went to the dressing room. This is the second game misconduct in Ovechkin’s career, and both have come against the Sabres. He was ejected from a game Dec. 2, 2006 during his second NHL season for checking then-Buffalo forward Danny Briere into the boards from behind. Ovechkin was also fined earlier this season after slew-footi...

Nov252009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Afinogenov is back to his old production

Russian Players In NHL

Afinogenov is back to his old production (Photo © Curtis Compton/Ajc.com) Darryl Dobbs, a popular The Hockey News writer, wrote on his blog about Maxim Afinogenov's very good start this year in a new scenario, opposed to the last two years' bad numbers. The Moscow native signed this summer a one year deal with the Atlanta Thrashers worth a relative low amount of $800,000. The shifty Russian had 134 points in 133 games for the Sabres between 2005 and 2007. In 2007-08, he was pretty much a write-off due to injury and then last campaign he got off to a slow start. In this case, Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff didn’t have a whole lot of patience. And who would? Afinogenov was coughing up the puck on a regular basis and was also snake-bitten in the scoring department. Things are different in Atlanta...

Nov252009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Evgeny Artyukhin: “I have an offer from KHL”

Russian Players In NHL

Evgeny Artyukhin: "I have an offer from KHL" (Photo © Chris McGrath/Getty Images) Evgeny Artyukhin in an interview with a Russian newspaper Sport-Express talked about the lack of ice time in Anaheim, said he would do his best to gain the coach's trust, stated that the other day he got an offer from the KHL but would finish this season in the NHL, and spoke about what the Olympic Games mean to him. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of this interview. - After Nikita Filatov's departure you became that Russian with the least time on ice in the NHL. Did you think about what's going on with you in Anaheim? Maybe Andy Carlyle just doesn't trust you? - Yeah, maybe there is some distrust. He might be afraid that I will get a penalty in some situations. It's a tough question. I don't ...

Nov222009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

NHL » Ilya Kovalchuk fights Matt Cooke, gets game misconduct

Russian Players In NHL

Ilya Kovalchuk fought Matt Cooke after the Pens forward bumped into the Russian sniper during the 3rd period of the Penguins-Thrashers game.

Nov202009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

SKA of the KHL is interested in Kovalchuk

Russian Players In NHL

SKA of the KHL is interested in Kovalchuk (Photo © Scott Cunningham, Getty Images) SKA St. Petersburg's president Alexander Medvedev declared that his team is interested in signing team Russia's superstar Ilya Kovalchuk, whose contract with the Atlanta Thrashers will run out at the end of this season. "Yes, Kovalchuk is really in the short list of players we are interested in", said Medvedev in an interview to SportsDaily.ru In spite of his healthy economical situation, the Gazprom tycoon will have hard time in getting Kovalchuk's signature under a contract, especially considering that it's rumored that he has been offered 100 million dollars for his next contract. The winner of two World Championships and one Maurice Richard trophy still hasn't decided on his future, most likely waiting ...