Mikhail Stefanovich assigned to Dynamo Minsk (Photo © Life.com)

Belarusian forward Mikhail Stefanovich has been assigned to Dynamo Minsk of the KHL by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dynamo Minsk secured Stefanovich’s right as he was a second overall pick of the 2009 KHL junior draft.

Stefanovich, who played for the Dynamo Minsk organization up to the 2004/2005 season, played only six professional games this year, with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL and the Reading Royals of the ECHL.

After a couple of seasons in Belarus Stefanovich crossed the ocean to play in the QMJHL for the Quebec Remparts and in the 2007-08 season he won the Mike Bossy Trophy as QMJHL’s top prospect of the year. Stefanovich spent in the Q also the two following seasons. He also started playing for the Belarusian national team.

Most likely Stefanovich’s first game with Dynamo Minsk will be played on November 30 against Sibir Novosibirsk.

Roman Cervenka signs with Avangard Omsk, won’t play for the Maple Leafs (Photo © Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

As reported on the official Avangard Omsk‘s web site, Roman Cervenka signed a two years deal with the KHL team and thus won’t sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL.

Cervenka is a natural center who oddly enough has never been drafted in the NHL. His strong play in the latest couple of seasons put him under the lights and the Toronto Maple Leafs were thought favorites to sign him by most North American media outlets like ESPN or TSN.

But most likely Roman Cervenka, 24, preferred to play side-to-side with Jaromir Jagr.

Nikolai Kulemin progressing in Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo © Reuters)

Russian NHL forward Nikolai Kulemin of the Toronto Maple Leafs is improving and even if his point production is not very high, he finds other ways to contribute to the team’s success.

“Kulemin has been one of our better forwards,” said Leaf coach Ron Wilson to Toronto Star. “He doesn’t get many points, but he forechecks well. He did a great job on the penalty kill, and he made a great play on the winning goal.”

In a Tuesday game against the Florida Panthers Kulemin assisted to Alexei Ponikarovsky on the game winning goal doing most of the grunt work.

“Obviously, he had a full head of steam,” Ponikarovsky told Toronto Star. “I knew he was going to get there first, so I just went to the net and hollered at him.

“[Kulemin] is a hard-working player and a pretty good skater. When he’s going, the other team has got to trip him or do something to stop him. He’s got a lot of moves.”

Kulemin’s improvement can be partially attributed to his English getting better.

“Coach wants us to play hard and I try to do that,” Kulemin said to Toronto Star. “It’s easy for me. I understand more English.”

In 39 National Hockey League games for the Leafs Kulemin registered 6 goals, 7 assists, 13 points, a -4 rating, 62 shots on goal and 14:56 average time on ice.

Kulemin wasn’t included in the Russian Hockey Olympics 2010 roster.