Here’s a brief summary of some of the hot hockey stories making the rounds in the Russian press this week.

- SKA Saint Petersburg signed ex-San Jose Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov to a 4-year, $24 million (USD) contract.

- Reportedly, former Atlanta Thrashers player Slava Kozlov wants to play in Russia. He is in talks with several clubs.

- Kontinental Hockey League studies details on 23-year-old SKA player Igor Misko’s sudden death.

-  The Washington Capitals took four Russians to their summer camp.

-  Detroit Red Wings and team Russia forward Pavel Datsyuk has entered the university in his native city of Ekaterinburg.  He will study sports management.

Photo: Vyacheslav Kozlov by Goddess Kaatiya. Copyright 2009-2010. All Rights Reserved.

One of the best Russian goalies in the NHL — Evgeni Nabokov — has signed a 4-year contract with SKA (Saint Petersburg), Sovsport.ru reports.

On Wednesday we sorted out the last small difficulties, and Zhenya [a nickname for Evgeni in Russian] signed the contract with the SKA. The agreement was e-mailed to him. Now Zhenya is going to set up him home problems — he should close his house in San Jose, to sell all the unneeded stuff… He moves to Russia with his whole family. The sum of his contract suits him. And KHL is satisfied – to have such a player means to raise the prestige of the league in the world, — said Nabby’s agent Sergei Isayev.

SKA refuses to name the contract sum.  And the club denies that this agreement with Nabokov will prevent them from fighting for Ilya Kovalchuk.

Photo:  Evgeni Nabokov from Sovsport.ru

Budding Russian star Alexander Burmistrov, who was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers admitted he was very happy with this.

“I’m so happy,” he told Russia’s SportExpress.ru.

With their selection of Burmistrov in the first round, the Thrashers once again dip into a pool of extremely talented Russian players. The organization, no doubt, hopes Burmistrov can blossom into goal scorer, like his predecessors Ilya Kovalchuk and Maxim Afinogenov. So who is this newest Russian to join the Thrashers? We know he was taken in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft (8th overall pick). We know he is smallish — at just 5’11″ and 157 pounds, but that is sure to change as he grows and gets older. Some quotes from the man himself might help illuminate his character. (Quotations translated from Russian by Goddess Thorkhild.)

I knew that Atlanta was interested in me. We had interviews both in Toronto, and already here. But I was quite agitated. Since the very morning.

Question: What do you know about Altanta?

It’s very hot there. This city is called “Hotlanta,” isn’t it? By the way, the first NHL game I saw live was Toronto-Atlanta.

Question: Are you going to seek advice from [former Thrashers] Ilya Kovalchuk or Slava Kozlov?

No, why? I will go and see myself.

Question: If you can’t manage to crack Atlanta’s first team, what are you going to do?

I won’t come back to the Kontinental Hockey League for sure. The KHL is a good league, but I’m in the mood to play here [in North America] and I don’t want to take steps back.

---

Burmistrov also gave an interview to the AllHockey.ru. Here are the most interesting bits.

When I went to the stage [at the NHL Entry Draft] I didn’t understand anything, I was in a coma-like state. When I was on stage, [NHL Commissioner] Gary Bettman welcomed me, then I started to recover.

I had my parents, my brother, two agents, the agent’s daughter, and Vanya Telegin [Ivan Telegin, whom the Thrashers selected in the fourth round] with his mother and parents with me. We are on good terms, so we sat in one sector. And I’m very glad Atlanta selected him too.

I was rather surprised during the photoshoot. When they were taking a photo of me standing with a puck, they told me, “Show us who you are.” I thought it was rather strange.

During my time in Los Angeles I went to a beach, to Universal studios. It was fantastic, I can’t explain it with words. Then I went to Disneyland. When my agent and I walked around the center, I suddenly say a man in white running towards us. When he reached us, I knew he was Sidney Crosby! Simply running in the center of L.A. He was the only celebrity I saw there.

* For more on Alexander Burmistrov, be sure to check out Goddess Kaatiya’s pre-draft profile of him.

Photos: Alexander Burmistrov draft day portraits from Getty Images.

Former NHL star Alexander Mogilny has signed a new contract with Amur Khabarovsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, according to the club’s official website. Mogilny will continue his work there as a sports consultant. He was previously responsible for the selection work in North America.

The elusive Mogilny last played for the New Jersey Devils (and their AHL Affiliate at the time, the Albany River Rats) before slipping into retirement at the end of the 2005-06 season. An Olympic and Stanley Cup champion, Mogilny once left behind the city and country he again embraces, having defected from the Soviet Union to the United States in 1989 to play for the Buffalo Sabres.

Khabarovsk, where Amur is based, is Mogilny’s native city. Located in the Far Eastern part of Russia, it is a long way from Moscow but rather close to the North America. That’s quite comfortable for Mogilny who lives in the USA, if I am not mistaken.

So let’s wait and see what this famous player will be responsible for this season in the KHL.

Photo: Alexander Mogilny from HC Amur Khabarovsk’s official website.

The famous Czech player Jaromir Jagr is to continue his career in the Russian KHL team “Avangard” (which are also called “Hawks”). He has signed a one-year contract with the club, the official Avangard website reports.

Meanwhile, a Russian sports site Sovsport.Ru has published an article about what people in Omsk think about Jaromir after the dramatic final at IIHF Worlds. Russia lost all the chances after a Russian player “broke the rules” on Jagr and was sent off. Later the referees admitted their mistake, but the Czech Republic had become the new world champion.

The reporter took several pictures of Jagr and walked around Omsk with them.

REPORTAGE shop

- This is Jaromir Jagr, – said a salesman, – only a shaved one. We haven’t seen him for a long time. I think he was here last summer – he bought training shoes for 5 thousand rubles [~$160]. The ordinary shoes, even I can afford them.

GLAMOUR cafe

Jagr has a club card there and often visits their strip-hall.

- Jagr is a bit tired from this fame. He comes to us with his Czech fellow players and sits in the corner, – said the senior club administrator Larissa.

- He never ran close to the stage, but girls danced in his zone. Jagr often asked a girl named Lyalya for her private dancing, – said a manager.

- Before the world champs Jagr came here and was very disappointed. He told me: Lyalya! You’re pretty, you should dance! This is it, I say, I don’t dance anymore. But how come, he answers, you must dance, you’re so beautiful and such a good girl! And I’m not in dancing for only a month. I danced for three years, and I miss it. I danced for Jaromir three or four times during nights, – said Lyalya, a former dancer, who is now one of the managers.

CAR WASH

- The man from your photo is always in a hurry. When we wash his car, he never goes out. IS THIS JAGR??? I saw him on ice, but didn’t find anything common with our client. What shall we do now? To shout “Avangard is the champion” the next time? – asked a car washer.

SUPERMARKET “ASTOR”

- Jagr comes to us almost every midnight, he lives in a 9-storey block of flats. He has a discount card (7% off), his usual purchase is 300 rubles (~$10). He takes a small basket and takes children cake cheeses, five or six bottles of pure water, honey, jam, chocolate, and then he goes to bacon and sausages department, – said a security guard.

- Sure we know him, – smiles a saleswoman in the department. – His favorite weight is 300g, he always experiments, takes various sorts of bacon or sausages. Perhaps, Jaromir hasn’t yet found his bacon?

BEER RESTAUTANT “At Svejk”

- The favorite Jagr’s dish is the one with special cheese, Czech schnitzel with chicken and mashed potatoes, he can have two courses at a time, – said a waitress Julia. – Jagr both orders stuff to his home and has lunches here with his girlfriend Inna and a friend Nicas. He usually sits in the very corner with his back to the door, eats very fast and rushes out. He spent here a lot of time only once or twice. Jagr is friends with our Czech chef. When Jaroslav Psota was here, he was told ‘Jaromir has come!’, and he made special courses for the player. Now Jaroslav is back in Czech Republic. But when Jagr is back, the chef is back, too!

All the people of Omsk on the “Jagr route”, marks the reporter, were surprisingly good-willed to the Czech star. And in spite of the sad result of the IIHF final [for Russia] they’re waiting for Jaromir in autumn.

Photo: Jaromir Jagr by Sovsport.Ru

Ah! The Russian prospects. They come with so many questions nowadays. One thing there is no question about is Alexander Burmistrov’s skill. The 5’11″, 157-pound prospect was unquestionably one of the bright lights of the 2009-10 OHL season, playing 62 games with the Barrie Colts. And like the brightest of stars, he dazzles all who observe him.  With his sparkling ability to dance with the puck, deke his opponents and score with incredible flair, he’s pure excitement on skates, drawing comparisons to players like Alexei Kovalev and Maxim Afinogenov.

E.J. McGuire, Director of Central Scouting imaginatively describes him thus:

He’s like a water spider out there on the ice. Light on his feet, but he’s got a venomous strike like a snake when he goes on the offense.

Wow! He sounds like my kind of player. Explosive. Dynamic. Eye-popping and heart-poundingly exciting.  As a devoted Thrasher fan, I say bring him on!

Burmistrov is probably the best-known Russian name in the draft, having showed his stuff in North America this year. He’s one of the most highly touted prospects overall and is at the top of every mock draft, but like every Russian in recent years, he comes with the unspoken asterisk. Will he play for whatever team drafts him? Will he stick it out in the NHL like his hero Pavel Datsyuk has? Or, like an increasing number of exciting Russian players, will he leave after a few years in favor of home cooking?

For what it’s worth, he seems sincere in his desire to play in the NHL one day. He is on the record as saying he wants to stay in North America, that the NHL is his dream and that North American hockey “is my type of game.” But, as seems to happen with all Russian players, rumors have surfaced in the run up to the draft that he might return to the KHL for a year or two. However, Burmistrov was quoted in May in the National Post saying it was the NHL do or die for him — money be damned:

The KHL [could] give me lots of money, but for me it doesn’t matter money, I want to play in the NHL. When I’m older maybe I move back, but now I want to play in the NHL and that’s my dream.

Scouts have knocked him for his size. One anonymous NHL scout quoted in The Hockey News 2010 NHL Draft preview issue grumbled, “I don’t care how dynamic you are, he’s 146 pounds and built like Gilligan.” Funny and honest, but a little unfair. He is, after all, only 18 and like most 18-year-old kids, he has a lot of growing to do yet.

The Russian factor seems to be the biggest deterrent to teams that would draft him. It’s popular now to stamp all Russians with the “wildcard” label. (Again, the unspoken asterisk.) This Russian, really, is no exception — though to a lesser extent than some since he’s developed cred, having played in Canada this year and having said all the right things to the media.

The asterisk I’d like to put next to every name on the board this year would say: ” * ALL prospects are wildcards.” None of us knows how any of them will turn out — no matter how highly they are touted. If you remember Alexandre Daigle or Rico Fata or Patrik Stefan (yes we Thrasher fans do), raise your hand. Going high is no guarantee of stardom. Conversely, going low is not a guarantee you’ll become a used car salesman in a one-horse town in Canada or a widget maker somewhere  in Siberia.

Time will tell the tale. In the meantime, let’s cut the Russian players a little bit of slack and stop being so cynical. Let’s take Burmistrov at his word and imagine he’s the next Pavel Datsyuk. Not the next Pavel Brendl (a bust) or Alexander Radulov (KHL defector).

Photos: Alexander Burmistrov at combine from Getty Images; Alexander Burmistrov at World Championships from Wikipedia Commons.

Vladimir Tarasenko isn’t a household name -– yet.  And it still might be a while.

What? You haven’t heard of him either?

With the 2010 NHL draft just around the corner, other Russian names might stick out more.  The drama surrounding the former potential number one selection in Kirill Kabanov, or Barrie Colts standout Alexander Burmistrov, have thrust other Russian names into blogs and other news sources throughout North America.

Ironically, however, the first Russian to go in this year’s draft will most likely be someone who has never played in North America, and whom many people have never heard of.    That’s because Vladimir Tarasenko has been quietly tearing up the ice half a world away in Russia.  During his second year in the Kontinental Hockey League, he scored 13 goals and 11 assists in 42 games on a struggling team — HC Sibir Novosibirsk. Not bad for a 17-year-old playing in a league filled with seasoned veterans.

A young man in the KHL, Tarasenko has chosen to stay close to home.  Very close.  In fact, his father is also his coach in Novosibirsk.  Recognizing that his son needed the support and, presumably, the supervision of his family, Tarasenko’s father advised him to stay in Russia, play with men and have the support structure he needed to develop.   I’m sure many of you parents out there can relate.  The hesitation to send your child relatively unsupervised halfway across the world to a foreign country where he has no relatives seems like a rational, and even preferable decision.

Has this hindered his chances of a high draft spot?  To both Tarasenko and his father, such talk of draft placement is irrelevant. What is most important is the young Tarasenko’s development as a player and a professional, not what number he is selected.  After all, he is still under contract with Sibir next year and won’t be looking to move to the NHL any time soon.  The irony is, despite this casual approach to the draft, it just may manifest itself in Tarasenko being the first Russian to be chosen. He’s had both a great year in Sibr and at the World Junior Cup.

Ultimately, the big question in scouts’ minds will be what most of us wonder:  Will he take the big step to the NHL once his contract with Sibir is up or remain in the KHL like many kids these days?  The fact that he hasn’t exactly been beating down the door to play in North America may be a deterrent to many teams.

However, we have to remember that Vladimir’s father is a former Soviet professional hockey player who didn’t have the chance to play in the NHL.  He has coached Vladimir for a long time and knows that the best league in the world is the ultimate achievement in any hockey player’s career.  My thought is that he is right on track to produce a very successful NHL product and while it may be a year or two down the road, Vladimir Tarasenko will soon be one of those Russians that NHL teams will hate facing due to his propensity for exploding out of nowhere and finding the back of the net.  Given his talent and style of play, he is sure to be a fan favorite wherever he lands.

Take a chance on this Russian?  You bet!  The NHL will be a more exciting place the day Tarasenko joins the league.

Photos: Vladimir Tarasenko by Elena Rusko (rusko.fishup.ru), Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Darius Kasparaitis, also known as the Unfriendly Ghost, is to become a coach in the Kontinental Hockey League. “Kaspar,” once a star in the NHL, spending years with the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, before being loaned in 2007 to the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg.

The hard-nosed Olympic Champion was reportedly invited to continue his career in Sweden, but Sportsdaily.Ru reports that Darius is staying with SKA as one of the team’s coaches.

I haven’t played for a long time [because of injuries - Thorkhild], and in some way I got used to the idea that I would have to finish my player career. I’m very thankful to the team for offering me job with SKA. I am given a chance to try myself as a coach. Now I have to become more serious. I’m not going to “bulldoze” on anyone, but I won’t be able to be “fruit” as well. My work is to learn and to help young people to show their talent, beginners will need some good advice. As for the rest, I’m with my family and children now [in Sweden]. You know, though I wasn’t born in St. Pete, during the years I’ve spent here, I’ve become its citizen. So I can’t wait and get back to your city again.” — Kasparaitis said.

Photo: Darius Kasparaitis by Goddess Thorkhild. Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved.

According to published reports in Russia, there is an increasing chance that NHL super sniper Ilya Kovalchuk will suit up for the Kontinental Hockey League next year. Kovalchuk is being courted by SKA St. Petersberg and his agent recently told Russian-language newspaper Sport-Express that he is interested in playing in his native country until the next Winter Olympics to be held in 2014 in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi, Russia.

Yury Nikolaev confirmed Kovalchuk, who has not come to terms on a new contract with the New Jersey Devils (the team holds exclusive negotiating rights to him until July 1), is now in talks with SKA.

“It is no secret. The SKA bosses and KHL President Alexander Medvedev all expressed their desire to purchase Kovalchuk in their interviews. … Ilya has a desire to play in Russia until the Sochi Olympics [in 2014],” the newspaper quotes him as saying.

Several other KHL teams, including Salavat Yulaev Ufa (now home to former-NHLer Viktor Kozlov) are reportedly interested in Kovalchuk.

Should he choose to sign with SKA St. Petersberg, Kovalchuk will join a virtual who’s who of Russian ex-NHLers such as Sergei Zubov, Sergei Brylin, Oleg Saprykin, Alexander Korolyuk, Andrei Zyuzin and Alexei Yashin. Not to mention former NHL starting goalie Robert Esche of the U.S. and Joel Kwiatkowski of Canada (who had a cup of tea with the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2007-08 season).

July 1 should be interesting!

Photo: Ilya Kovalchuk by Goddess Kaatiya. Copyright 2008-2010.

Not so long ago, soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk was one of the subjects of a television program here in Russia called “Millionaires on Ice.” Will he stay in North America? Will he come home to Russia? This clip gives some interesting insights into Kovalchuk the player, as well as Kovalchuk the personality.

Below is the video, along with my translation.

***

Translation by Goddess Thorkhild.

***

Ilya Kovalchuk: I have a lot of American acquaintances, but as for friends or people with whom I communicate with, they are very few. Because the mentality is different anyway.

At IIHF Worlds in Quebec in 2008 our hockey players won the title for the first time in 15 years. We won’t have this victory without Ilya Kovalchuk. The decisive final seemed to be lost to Canada. But 5 minutes before the end of 3d period Kovalchuk scored and equalized. 4-4. And in the overtime the precise shot by Ilya was the golden.

In the hot American state of Georgia, Ilya Kovalchuk arrived from Tver in 2001. He was just 18, and he went to Atlanta alone. His father, who had always accompanied his son, refused to fly with him this time. He thought Ilya wasn’t mature enough for the NHL, but he proved the opposite. He became the most recognizable player on the Atlanta Thrashers at once.

Ilya Kovalchuk: [At first] I always wanted to go home, and during the first two or three years after the final whistle, I took my things and ran away from here and flew to Moscow –- I missed my friends and parents.

Lyubov Kovalchuk: When he goes to Tver, he immediately phones [asking] “mom, will I have potato with mushrooms?” You will, you will.

The Americans at once shortened the surname “Kovalchuk” to a name short and convenient for them: “Kovy.” Ilya got used to that rather fast. But he is still grated by relations among people in America.

Ilya Kovalchuk: [Here] you go to the restaurant — you pay for yourself, and you pay for yourself. It’s unacceptable for us, right? What a man would let a lady pay for him?

His father taught him to skate. Valery Nikolaevich taught his son to work till exhaustion on hockey tricks and shots. Since age 15 Ilya trained in Tver in the mornings, and went to Moscow in the evenings to play for Spartak’s junior team. In Atlanta Kovalchuk plays wearing number 17, on Team Russia he wears number 71. On Team Russia, the number 17 is retired forever in memory of the legendary Valery Kharlamov. He is Kovalchuk’s idol. Professionals notice -– Ilya, like Valery once did, is able to take the game on himself and to decide the result of any game. If you’re compared with Kharlamov you’re a true superstar.

After three years of bachelor life in America Kovalchuk decided to marry a Russian only. Nicole is half Lithuanian, half Russian. In 2003 she sang with the pop group Mirage. Then she met Ilya. They had common friends. Nicole still sings.

Nicole: In the shower, in the car, for the children, to the smallest I sing lullabies, of course.

Ilya and Nicole married in church in Moscow in Novodevichiy Monastery.

Nicole:: Yes, it happened after three years after our first meeting, after birth of Carolina. You know, I never asked “When will it happen? Let’s get married.” I think the man should come to this decision himself.

Ilya Kovalchuk: My mom and dad lived together for 30-35 years, and they had such a united family, that’s why they grew us in the same way. So I knew that if I was making such a step, I should do it only once in my life.

Ilya Kovalchuk: I have my family, I have my small world in Atlanta, because I try not to get scattered, and to pay as much time as possible to my family, wife and children.

Nicole thinks that the main thing for a hockey player’s wife is a skill to have patience and wait. But then the meetings are especially joyful.

At IIHF Worlds in Switzerland in the final game against Canada team Russia hardly scored to lead in the second period. To keep such a tiny lead during the rest of the game is almost unreal. Our team was exhausting in front of us. And only Kovalchuk hardly the ice. He literally brought team Russia to the first place on his mighty shoulders.

Lyubov Kovalchuk: And in the end there was his gesture, he showed, I said “you weren’t so happy this year as last time.” He said, “mom, I was flat-out.”

Ilya’s father didn’t see the beautiful victory of his son. In 2005 Valery Nikolaevich died from a painful disease. He wasn’t even 60. Ilya still hardly perceives his father’s death.

Lyubov Kovalchuk: When Ilya started to practice, his father started a diary. The famous phrase which is often quoted now, is written in the beginning of the diary, “Our goal is the national team.”

When his father died, Ilya offered to move his mother to Atlanta. But she refused categorically.

Lyubov Kovalchuk: Why don’t I want to live with him constantly? I must have my own life.

In this Tver hospital she works already for 30 years. She gets to work by tram at 8 a.m., though she could have the most expensive car. Patients do not have any idea that she is the mother of a millionaire and a Russian superstar from the NHL Ilya Kovalchuk. It is not accepted to brag about fortune at the Kovalchuk’s.

Photo: Ilya Kovalchuk by Goddess Kaatiya. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Attention all ye graybeards (in sports terms, that’s anyone over the age of, say, 34): Let it be known that one of your own is back. That’s right, Dominik Hasek, at the downright ancient age of 45 is strapping on ye olde pads and returning to hockey.

Well, sort of.

Most NHL fans will recall his retirement from the league in 2008 shortly after helping the Detroit Red Wings return to Stanley Cup glory.

So that’s it for him right?

Well, he did sit out a year, doing whatever it is quirky retired goalies do in their Golden Years. He came out of retirement last year playing for HC Moeller Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga — the team where he got his pro career started. Now — drum roll please — he’s taking on the Kontinental Hockey League. He made it official today at a presser in Russia, donning yet another red-and-white jersey, this time the crimson “C” of HC Spartak of the KHL.

Claiming he wants a new challenge, here comes “The Dominator” (again), set to steamroll — or at least use his patented flip-flopping, rollicking style — against teams in the KHL. I can’t wait to see how he’ll hold up against the tougher competition of the KHL. I plan to check it out myself when Goddess Sasha and I hit Moscow again in November.

Can he still play? I can’t attest to it personally, but Spartak must see something in his play that made the risk of taking an old fellow like Hasek worthwhile. And he did, after all, backstop his Czech league team to the Extraliga championship this year. Perhaps he can do the same for Spartak. If so, could another NHL comeback be far behind?

If so, I daresay all of the over-the-hill, over-30, “old-timers” will be cheering for him. Hasek joins a handful of other like-really-old players we can’t help but marvel at — we marvel at their ability and will to continue on, as well as their apparent pride and unwillingness to let the kids have a shot. On the other hand, if you’ve still got it, baby, flaunt it. All the geezers who woulda, coulda, shoulda will be watching.

Photo: Dominik Hasek by Alexey Sazonov/AFP/Getty Images.

As promised, it’s time to start highlighting some of the Russian prospects you may not have heard much about –guys who will be available for this year’s draft.  And since it’s the first of several posts, we might as well start with the most controversial Russian eligible for the 2010 NHL draft to pique your interest.

Kirill Kabanov is riddled with controversy.  Google his name and you’ll find rumors that make Alexander Semin’s early NHL drama seem like kids play.  I won’t bother to take up room with extensive details, but after a buyout with the KHL, he came to Moncton of the QMJHL this year only to run back to Russia for the under-20 World Championships when faced with little playing time in Moncton.  When the coach there didn’t like what he saw, he was essentially cut from the Russian team and left in limbo.

The details are sketchy and rumors abound.  Some say his dad is controlling and forced him to abandon Moncton and go back to Russia.  Other say Kabanov’s cocky and needs to be brought down a notch.  Still others, like his coach in Russia, say that he thinks he’s better than he really is and needs to learn a lesson.  Whatever the truth, his stock in this year’s draft has declined greatly.

However, at this year’s combine, Kabanov gave one of the most impressive interviews I’ve ever seen from a guy his age.  Maybe he was groomed for the interview by his father or his agent, but it’s hard to pull off sincerity in a foreign language unless that’s exactly what it is –- sincere.  Take a look at the interview and I think you’ll see a humble, intelligent and honest 17 year old who seems wise beyond his years. Let’s not forget — he’s just a kid!

He admitted he made a mistake leaving Moncton and that he was stupid.  He emphasized that point with a Russian proverb, which personally I found quite thoughtful and endearing.  He declared his intention to play in the US, wherever that might be.  I know we’ve all heard that before, but there was no attitude in his voice, no sneer on his face.  He said it all with a genuine smile and the heart of someone who reflects on their mistakes and tries to become a better person for it.

I admit I’m biased.  I love the Russians.  But I’m also a chronic cynic and have found nothing but honesty and maturity in this kid.  Whatever he has gone through this year, he has grown tremendously and will be far ahead of many other picks in that respect in this year’s draft.  And let’s not forget, Kabanov is smart, both on and off the ice.  Yeah, I know I’ve said I love the personality and cockiness some of these guys bring to professional hockey, but in this case, I’ll take him just the way he is.

Good luck to Kirill in this year’s draft. The goddesses will be wishing him the very best.  I predict he will become a star in the NHL and sooner, rather than later and it’s a savvy team that takes a chance on him.

Photo: Kirill Kabanov from his own photo-sharing site at flickr.com.

The 2010 National Hockey League Draft Combine is underway in Toronto and the Goddesses are following the news closely. “What is this combine she speaks about?” some of you might ask.  Well, for those unfamiliar, it is the annual pre-draft evaluation of NHL prospects.  The top 100 prospects are invited for fitness evaluations, testing and interviews with general managers and scouts.

While the top North Americans are always discussed, many a Russian player has been neglected in recent years.  The fear of drafting a Russian who will ultimately decide to play in the KHL instead, as well as some general xenophobia, has contributed to this.  Unfortunately, this often leads to mention of our beloved Ruskies as a mere afterthought, with a simple glance at the “Top European Skaters” in the Central Scouting Final Rankings.

However, these journalists often forget to do their homework.  If they had, they would see that most of the top-ranked Russians are currently playing junior hockey in North America and don’t get ranked under the European category but are ranked with the other North American skaters.

The Goddesses will try to highlight the Russian prospects in the days leading to the draft with interesting anecdotes and details as these players don’t often get their fair share of publicity.  We believe this latest crop of Russian players are very talented and will make a huge impact in the NHL given a chance.

Alexander Burmistrov is one that has been particularly impressive and is currently ranked No. 11.  Others slated to go in the first couple of rounds are Stanisvla Galiev (ranked at No. 20 among North American skaters) and Kirill Kabanov (at No. 31).

Of course, we can’t forget those Russians playing overseas such as Vladamir Tarasenko and Evgeny Kuznetsov, ranked No. 2 and No. 3 among European players respectively.

As far as the combine is concerned, Russians invited to particapate were Burmistrov, Galiev, Kabanov, Tarasenko, as well as Nikita Zaytsev who is currently playing for HC Sibir Novosibirsk of the KHL.  Such talent has not been seen in some years and I will be excited to watch the draft in person to see where these young players are picked.

So stay tuned for more posts about these talented malchiki (boys).  We Goddesses think you might find them as interesting as we do.

Photo: Nikita Zaytsev from life.com.

In 2008 Ilya Kovalchuk became the godfather of his best mate Alexei Morozov’s child (photo from Hello!)

In 2009 Alexei became the godfather of Ilya’s child (photo from KP)

Alexei has a house in Miami, and Ilya often goes there with his family.

An interesting snipped from a Q&A with Russian national ice hockey team General Manager Vyacheslav Bykov on Ilya Kovalchuk.

Q: What can you say about Kovalchuk? Did he manage to get through his role of captain?

A: Absolutely! Though Ilya is still young, he is already a strong person. During three years of our meetings in the national team, he has grown up very rapidly.  I admire his professional reaction to our first call after New Jersey had left the playoffs. “When and where are you waiting for me?”– Ilya asked like this at once. I believe this spring he was the first to show the example of decent respect to his national team and his country.  The others followed his example already.

Q: If both Kovalchuk and (Alexei) Morozov go to the next worlds, and if their coach is Bykov, who will be the captain?

A: I think Kovalchuk. He represents the new generation, which has to take and is taking the relay baton in his hands. By the way, they’re friends with Morozov, Ilya is the godfather of Alexei’s child [thorkhild's note: they are the BEST mates ever, I cannot stop watching their summer photos and video interviews!] So I’m sure there won’t be any problems with that.

***

** Translated from: http://news.sport-express.ru/2010-05-26/364194/ **

Photo: Alexei Morozov and Ilya Kovalchuk from Getty Images.