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

Igor Misko, a 23-year-old Russian forward from SKA Saint Petersburg, has unexpectedly died today, according to the club’s official website.

Reportedly, Igor’s heart stopped beating when he was in his car. No other information is available at the moment.

Misko had played for SKA since 2005-06 season, he participated in more than 200 games.

It is not the first case of a Russian hockey player dying from heart problems. In 2008, one of hockey’s most promising young players — Alexei Cherepanov of Avangard Omsk — passed away during a game. He was just 19.

Photo: Igor Misko from SKA’s official website.

There’s an old saying in Russia that if you’re promised something, you will have to wait three years to get it (if at all).   Yet when I contacted Maxim Kitsyn — a Russian and the Los Angeles Kings’ 6th-round draft pick — for an interview I got a quick response. An enthusiastic “yes,” followed by immediate action. I sent him questions, and less than 24 hours later I had his answers — all this while he was participating in the Kings’ prospect camp.

This was just my first insight into Kitsyn’s maturity, responsibility and dedication to play in North America.  It is clear that he takes his career very seriously.

In speaking with him prior to the interview, I found him to be a very gracious and courteous person.  As you will see, he is also well spoken (his answers were sent back to us in Russian and translated by Goddess Thorkhild). Though he replied in his native tongue, he does like to practice his English whenever he gets a chance.

HockeyGoddesses: Since you don’t play in here yet we’d like to let the fans in Los Angeles and North America get to know you personally.

What did you do in Los Angeles during the draft? Had you been in North America before? How did you like it?

Maxim Kitsyn: I came to Los Angeles with my parents, and there was one more Russian on the plane — Stas Galiyev [Stanislav Galiev, who was selected by the Washington Capitals in the 3rd round].  He was with his mom too.  So we didn’t have time to get bored.  And during the draft my parents, my agent, his daughter and our lawyer went somewhere each day.  We either went shopping or went to the ocean. We didn’t manage to go to Hollywood.  There were terrible traffic jams that day.

HG: Have you always wanted to play in the NHL?

MK:  Yes, of course.  I don’t know any young hockey player in Russia who wouldn’t like to play in this league.

HG: What players did you admire growing up?

MK: If you name any NHL player of this time I’d say I liked his game. I cannot distinguish anyone specific.

HG: What do you like to do in your free time during the season?

MK: I don’t have much spare time, but when I do, I like to have a good rest. I also like to spend time with my friends, but we don’t meet often. I see one of my friends only once a year, though we live just a five-minute walk from each other. And, of course, I love to be with my girlfriend; we just go for a walk or sit somewhere in a cafe, for example.

HG: What do you do in the off-season?

MK: Usually I rest a little.  Last year I was in Turkey, and before the camp of my KHL team I go train in America or Canada. This year our playoffs were over at the end of April and the tests [the NHL Combine] before the draft were just a month away.  All of the guys from my team were resting, and I had to go to the rink everyday to keep up my physical conditioning.  I wanted to go somewhere to vacation between the NHL Combine and the draft, but my family had a lot to do this summer, and I didn’t manage to leave. Now, the Los Angeles Kings have chosen me, and our [development] camp started earlier than all others — just four days after the draft. So I am spending my holidays this way. :)

HG: Who has had the greatest influence on your career? What was his or her best advice?

MK: My parents.  They often sacrificed themselves to help me and my brother (he is three years older).  They did everything for us, so that the only thing we had to do was to go on the ice and play hockey. For example, in the hockey school I went to, every age group had the year when training started at 7 a.m. in the morning.  At 6:15 a.m. you had to be in the dressing room, so at 6 a.m. you had to leave home. Mom got up at 5 a.m. to start cooking for us. I am very grateful to my parents. Me and my brother still play hockey. But if not for them we wouldn’t have achieved anything.

HG: When do you think you will come to play in North America?

MK: In fact, I have wanted to come to play in the Canadian Hockey League, but I have a contract with a Kontinental Hockey League club [Metallurg Novokuznetsk], and no CHL team previously wanted to take a risk by picking me in the draft. But this year, Mississuaga has chosen me.  If everything is worked out and I can come at least by the end of the year to the Ontario Hockey League, I’ll be very happy.

HG: There are many great Russians playing in the KHL that we, here in North America, have never seen. Who is the best player in the KHL that nobody in North America has heard of?

MK: I don’t know who you have heard about and who you haven’t, but I can say that there are very many players in the KHL who could become leaders in the NHL.

HG: What advice can you give young players? How can a player achieve the highest level of hockey?

MK: To listen to the coach and to keep doing your business as a professional. There are moments when you feel you can’t manage to do anything and want to leave it all, but then you remember what goals you have and understand that you must keep going.

HG: Do you have any training secrets?  How do you psychologically prepare for games?

MK: Those I keep to myself ;).  I’ll say one thing:  Each hockey player and sportsman in general have their little secrets. :)

Photos: Maxim Kitsyn and fan by Goddess Sasha. Kitsyn in Kings jersey by Getty Images.

As I’ve watched the Kovalchuk bonanza (note slight sarcasm), the thought has occurred to me repeatedly that perhaps he will be the next Alexei Yashin. Some of the warning signs might already be there.

Yashin. Awesome player, but a guy maybe too many people expected too much out of. Maybe they expected more leadership than he could give. Hey, some guys just aren’t made that way. Maybe he was overpaid. (Maybe, they all are, but we won’t go there.) But being deemed an “overpaid” player brings massive pressure and expectation. Yashin was a captain for two different NHL teams — that’s a heaping helping of stress and responsibility for pretty much anyone, but for some it’s like trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Some guys are best left doing what they do best and no more. In Kovalchuk’s case, wind up, shoot, score, sneak out of the area and slip off to Morton’s in your sweet baby blue Bentley. No questions asked. As captain in Atlanta, he was never the media guy or the go-to-for-a-quote guy, which is part of the captain’s gig.

But what does Kovy have to do with Yashin? You’re probably thinking I am crazy. Maybe you’re right, but I am thinking several steps down the line. Let’s say Kovalchuk signs with the New York Islanders as is now the tasty rumor of the day. (The Islanders are, coincidentally, Yashin’s last NHL team. I won’t even mention the coincidence that Kovy and Alexei have the same patronymic, er, middle name: Valeryevich) Anyway. So, he signs with the Isles, he gets massive dollars, massive term. With it he gets the scrutiny of the New York media. He also gets the love (and hate) of the New Yawk fans. Whereas in Atlanta, he could slip out the back door without answering questions, in New York (or any other hockey haven) he’ll be held to account. A quiet night at The Cheesecake Factory (a Kovy fave)? Fuggetaboutit. In New York the fans will put him to the test even as he tries to enjoy that triple turtle cheesecake with extra whipped cream. Nobody will be polite. Nobody will call him Mr. Kovalchuk. It’ll be right up in his face with something like this: “What the [bleep] were you [bleeping] doing in last night’s [bleeping] game you [bleepity-bleepity-bleep]?! You bum!”

Kovalchuk has said in the past that he prefers anonymity and after years of watching how he handles himself around Atlanta, I am inclined to believe it. He’s spent years ducking the two or three reporters who make the ATL locker room scene. How will it feel to have a face full of ultra pushy reporters every single night and no way to sneak off into the darkness? Will he wilt? Thrive? Get angry? Or get “Yashin-ed” (that is to say, blamed for everything)?

Let’s say he is made captain of his new team. Can he handle the pressure? People might argue that sure he can. Of course! He’s held up under the gun of the Russian national team. He’s even excelled. But I argue, this is different. Much different. As a member of the national team, he’s among friends and fellow countrymen. He’s at home. In North America, he’s a bit of a fish out of water. He doesn’t seem to have the same comfort level here as, say, an Alexander Ovechkin (or his NHL-trailblazing forefather Sergei Fedorov), for example. He’s a bit of a homebody. Married young, with three young kids. Yet … like Yashin, he has a wife who was somebody once. Where Yashin has former supermodel Carol Alt, Kovalchuk has Nicole, who sang in a popular Russian, all-female group before settling down. Maybe she’s pushing to jumpstart a career here in the U.S.? If that’s the case, L.A. or N.Y. would be A-OK from her standpoint.

Alexei Yashin was vilified for holding out for more money when he was with the Ottawa Senators. Kovalchuk is painted by many here in North America as a “greedy bastard” — all about the money, not about the winning. Is it true? The jilted Thrasher fan in me has a tiny “yes” peeping inside. If he wanted to win, he could have done what Marian Hossa did: Hand-picked teams he felt had excellent chances of winning. Instead, if rumors are true, and that he’s asking for the sun, the moon AND the stars, he will have a limited number of teams able to pony up that kind of money. And, by all accounts, the number of teams is quite limited (teams in the Kontinental Hockey League notwithstanding). At the moment he seems to be proving the all-he-cares-about-is-money crowd to be correct. People said that about Yashin too.

Yashin was a solid player, really, but he could not shoulder the heavy burden of expectation that his contract placed on him. Some players thrive under such burdens, some break their sticks in frustration, cast them into the stands and get suspended by the league (hello Kovalchuk!).

Let’s say he gets his big NHL pay day. He gets his long-term contract. He gets the sought-after no-trade clause. Let’s say he’s playing in the pressure cooker of a New York or under the bright lights in Hollywood. How will he hold up? One could argue that he didn’t hold up particularly well in Atlanta, where the spotlight isn’t as bright and the pressure is, well, close to nil. Sure he got his goals, but he was prone to brooding and fits of immaturity, particularly when things weren’t going well. (He was prone to moments of brilliance as well, no doubt about it.) One could argue that he didn’t lead Atlanta to glory. As a matter of fact, one wouldn’t need to argue that. It’s a fact. One could argue he’s a sniper, pure and simple, not a leader. One could argue — and many have — that he’s obsessed not with winning, but with money. Time will tell the true tale.

Five or six years down the road, I think we could be talking about one of two things: Kovalchuk being “Yashin-ed” — bought out and essentially forgotten by the league; or he experiences a modicum of success, but not as THE leader of whatever team he is playing for. If Kovalchuk wins anywhere, he will be a key piece, but not THE piece that seals the deal. He’s just not that kind of guy.

A third option — and one I still consider a possible scenario — is that he does go ply his trade in the KHL, spurning whatever offers come his way here in North America and going for the really big dollars the KHL can offer. I believe superstars like Kovalchuk are leaned on heavily by the powers that be in Russia and Kovalchuk recently supplanted Alexei Morozov as the captain of Team Russia. I could see Kovalchuk returning in glory to play in the KHL. Coincidentally, the KHL team said to be the front runner for his services? SKA St. Petersberg — Alexei Yashin’s team.

Photos: Ilya Kovalchuk; Alexander Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk; and Alexei Yashin by Goddess Kaatiya. Copyright 2007-2010. All Rights Reserved.

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.

“Loco del calor!” as David Lee Roth once sang (and as we in the South are experiencing). Plus, I refuse to use the word “frenzy” today. Here comes a blog-along, like NHL Draft Day. So bear with me as things get crazy!

*  Wow!   Dan Hinote an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Guess he’s retired.  Unless he’s going the player-coach “Slap Shot” route!

*  More once it hits noon!

* Michael Leighton re-signed in Philly. (Two-year deal.)

* Paille re-signs Boston. Savvy can address later!

* It’s noon.  Let the game begin!

*  Sergei Gonchar moves to Ottawa!

* Former Thrasher Braydon Coburn stays with Philly (two year deal, per Craig Custance). Thank you D-Wad for losing him for Alexei Zhitnik! Grrrr…

* COME ON THRASHERS!!!!!

* People who do on-air fonts need to remember the difference between a person who “resigns” and a person who “re-signs.” HUGE difference, loves. /copyeditor rant

* Alex Tanguay (back) to Calgary Flames. Wow.

* Philly VERY busy! They got Andrei Meszaros from Tampa.

* BABCHUCK’S BACK. The ‘Canes pick up their on-again, off-again, sometimes troublesome Slavic baby.

* Wheee! Guillaume Latandresse re-signs with Minnesota Wild. Get WILD!!

* Marty Biron leaves Philly for New York Rangers — will he be the next Kevin Weekes — never able to secure that No. 1 goalie situation. I think he already is the new Kevin Weekes.

* Come on Thrashers — if you can’t get the Moose, get DAN ELLIS! YEAH! Come on!

* Former prime minister Paul Martin to Pittsburgh!? What’s going down with NJ?!

* Does letting Paul Martin go mean a Kovalchuk signing is nigh?!?

* Dying to see where Kovy goes — is he a greedy bastard? Or does he just dislike Atlanta’s direction? Does he go to LA to revive his wife’s singing career?!

* Little Philippe Paradis traded! Awww Mr. Glasses from last year’s draft to Blackhawks. Versteeg going back to Leafs.

* Zybenk Michalek to Pittsburgh. (Five years, 20 mil.)

* COME ON THRASHERS GET SOMEONE GOOD!!!

* Colby Armstrong to Toronto — three years, $9 million. That’s a lot, I think.

* Dan Ellis goes to Atlanta rival Tampa Bay. On the plus side, no more Niitty in Tampa (for those who don’t know, Atlanta has never beaten Niittymaki). On the minus, oh Dan Ellis would have been a fabulous bit of marketing for the Thrashers.

* Olie Jokinen back to the Flames — really? Is that possible? Hard to believe that rumor.

* Jody Shelley to Flyers. Gosh. Excitement today. The Flyers are going wacky today?! No?

* Tough guy-o-rama: Derek Boogaard to New York. Yowza!

* I guess it’s OK to mention here that deep in my heart I still wish for Kovy back in Atlanta.

* Where will Slava Kozlov end up? I am afraid it might be the KHL.

* Surprisingly unsurprising or unsurprisingly surprising. Colby leaving ATL. No surprise. Everyone, myself included, figured he’d go rejoin the Penguins and his bromance-worthy pal Crosby. I wish him all the best in Toronto. He’ll be entertaining to the media if nothing else, because of, you know, who he is. ;-)

* Not all that surprising that Kovy is still unsigned. I am sure he has a million and one options to go through. But, wondering, if at some point he doesn’t start getting into a pickle in which teams keep spending and have less room for him. Therefore, he ends up with fewer choices?

* Chris Viv (@ajcthrashers on Twitter) reports that the Thrashers are “working” on their goaltender situation. Oooooh. I wonder if that just means re-signing The Moose. Or bringing back Michael Garnett?!?! (Whose hockey cards I still collect incidentally, and who has really done well in the KHL.)

* I like the Tampa Bay Lightning re-signing Martin St. Louis. He’s solid. He’s a Thrasher killer, but he just works there. Way to go Tampa on Marty and getting Dan Ellis, whom I coveted for the Thrashers.

* Where will Goddess Sasha fave Paul Kariya go?!?

* So Dan Hamhuis (great last name) to the Canucks. Interesting. I never thought Dan Hamhuis would be an edge-of-your-seat, where-will-he-go?!? kind of guy. No offense to him, but it’s wacky.

* So Thrashers free agents: Maxim Afinogenov, Pavel Kubina, Eric Boulton, Evgeny Artyukin, (my dear and beloved) Vyacheslav Kozlov, Chrisoph Schubert, Chris Chelios (LOL), Marc Popovic and Johan Hedberg. NONE of these guys is signed. Yowza! Maybe Goddess Thorkhild has some scoop from Russia about Afinogenov, Kozlov or Artyukin (??).

* D-Men in hot demand today.

* Some of these deals just don’t thrill: Jeff Tambellini to Vancouver. Maybe if it was my team. Hmph.

* Chris Mason signs with Thrash — wow. I am going to need a few seconds/minutes/days to think about this, particularly the loss of fan-fave Hedberg, which this certainly means.

* Yowza — Chicago South for the Thrashers with Andrew Ladd coming to the ATL for a pick. Go Dudley??

* I haven’t mentioned Volchenkov. I guess I am lazy. Volchenkov to New Jersey. Blah, blah, blah.

* So from the Bizarro World Olie Jokinen goes back to the Calgary Flames. Interesting. Anyone have any thoughts?!

* As an aside, the Bizarro World is a place in DC comic book land where the inhabitants do the opposite. Of course anyone who watched “Seinfeld” is somewhat familiar with this world.

* Ivan Vishnevskiy we hardly knew thee. He goes back to Chicago in the Andrew Ladd deal. Weird.

* The dismantling of the Blackhawks begins. The Blackhawks do stock up in so doing. Goddess Savvy foresaw this in a wonderful post just days after the big victory.

* I am a bit sad that Thrashers pretty much ended up with nada for Kari Lehtonen, a former first-round draft choice, going second overall (after Rick Nash!!!).

* Two-year deal for Chris Mason from Atlanta Thrashers. I am not as excited about this as I might have been about Dan Ellis, though, it might turn out better? Thoughts anyone?

* If Olie Jokinen can go back to Calgary, how ’bout the Thrashers bring back Marc Savard! (Just kidding, Goddess Savvy.)

* @benthrashers tweets: “Chris Mason was 13th in the NHL in wins and GAA and finished all 61 games he started.” NICE!

* @craigcustance reports Johan Hedberg is likely headed to New Jersey. I feel a bit sad, despite the post above.

* If you made it this far in the post, thank you for reading. How about giving me a shout out? Leave a comment and say, “I read this post and I didn’t even get a stinking T-shirt.”

* Hey! The Sabres are going to sign brave, brave Jordan Leopold. And there was much rejoicing. (Later, they will eat Sir Robin’s minstrels.)

* Curious about Garnet Exelby — a former Thrasher and huge fan favorite in Atlanta. Also wondering about Manny Legace and Jose Theodore.

* We need some more bloggers — are you reading this? Interested? Message Goddess Kaatiya.

* If “frenzy” didn’t start with an “F” would it always be a “frenzy” on free agent day?

* Now that the Thrashers have raided the Blackhawks’ closet, when are they going to nab John Torchetti?!?

* It’s been uncannily quiet on the Kovalchuk front. KHL rumors — no? Any rumors? Only the tired LA one. Let’s hear something on Kovy!

* Selfishly, I want Kovy either back in ATL (not gonna happen, I know) or in the K. That way I can still cheer for him.

* Turco? Nabokov? Theodore? Toskala? What’s up boys?

* As a Thrasher fan I am thrilled that Thrasher killer Antero Niittymaki is OUT OF THE EASTERN CONFERENCE! Yes! (As I mentioned above, the Thrashers have never beaten Niitty.)

* Awww … the Ducks re-signed Saku Koivu. Now I can continue to never see him anymore (alas).

* Saw that people call Dustin Byfuglien “Buff Daddy.” Now this I love. Perfect for ATL, yo.

* A source is reporting that the Los Angeles Kings are now the only suitors left for Kovalchuk, New Jersey Devils are out — he’s too rich for their blood. I still have an inkling that the KHL could be calling. But maybe Kovalchuk’s wife wants to renew (?), rejuvenate (?), or in the eyes of some start a career in L.A. Hmmm…

* Where might a personal favorite of mine — Darcy Tucker — go?

* Gotta give props to @TSNBobMcKenzie — that dude’s got sources and sources and more sources.

* Well, that about wraps this up for me. What are you thoughts on the NHL’s free agent day? Share ‘em with us!

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.

It’s not even July 1 yet the frenzy has already started.  June 15 marked the first day teams could begin to buyout contracts, and indeed no time was wasted with Montreal buying out Georges Laraque.  And that’s not the only frenzy.  Teams are either signing or releasing prospects left and right, trying to make some financial decisions before free agency begins.

One thing none of the goddesses banked on was the potential for some big trades prior to free agency.  Yet that’s exactly what has happened.  I mean, who would have thought Jaroslav Halak of all players would be traded?  Being a restricted free agent, Halak was going to get a raise and playing in the salary cap era I guess Montreal figured he wasn’t worth it with Carey Price waiting in the wings.  In their defense, they got a highly touted Swedish prospect in Lars Eller, so perhaps it will prove to be a shrewd move.

As usual, the Avalanche have continued to offer one-year deals to no-names and mediocre prospects, so I’ll have to continue to live vicariously through other teams that are making real moves.  I can still pretend they’re going to go after Ilya Kovalchuk on July 1.

Speaking of Russians, there has been little news on other UFAs such as Slava Kozlov and Maxim Afinogenov.  Kozlov is rumored to have a KHL deal in the works, while Afinogenov has been mysteriously quiet, apparently refusing the one-year deal the Atlanta Thrashers offered him.  Of course, we have to remember they’re all still under contract and won’t be available until free agency officially starts.

And let’s not forget the NHL draft is now just a week away.  Not only are we looking forward to our teams drafting some hot prospects, but many a big trade has been made on draft day and we are hopeful that there will be some additional excitement.

So maybe it’s not July 1, but we goddesses are enjoying the little bit of foreplay before the main event.

Photo: Jaroslav Halak by Goddess Kaatiya. Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserverd.

He’ll never be an Alexander Ovechkin or an Ilya Kovalchuk.  Heck, he won’t even be a Maxim Afinogenov or a Ruslan Fedotenko.  After all, in 40 games for Sibir of the Kontinental Hockey League he had no goals and just one assist.  But given a chance, he just might just join the ranks of Slava Fetisov and Sergei Zubov.  That’s because Nikita Zaytsev is a defenseman.

Amidst all the hype of the Russians in this year’s draft, baby-faced Zaytsev has flown under the radar of most fans.  In fact, even sports writers have misrepresented him.  One article from NHL.com headlines a story saying that he patterns himself after Mike Green, based on Nikita’s statement that he thought Green was one of the most exciting defensemen to watch.  Certainly not something many of us who value defensive defensemen find all that appealing.

However, one only needs look at his international statistics to see what kind of player he really is.  A +7 with 5 points, 4 being assists, at the U18 Worlds a year ago show the caliber of Rob Blake, rather than a Mike Green.  Talk to his teammates and opponents both internationally and in Russia and they will tell you that his defensive zone play is impeccable.  His speed, skill and hockey intelligence are already proving him to be one of the top in the KHL, making him a tough opponent — all this from a kid who is only 18 years old playing against men twice his age and with the twice the experience.  I know, what else would you expect from a Russian-lover like me?  Still, I’m not the only one excited about him.  He may be flying under the average NHL fan’s radar, but the scouts are definitely talking.

Not only does he have the skill and speed of a seasoned professional, but he is quickly adding size and strength to his overall resume.  Despite only being 176 lbs at 6’ 1”, he scored in the top six at the NHL combine in both jump tests and bench press (including the push test), demonstrating all-around power and strength.  Not bad for a skilled, agile defenseman who still has some growing to do.  These numbers, no doubt, did not go unrecognized by many of the organizations.

As a Colorado Avalanche fan I can only dream of landing such a fantastic prospect.  Unfortunately, though, the Avs will probably be drafting another tiny offensive defenseman.  It’s really too bad, because this kid has all the tools to become one of the great all-around defensemen in the NHL.

With Rob Blake retiring this year, someone needs to step in and be that type of player in the league.  Nikita Zaytsev just might be the one.

Photo: Nikita Zaytsev by Elena Rusko (rusko.fishup.ru), 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.

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.