Archive for the 'Player Profiles' Category

18
Mar
12

Viktor Kozlov

By russkiyhockey Leave a Comment
Categories: KHL and Player Profiles

Team: Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)
Number: 25
Position: Center
Height: 6’4”/195 cm
Weight: 232 lbs/108 kg
Shoots: Right
Born: February 14, 1975 in Togliatti, RUS
Drafted: Selected by San Jose Sharks in 1st round (6th overall) of the 1993 Entry Draft

Strengths: Viktor Kozlov is a tall, versatile forward who can easily play in all three forward positions and log many minutes of ice time. Kozlov has great reach and is very skilled with the puck. He is a natural leader on and off the ice.

Weaknesses: In the NHL, Kozlov was a very streaky player. For his high skill level, he has not dominated as could be expected. Also, Kozlov does not always use his size well in physical battles.

Biography: coming soon

Club Stats:

Season Team

GP

G

A

PTS

+/-

PIM
1990-91 Lada-2 Togliatti (USSR-2)

2

2

0

2

0
1991-92 Lada Togliatti

3

0

0

0

0
1992-93 Dynamo Moscow

30

6

5

11

4
1993-94 Dynamo Moscow

42

16

9

25

14
1994-95 Dynamo Moscow

3

1

1

2

2
1994-95 Kansas City (IHL)

4

1

1

2

0
1994-95 San Jose

16

2

0

2

-5

2
1995-96 Kansas City (IHL)

15

4

7

11

12
1995-96 San Jose

62

6

13

19

-15

6
1996-97 San Jose

78

16

25

41

-16

40
1997-98 San Jose/Florida

64

17

13

30

-3

16
1998-99 Florida

65

16

35

51

+13

24
1999-00 Florida

80

17

53

70

+24

16
2000-01 Florida

51

14

23

37

-4

10
2001-02 Florida

50

9

18

27

-16

20
2002-03 Florida

74

22

34

56

-8

18
2003-04 Florida/New Jersey

59

13

20

33

-4

18
2004-05 Lada Togliatti

52

15

22

37

22
2005-06 New Jersey

69

12

13

25

0

+16
2006-07 N.Y. Islanders

81

25

26

51

+12

28
2007-08 Washington

81

16

38

54

+28

18
2008-09 Washington

67

13

28

41

-9

16
2009-10 Salavat   Yulaev Ufa

48

10

18

28

+7

43
2010-11 Salavat Yulaev Ufa

48

17

15

32

+8

14
2011-12 Salavat Yulaev Ufa

36

10

16

26

-2

8
Totals RHL/KHL Reg. Season

251

75

86

161

107
Totals RHL/KHL Playoffs

70

17

15

32

10
Totals NHL Reg. Season

897

198

339

537

-3

248
Totals NHL Playoffs

35

4

8

12

-6

10

National Team Stats:

Year Tournament

GP

G

A

PTS

PIM
1991 European U18

6

3

3

6

2
1992 European U18

6

3

3

6

4
1993 World U20

7

2

1

3

2
1996 World   Championship

8

0

3

3

0
1998 World   Championship

6

4

5

9

0
2000 World   Championship

6

1

3

4

2
2004 World   Cup

4

1

0

1

0
2005 World   Championship

9

0

1

1

0
2006 Olympic   Games

8

2

3

5

2
2010 Olympic Games

4

1

0

1

0
2010 World Championship

9

1

2

3

2
Totals U18 Level

12

6

6

12

6
Totals U20 Level

7

2

1

3

2
Totals Senior Level

54

10

17

27

6

Photo Gallery:

11
Dec
11

Semyon Varlamov

By russkiyhockey Leave a Comment
Categories: NHL and Player Profiles

Team: Colorado Avalanche
Number: 1
Position: Goaltender
Height: 6’2”/189 cm
Weight: 209 lbs/95 kg
Catches: Left
Born: April 27, 1988 in Samara, RUS
Drafted: Selected by the Washington Capitals in the 1st round (23rd overall) of the 2006 Entry Draft

Strengths: Varlamov is a prototypical butterfly-style goaltender with excellent reflexes, flexibility, and size. Varlamov has a very good save percentage early into his NHL career and is developing into a long-term no. 1 goaltender.

Weaknesses: Injuries and inconsistency had prevented Varlamov from playing a full NHL season until his fourth season. Varlamov’s puckhandling skills are his main weakness.

Biography:  Semyon Varlamov was born in Samara (then still known as Kuybyshev) – an industrial city on the Volga. After moving to Yaroslavl, a city further up the Volga, Varlamov developed into the best goalie prospect in his age group with the Lokomotiv hockey organization. Playing his way through the farm league, Varlamov debuted in the Superleague at the age of 18 and quickly became Lokomotiv’s number one goaltender. In 2007, Varlamov was Russia’s goaltender at the World Junior Championship and helped the team to a silver medal finish. Even before then, he was already drafted by the Washington Capitals and had good NHL potential. After two successful seasons in the Superleague, Semyon came to North America to play for Washington’s farm club. Throughout the regular season of 2008-09, he was called up to the big club a few times and proved to be effective, winning 4 of 6 games. The average play of Capitals starting goalie Jose Theodore prompted the club to entrust Varlamov with the goaltending duties for the playoffs. Varlamov was excellent, registering two shutouts in the first round against the Rangers. The Capitals were ultimately eliminated by the Penguins in game 7 of the second round, but Varlamov had left his mark as the team’s prospective no. 1 starter. Semyon continued collecting victories in the next season, but an injury two months in forced him to undergo a conditioning stint with the farm club. Varlamov regained his position towards the end of the season, but the Capitals only lasted one playoff round. In 2010, Varlamov was named to Russia’s Olympic team, but did not see any ice time. Semyon’s chance to shine for the national team came at the 2010 World Championship, where he went undefeated until Russia’s tight loss to the Czechs in the final. Semyon spent his third NHL season mostly as the backup to fellow young goalie Michal Neuvirth. However, Varlamov was selected to start in the 2011 Winter Classic outdoor game against the Penguins. In Washington, Varlamov was one of three Russians, along with Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, to have a strong fan following. He even starred in a humorous ad with Ovechkin. In the 2011 off-season, the Capitals decided to go in a different direction with their goaltending and traded Varlamov to the Colorado Avalanche. In Colorado, Varlamov is starting in a lot more games than he did in Washington, but also has a more fragile and younger team in front of him.

Club Stats:

Season Team

GP

W

L

T

OL

GAA

Save %

SO
2004-05 Lokomotiv-2 Yaroslavl (RHL-3)

8

2.43

1
2005-06 Lokomotiv-2 Yaroslavl (RHL-3)

33

2.02

8
2006-07 Lokomotiv-2 Yaroslavl (RHL-3)

2

1.50

0
2006-07 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

33

2.17

3
2007-08 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

44

2.45

3
2008-09 Hershey (AHL)

27

19

7

1

2.40

92.0

2
2008-09 Washington

6

4

0

1

2.37

91.8

0
2009-10 Hershey (AHL)

3

3

0

0

1.95

93.3

0
2009-10 Washington

26

15

4

6

2.55

90.9

2
2010-11 Hershey (AHL)

3

2

1

0

3.36

85.5

0
2010-11 Washington

27

11

9

5

2.23

92.4

2
2011-12 Colorado

53

26

24

3

2.59

91.3

4
Totals RSL Reg. Season

77

2.33

6
Totals RSL Playoffs

22

2.00

5
Totals NHL Reg. Season

112

56

37

15

2.48

91.5

8
Totals NHL Playoffs

19

10

9

2.49

91.5

2

National Team Stats:

Year Tournament

GP

W

L

T

GAA

SO
2005 World U18

2

2

0

0

3.52

0
2005 World   U18

2

2

0

0

2.50

0
2006 World U20

1

1

0

0

1.00

0
2007 World   U20

6

5

1

0

1.51

2
2010 Olympic   Games

0

0

0

0

0

0
2010 World   Championship

5

4

1

0

1.41

1
Totals U18   Level

4

4

0

0

0
Totals U20   Level

7

6

1

0

1.44

2
Totals Senior   Level

5

4

1

0

1.41

1

Photo Gallery:

13
Nov
11

Nikolai Kulemin

By russkiyhockey 1 Comment
Categories: NHL and Player Profiles

Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Number: 41
Position: Left Wing
Height: 6’1”/186 cm
Weight: 225 lbs/102 kg
Shoots: Left
Born: July 14, 1986 in Magnitogorsk, RUS
Drafted: Selected by Toronto Maple Leafs in 2nd round (44th overall) of the 2006 Entry Draft

Strengths: Kulemin is an effective defensively-responsible forward with plenty of speed, grit, and a heavy shot. He rarely gives up fighting for the puck, fits in well on any line he is assigned to, and is reliable in any situation in the game.

Weaknesses: While Kulemin has proved that he is a 30-goal scorer, he sometimes falls into long dry spells throughout the season. He doesn’t seem to take as many shots on net as he is capable of.

Biography: Like his friend and fellow NHL star Evgeni Malkin, Nikolai Kulemin was born and raised in the steelmaking city of Magnitogorsk in the southern Ural Mountains. As a teenager, Kulemin developed with the local Metallurg hockey school and made it to the professional league at the age of 17. In 2004, Kulemin was a member of Russia’s team that won gold at the under-18 championship. In his third professional season, Kulemin was transferred to Magnitogorsk’s main club, which played in the Russian Superleague. The 2006-07 season was a breakthrough year for Nikolai. Not only did his Metallurg win the Superleague championship, but he was also named the league MVP after tallying 27 goals in 54 games. After one more productive season in Russia, Kulemin moved on to play in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team that had drafted him in 2006. Nikolai became one of the few players in Leafs history to score in his first NHL game – it was the gamewinning goal against the Detroit Red Wings. Nikolai’s adjustment to North American hockey and life was eased by the presence of three other Russian speakers on the Maple Leafs – Nikolai Antropov, Alexei Ponikarovsky, and Mikhail Grabovski. Towards the end of the 2009-10 season, Kulemin was promoted to his team’s first line with sniper Phil Kessel and centre Tyler Bozak. In 2010-11, Kulemin emerged as the Leafs’ hardest working player and one of the league’s best two-way forwards. His line with Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur was the team’s most consistent and also arguably the NHL’s most productive second line. Nikolai also broke the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career. In just his fourth NHL season, Nikolai is already the longest-tenured player in Toronto. Kulemin has also played for Russia in four world championship tournaments and has won silver and bronze medals.

Club Stats:

Season Team

GP

G

A

PTS

+/-

PIM
2003-04 Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk (RHL-3)

43

8

18

26

91
2004-05 Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk (RHL-3)

43

9

13

22

44
2005-06 Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk (RHL-3)

4

3

1

3

6
2005-06 Metallurg Magnitogorsk

31

5

7

12

8
2006-07 Metallurg Magnitogorsk

54

27

12

39

42
2007-08 Metallurg Magnitogorsk

57

21

12

33

63
2008-09 Toronto (AHL)

5

0

0

0

0
2008-09 Toronto

73

15

16

31

-8

18
2009-10 Toronto

78

16

20

36

0

16
2010-11 Toronto

82

30

27

57

+7

26
2011-12 Toronto

70

7

21

28

+2

6
Totals RHL Reg. Season

142

53

31

84

113
Totals RHL Playoffs

37

14

7

21

45
Totals NHL Reg. Season

303

68

84

152

+1

66
Totals NHL Playoffs

0

0

0

0

0

0

National Team Stats:

Year Tournament

GP

G

A

PTS

PIM
2004 World U18

6

0

2

2

2
2006 World U20

4

4

2

6

25
2006 World Championship

7

1

3

4

2
2007 World Championship

9

2

1

3

0
2010 World Championship

9

3

2

5

25
2011 World Championship

9

1

0

1

2
Totals U18 Level

6

0

2

2

2
Totals U20 Level

4

4

2

6

25
Totals Senior Level

34

7

6

13

29

Photo Gallery:

16
Oct
11

Remembering Lokomotiv

By russkiyhockey Leave a Comment
Categories: History and KHL

In memory of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team that perished in the air crash of September 7, 2011.

Roster:

Number Player Position Date of Birth Place of Birth
1 Stefan Liv G 12/21/1980 Gdynia, POL
3 Pavel Trakhanov D 03/21/1978 Moscow, RUS
4 Karel Rachunek D 08/27/1979 Zlin, CZE
11 Alexander Galimov F 05/02/1985 Yaroslavl, RUS
13 Daniil Sobchenko F 04/13/1991 Kiev, UKR
15 Jan Marek F 12/31/1979 Jindrichuv-Hradec, CZE
17 Ivan Tkachenko F 11/09/1979 Yaroslavl, RUS
18 Alexander Vasyunov F 04/22/1988 Yaroslavl, RUS
20 Robert Dietrich D 07/25/1986 Ordzhonikidze, KAZ
21 Gennady Churilov F 05/05/1987 Magnitogorsk, RUS
23 Nikita Klyukin F 11/10/1989 Rybinsk, RUS
24 Ruslan Salei D 11/02/1974 Minsk, BLR
28 Alexander Kalyanin F 09/24/1987 Chelyabinsk, RUS
32 Sergei Ostapchuk F 03/19/1990 Novopolotsk, BLR
35 Alexander Vyukhin G 01/09/1973 Ekaterinburg, RUS
37 Karlis Skrastins D 07/09/1974 Riga, LAT
38 Pavol Demitra F 11/29/1974 Dubnica, CZE
39 Mikhail Balandin D 07/27/1980 Lipetsk, RUS
52 Maxim Shuvalov D 04/23/1993 Rybinsk, RUS
57 Vitali Anikeenko D 01/02/1987 Kiev, UKR
63 Josef Vasicek F 09/12/1980 Havlickuv Brod, CZE
72 Artem Yarchuk F 05/03/1990 Yaroslavl, RUS
74 Marat Kalimulin D 08/12/1988 Togliatti, RUS
81 Yuri Urychev D 04/03/1991 Yaroslavl, RUS
83 Andrei Kiryukhin F 08/04/1987 Yaroslavl, RUS
Brad McCrimmon Coach 03/29/1959 Dodsland, CAN
Alexander Karpovtsev Coach 04/07/1970 Moscow, RUS
Igor Korolev Coach 09/06/1970 Moscow, RUS
Nikita Krivonosov Trainer 07/07/1980 Minsk, BLR
10
May
11

Alexander Radulov

By russkiyhockey Leave a Comment
Categories: KHL and Player Profiles

Team: Nashville Predators
Number: 47
Position: Right Wing
Height: 6’1”/186 cm
Weight: 200 lbs/ 91 kg
Shoots: Left
Born: July 5, 1986 in Nizhniy Tagil, RUS
Drafted: Selected by Nashville Predators in 1st round (15th overall) of the 2004 Entry Draft

Strengths: “Radu” is a high-octane, game-breaking forward who excels at creating scoring chances not just for himself, but for his linemates as well. He is a feisty player and is hard to contain for the opposing defensemen.

Weaknesses: The consequence of being such an explosive player is that Radulov is prone to overplaying the puck, leading to turnovers. His spirited style at times leads to undisciplined plays and costly penalties.

Biography: Alexander was born and raised in the northern Urals city of Nizhniy Tagil, in the Sverdlovsk region. When he was still a child, he moved with his brother Igor (also a future NHL player) to Yaroslavl to study at a sports school. Radulov began his professional hockey career at the age of seventeen with THK Tver in the Russian Hockey League’s second tier (the Major League) and was one of the leading scorers at the Under-18 World Championships, where Russia won gold. By the end of his first season, Radulov got to play in one game for Dynamo Moscow in the Superleague. In 2004, Radulov was drafted by both the NHL (the Nashville Predators) and by Canada’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (the Quebec Remparts). In his two years with the Remparts, Alexander made a strong impression. Following his first year in North America, he was selected to the QMJHL’s All-Rookie Team. In 2006, Radulov was a First-Team All-Star, the MVP, and the leading scorer among all Canadian major junior leagues. He broke various club records, including most goals in a game twice (seven) and established a 50-game point streak that was second only to Mario Lemieux’s in the league’s history! Radulov’s experience in Quebec was capped off with his team becoming the Canadian Hockey League champions (and Radulov being awarded the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the MVP of the Memorial Cup playoffs). Alexander began the next season with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League, but less than two months later gained a permanent roster spot with the Nashville Predators. Radulov brought over his flair and eccentric goal celebrations over to the NHL, where he became the most popular player in Nashville. He played in the NHL YoungStars Game in 2007 and finished his rookie season with an impressive plus-minus rating. After his breakthrough second year, in which he scored 26 goals, Radulov signed a three-year contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa in Russia’s KHL. This was seen as a breach of his NHL contract that had one remaining year, and Alexander was suspended by the Predators for the entire 2008-09 season once he played a game for Ufa. On Salavat Yulaev, Alexander quickly found chemistry with almost any players assigned to his line, including Sergei Zinoviev, Igor Grigorenko, and Patrick Thoresen. In each subsequent season in the KHL, Radulov increased his production. In 2010, he managed to score the quickest goal in Russian hockey history – just seven seconds into a game. At the end of the 2009-10 season, Radulov was awarded the “Golden Stick” award as the KHL’s most valuable player. After two years of playoff disappointment, Radulov’s team made it to the KHL playoff final and won the Gagarin Cup in 2011. Alexander was one of coach Vyacheslav Bykov’s most trusted players, as they’ve won together not just the Gagarin Cup, but also one bronze and two gold medals with the national team at the World Championships. Radulov scored the game-winning goal of the 2009 World Championship gold medal final. After Salavat Yulaev was eliminated in the first round of the 2012 KHL playoffs, Radulov went back to the Predators to fulfill the remainder of this NHL contract.

Club Stats:

Season Team GP G A PTS +/- PIM
2003-04 THK Tver (RHL-2) 42 15 16 31 102
2003-04 Dynamo Moscow 1 0 0 0 2
2004-05 Quebec (QMJHL) 65 32 43 75 +30 64
2005-06 Quebec (QMJHL) 62 61 91 152 +53 101
2006-07 Milwaukee (AHL) 11 6 12 18 +3 26
2006-07 Nashville 64 18 19 37 +19 26
2007-08 Nashville 81 26 32 58 +7 44
2008-09 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 52 22 26 48 +26 92
2009-10 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 54 24 39 63 +44 62
2010-11 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 54 20 60 80 +27 83
2011-12 Salavat Yulaev Ufa 50 25 38 63 +1 64
2011-12 Nashville 9 3 4 7 +3 4
Totals RSL/KHL Reg. Season 211 91 163 254 +98 303
Totals KHL Playoffs 47 11 34 45 +18 58
Totals NHL Reg. Season 154 47 55 102 +29 74
Totals NHL Playoffs 18 6 8 14 +3 29

National Team Stats:

Year Tournament GP G A PTS PIM
2004 World U18 6 2 5 7 2
2005 World U20 6 2 1 3 4
2006 World U20 6 1 3 4 4
2007 World Championship 9 2 0 2 6
2008 World Championship 6 0 3 3 2
2009 World Championship 9 4 6 10 10
2010 Olympic Games 4 1 1 2 4
2011 World Championship 9 2 5 7 6
Totals U18 Level 6 2 5 7 2
Totals U20 Level 12 3 4 7 8
Totals Senior Level 37 9 15 24 28

Photo Gallery:

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Welcome to Russkiy Hockey! This website is dedicated to the most talented Russian hockey players who bring a different game to the NHL - a game of speed, creativity, and discipline. On this site you can find out about the careers and accomplishments of these athletes, as well as about the history of Russian hockey, the latest stats of Russian hockey players, and the national team's successes at international tournaments. Enjoy your visit!

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