Archive for the 'KHL' Category

16
Dec
12

Ilya Nikulin

By russkiyhockey Leave a Comment
Categories: KHL and Player Profiles

Full name: Ilya Vladimirovich Nikulin
Team: Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)
Number: 5
Position: Defenseman
Height: 6’3”/191 cm
Weight: 215 lbs/98 kg
Born: March 12, 1982 in Moscow, RUS
Drafted: Selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2nd round (31st overall) of the 2000 Entry Draft

Strengths: Nikulin has developed into one of Russia’s most skilled and trusted defensemen in both club and international play. He has an imposing presence on the blue line and is an effective powerplay coordinator. Nikulin is a leader on Ak Bars and on the Russian national team.

Weaknesses: As he logs lots of ice time, Nikulin can be prone to making defensive mistakes due to fatigue. Although he is a respected player in Russia, Nikulin has not tried out the NHL and his playing experience on the small-ice remains limited.

Biography: Born and raised in Russia’s capital, Nikulin developed in the Dynamo Moscow hockey school which was known for producing some of Russia’s best defensemen. Ilya played primarily as a stay-at-home blueliner for Dynamo’s farm club in his first few years. He represented Russia at two Under-18 World Championships and was on the silver medal team in 2000. In the same year, he caught the attention of NHL clubs and was the first player drafted in the second round of the NHL entry draft. Nikulin was selected by the Atlanta Thrashers. However, he never joined the club, instead preferring to stay in Russia and blossom into one of Dynamo’s most reliable players. In 2005, Dynamo became the Russian Superleague’s playoff champions. Ilya continued his career with Ak Bars Kazan – one of the perennially most consistent and dangerous teams in Russian hockey. Kazan won the league championship in Nikulin’s first year there. With each subsequent season with Ak Bars, Nikulin’s icetime increased and he became the team’s go-to defenseman in all situations, including on the powerplay and penalty-killing. In 2008, Nikulin came close to leaving to the NHL to play for the Thrashers, but decided to remain with Ak Bars in the newly-formed KHL. His team won the KHL’s Gagarin Cup in the league’s first playoffs in 2009, and again in 2010.  In recent years, Nikulin also became one of the KHL’s top-scoring defenders. His slapshot has infuriated numerous playoff opponents. Each year since 2006, Ilya has played for Russia at the World Championships. He was on the gold-winning teams of 2008, 2009, and 2012. Nikulin captained the 2012 and 2013 teams. He also played in the 2010 Olympics.

Club Stats:

Season Team GP G A PTS +/- PIM
1998-99 Dynamo-2 Moscow (RHL-3) 23 0 2 2 18
1999-00 THK Tver (RHL-2) 39 3 6 9 84
1999-00 Dynamo-2 Moscow (RHL-3) 4 2 1 3 10
2000-01 Dynamo-2 Moscow (RHL-3) 44 0 4 4 61
2001-02 Dynamo-2 Moscow (RHL-3) 2 0 1 1 2
2001-02 Dynamo Moscow 48 2 1 3 -3 44
2002-03 Dynamo Moscow 40 1 4 5 +13 46
2003-04 Dynamo Moscow 54 1 5 6 +6 56
2004-05 Dynamo Moscow 50 1 9 10 +9 65
2005-06 Ak Bars Kazan 49 9 11 20 +7 48
2006-07 Ak Bars Kazan 51 11 14 25 +15 99
2007-08 Ak Bars Kazan 57 3 15 18 +2 95
2008-09 Ak Bars Kazan 53 7 26 33 +22 72
2009-10 Ak Bars Kazan 49 6 27 33 -2 86
2010-11 Ak Bars Kazan 49 6 35 41 +14 56
2011-12 Ak Bars Kazan 51 9 15 26 +3 52
2012-13 Ak Bars Kazan 51 12 22 34 +19 46
Totals RSL/KHL Reg. Season 646 68 188 256 +99 826
Totals RSL/KHL Playoffs 120 16 32 48 157

National Team Stats:

Year Tournament GP G A PTS PIM
1999 World Juniors U18 7 0 1 1 0
2000 World Juniors U18 6 1 1 2 10
2006 World Championship 7 1 5 6 8
2007 World Championship 9 2 0 2 4
2008 World Championship 9 0 1 1 0
2009 World Championship 9 1 3 4 4
2010 Olympic Games 4 0 1 1 2
2010 World Championship 9 0 2 2 2
2011 World Championship 9 3 1 4 2
2012 World Championship 10 2 5 7 8
2013 World Championship 8 1 3 4 2
Totals U18 Level 13 1 2 3 10
Totals Senior Level 74 10 21 31 32

Photo Gallery:

18
Mar
12

Viktor Kozlov

By russkiyhockey Leave a Comment
Categories: KHL and Player Profiles

Full name: Viktor Nikolaevich Kozlov
Team: CSKA Moscow (KHL)
Number: 38
Position: Center
Height: 6’4”/195 cm
Weight: 227 lbs/106 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: Viktor Kozlov comes from Russia’s automotive capital, Togliatti, where hockey is the number one passion. So it was no surprise that the tall and lanky son of a crane operator made his way through the local hockey school and debuted for Togliatti’s team in the Soviet league, Lada, at the age of 16. At age 17, he moved to the capital to train with Moscow Dynamo. In Kozlov’s first full season with Dynamo in 1993, his team won the Russian championship. Kozlov played another year and a half in Moscow under coach Petr Vorobiev before making the move across the ocean to play for the NHL team that drafted him, the San Jose Sharks. A few days before leaving to San Jose, Kozlov broke his leg in a Dynamo game and took several months to heal before making his NHL debut. Being in a new country and not knowing English, Viktor lived with Sharks goalie Arturs Irbe. Kozlov reportedly finished the 1995 season with the Sharks’ farm club because of a joke he made that the Sharks’ humourless coach did not appreciate. Kozlov did not live up to full expectations playing for the Sharks, but became a real star and productive forward after being traded to the Florida Panthers in 1998. In Florida, Kozlov centered Pavel Bure. In two of their seasons playing together, Bure led the NHL in goal scoring. The two were also invited to play in the NHL All-Star Game in 2000. Kozlov remained a leader for the Panthers until being traded to New Jersey in 2004. That year, the NHL locked out its players, so Kozlov spent a year back in Russia playing for his hometown Lada. Back in the NHL, Viktor had three productive years from 2006 to 2009, first setting a career-high in goals playing for the New York Islanders, and then next season setting a career high in plus/minus playing for the Washington Capitals with fellow Russian stars Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, and Sergei Fedorov. In 2009, Kozlov signed a three-year contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa in Russia’s KHL. Kozlov remained productive, mostly centering Alexander Radulov. In 2011, the team won the KHL’s Gagarin Cup as playoff champions. In 2012, Kozlov joined the new Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team and was later traded to CSKA Moscow. Kozlov has represented Russia in many world championships and in the 2006 and 2010 Olympics. He has a silver and a bronze medal from the European Junior Championship in the early 1990s and was part of the bronze medal-winning team in 2005 and the silver medal-winning team in 2010 at the World Championship.

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
2012-13 Lokomotiv/CSKA

27

2

5

7

-2

14
Totals RHL/KHL Reg. Season

278

77

91

168

121
Totals RHL/KHL Playoffs

74

17

16

33

14
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:

16
Oct
11

Remembering Lokomotiv

By russkiyhockey 2 Comments
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 1 Comment
Categories: KHL and Player Profiles

Full name: Alexander Valerievich Radulov
Team: CSKA Moscow (KHL)
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. Afterwards, Radulov signed a four-year contract with CSKA Moscow.

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
2012-13 CSKA Moscow 48 22 46 68 +12 86
Totals RSL/KHL Reg. Season 259 113 209 322 +110 389
Totals KHL Playoffs 56 12 40 52 +14 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
2013 World Championship 8 5 5 10 4
Totals U18 Level 6 2 5 7 2
Totals U20 Level 12 3 4 7 8
Totals Senior Level 45 14 20 34 32

Photo Gallery:

19
Mar
11

Maxim Afinogenov

By russkiyhockey Leave a Comment
Categories: KHL and Player Profiles

Full name: Maxim Sergeevich Afinogenov
Team: SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)
Number: 61
Position: Right Wing
Height: 6’0”/182 cm
Weight: 194 lbs/88 kg
Shoots: Left
Born: September 4, 1979 in Moscow, RUS
Drafted: Selected by Buffalo Sabres in 3rd round (69th overall) of the 1997 Entry Draft

Strengths: Russia is not short on speedy, electrifying forwards, but Afinogenov stands out with his up-tempo game and penchant for making fancy dekes around opposing defencemen. Other than being dangerous on offense, he has also become more reliable in defensive and penalty-killing situations.

Weaknesses: Afinogenov’s unpredictable and explosive style of play makes him prone to losing control of the puck. He shies away from tough physical play, but occasionally takes undisciplined penalties. In recent seasons, Afinogenov has missed more games due to injury and his ice-time has decreased.

Biography: Afinogenov comes from a sporting family, as his mother was a track and field athlete. He was drawn to hockey at very young age and was already on a team when he was seven. Despite being a good student at school, Maxim frequently got into trouble. His devotion to hockey paid off in his teen years, making it to the junior squad of the prestigious Dynamo Moscow. When he was sixteen, he even got to play in one game for the main team! In that same season, he began to regularly represent Russia at international tournaments. Afinogenov was Russia’s top scorer at the 1999 World Junior Championship held in Canada, winning the Best Forward award and helping lead Russia to its first World Junior gold medal finish in the post-Soviet era. In his final season with Dynamo before leaving to North America, Maxim’s team made it to the final of the Superleague playoffs, but ultimately lost. Following a stint in the American Hockey League, Afinogenov secured a spot on the Buffalo Sabres and instantly became one of the team’s most skilled players. Despite his talents, “Mad Max” did not fit in with ease in coach Lindy Ruff’s notorious defensive system. The most memorable goal scored by Afinogenov came in the quarterfinal match against Czech Republic at the 2002 Olympics, when Max scored Russia’s only goal against former Buffalo teammate Dominik Hasek. Back in the NHL, he suffered a concussion during team training camp and had to miss most of the 2002-03 season. In December 2003, “Mad Max” registered his first NHL hattrick. During the NHL lockout of 2004-05, Afinogenov returned to Dynamo and this time the team succeeded in winning the Russian Superleague championship. Returning to the NHL, Maxim led the Sabres in scoring in 2006 and continued to produce at a greater than point-per-game pace before wrist and groin injuries shortened his season in 2007. Towards the end of the 2008-09 season, he was a healthy scratch, signalling the end of his playing career in Buffalo. For the following season, Afinogenov practiced with the Atlanta Thrashers on a try-out basis, secured a spot playing alongside Ilya Kovalchuk and Nikolai Antropov and would go on to top 60 points. In 2010, he returned to Russia and signed a five-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg.

Club Stats:

Season Team GP G A PTS +/- PIM
1995-96 Dynamo Moscow 1 0 0 0 0
1996-97 Dynamo Moscow 29 6 5 11 10
1997-98 Dynamo Moscow 35 10 5 15 53
1998-99 Dynamo Moscow 38 8 13 21 24
1999-00 Rochester (AHL) 15 6 12 18 +5 8
1999-00 Buffalo 65 16 18 34 -4 41
2000-01 Buffalo 78 14 22 36 +1 40
2001-02 Buffalo 81 21 19 40 -9 69
2002-03 Buffalo 35 5 6 11 -12 21
2003-04 Buffalo 73 17 14 31 -4 57
2004-05 Dynamo Moscow 36 13 14 27 91
2005-06 Buffalo 77 22 51 73 +6 84
2006-07 Buffalo 56 23 38 61 +19 66
2007-08 Buffalo 56 10 18 28 -16 42
2008-09 Buffalo 48 6 14 20 -7 20
2009-10 Atlanta 82 24 37 61 -17 46
2010-11 SKA St. Petersburg 51 13 20 33 +8 50
2011-12 SKA St. Petersburg 23 4 8 12 +4 36
2012-13 SKA St. Petersburg 26 4 4 8 -3 4
Totals RHL/KHL Reg. Season 239 58 69 127 268
Totals RHL/KHL Playoffs 55 18 16 34 46
Totals NHL Reg. Season 651 158 237 395 -43 486
Totals NHL Playoffs 49 10 13 23 +5 22

National Team Stats:

Year Tournament GP G A PTS PIM
1996 European U18 5 1 1 2 0
1997 European U18 6 4 3 7 18
1998 World U20 7 3 2 5 4
1999 World U20 7 3 5 8 0
1999 World Championship 6 2 1 3 2
2000 World Championship 6 1 0 1 4
2002 Olympic Games 6 2 2 4 4
2002 World Championship 9 3 0 3 6
2004 World Championship 5 1 1 2 4
2004 World Cup 4 0 1 1 2
2005 World Championship 9 3 2 5 6
2006 Olympic Games 8 0 1 1 10
2008 World Championship 8 5 1 6 2
2010 Olympic Games 4 1 1 2 0
2010 World Championship 9 3 4 7 18
2011 World Championship 9 1 2 3 6
Totals U18 Level 11 5 4 9 18
Totals U20 Level 14 6 7 13 4
Totals Senior Level 83 22 16 38 66

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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