by Ivo Jaschick | Hockeytalk.biz

Russia (KHL - Kontinental Hockey League)

After 40 gamesSKA ST. Petersburg (85 pts.)is not only dominating the Western Conference by 14 points and a goal differential of +55 they are the best in the whole league. In the Eastern Conference is trailing St. Petersburg by four points (81). Although SKA is the leading team in Russia they hired 20 years old super talent and last year U-20 world champion Vladimir Tarasenko who was drafted 16th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2010 Entry Draft to get more power. In 39 games for the league rival Sibir Novosibirsk (second last in the Eastern Conference) he scored 38 points (18 g/20 a).

On the last weekend (January 21./22.) the All-Star-Game of the KHL took place in Riga – Capital of Latvia. It´s the first time a Russian All-Star-Game was played outside Russia. Because Latvia is situated in Europe it could be that it´s a step closer to Europe – the KHL wants to have a division in the western part of Europe.

This year Team Fedorov (Eastern Conference) played Team Ozolinsh (Western Conference), named after Sandis Ozolinsh (6 NHL teams from 1992-2008). 42 year-old NHL legend Sergei Fedorov (18 NHL seasons: Red Wings, Mighty Ducks, Blue Jackets and Capitals) led the team named after him to a 15-11 victory.

Nowadays, youngsters such as rising stars like Tarasenko, are admiring and looking up to him.

After the 2008/09 season, Fedorov (left) retired from his last NHL team, leaving Washington, for his Russian homeland (from which he defected to escape communist rule) and has played since then for Magnitogorsk Metallurg.

The 39 year-old Ozolinsh, a native of Latvia, spent 14 years in the NHL for the Sharks, Avalanche, Hurricanes, Panthers, Mighty Ducks and Rangers. This high-scoring defender signed a contract with the Latvian KHL Club Dynamo Riga and scored 85 points over a stretch of 135 games.

Czech Republic (Extraliga)

Last February, defenseman Jaroslav Modry retired on his 40th birthday, His HC Pilsen 1929 club had lost a decisive pre-playoff-game to Litvinov in overtime. After this big disappointment Modry waived good bye – in 13 seasons he played more than 750 NHL games for six different teams (New Jersey, Ottawa, LA., Atlanta, Dallas, Philadelphia), in the minors and his home land, Czech Republic. But on Christmas of 2011, he decided to come out of retirement, after a convincing argument from former NHLer Martin Straka, who is also captain and owner of the team. Modry and Straka hope to bring Pilsen its first championship to cap both their careers.

Finland (SM-Liiga)

German National goalie Dennis Endras (left) who is in the system ofthe NHL Wild was sent to the AHL Houston Aeros. From there, Endras went to Helsinki to get more opportunities to play. Since Endras arrived in the Finnish capital, he played 15 games for HIFK and recorded his third shutout with a 2-0 vs. Espoo Blues on 1/12. Now he is 8-6-1 and remarkably has added two assists to his statistics.

Germany (DEL)

After 37 of 52 games the best team is--as expected--the Berlin Polarbears.

GM Peter-John Lee – who is looking back onto a great career as player as well in the NHL as in the DEL – is only replacing every year a few players to make his team better.  His Polarbears are an elite club that has won five Championships in seven years. This year his team has to deal with a lot of injuries but don´t want to sign new substitutes “while there are no more good players to sign – so it´s better to give talents a chance!”

Straubing Tigers. Former cellar-dwellers, they are now on a run to get a playoff spot. Their success has is due to coach Dan Ratushny, forward Matt Hussey and goalie Barry Brust.

Head Coach Ratushny came to the Tigers from two years coaching in Switzerland and it seems he found the right chemistry to build a successful team in Bavaria. In 1992 at the Olympic Games in Albertville, France, he won the Silver Medal with Team Canada. Goaltender Barry Brust has the Tigers primed to make the playoffs for the first time.

PHOTO OF DENNIS ENDRAS BY DIRK UNVERFERTH

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(Photo, left: German fans enjoyed a rare chance to see star netminder Ryan Miller)