Ivo
Jaschick's
Eye on Europe
Reporting from Germany
and
across Europe 2006-07
Russian Super League (RSL)
FEB 6, 2007 -- The Russian Super League (RSL) consists of 19 teams. Three teams are from the Russian capital Moscow: CSKA, Dynamo & Krylya Moscow. Spartak Moscow, the capital's fourth hockey team, will came back next season (07/08).
The big problem for the Russian Super League is that the best talent is drafted by NHL teams and most of these players are following the call of the NHL although in Russia they can earn almost the same amount of money as overseas. The Washington Capitals signed two of the best Russians: Alexander Ovechkin & Alexander Semin. Pittsburgh signed Evgeni Malkin from Magnitogorsk to a multi-year contract and is now together with Sid Crosby, for an incredible combo. But these are only the super stars there are much more following the call of the NHL.
During the lockout, some NHL stars played in the RSL (AK Bars Kazan {Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards) but many stars were happy when the lockout was over even though it was a great experience for them. Most of the smaller arenas had not enough showers {and no hot or even warm water} and the sanitary facilities were bit up to North American standards, but the RSL is working on it. With the beginning of 2007, Metallurg Magnitogorsk got a new arena after 14 years in the old and they earned 3 points with a hard fought 4-3 victory in OT over the underdog Vityaz Chekhov. Nikolai Kulemin was the scorer of the winning goal. He had a point streak of 9 games and this was his 20th goal. After these great performances it seems to be clear that next season he will be a Maple Leaf he is already drafted by Toronto.
The season ends March 8, and the playoffs feature 16 clubs.
Predictions for final standings:
1.
AK Bars Kazan seems to be the coming champion. In the first days of
2007 there was the annual European champion-cups tournament in St.
Petersburg, Russia. Champions of the best European hockey nations were
playing and Kazan was dominating & winning the tournament 6-0 versus the
Finish champion HPK Haemeenlinna in the final. This shows the strength
of last and next (?) years Russian Super League champion. They are
playing as a team with a great gift of technical abilities. It`s not
fair to point out some players but right wing Aleksey Morozov (best
known in Pittsburgh) & Sergei Zinovjev (played 10 games for Boston) are
showing their magic in Kazan since the lockout.
2.
Avangard Omsk has one of the league`s best scorers: Alexei Kalyuzhny
this 29 year old right wing is very dangerous when approaching the
goal area. He isnt drafted yet but could be very interested. With Andre
Bashkirov (Mon), Artem Chubarov (Van), Pavel Rosa (LAK), Vitaly
Yachmanev (LAK, Nash) & Norm Maracle (Det) they have some NHL proven
skaters in their roster.
3.
Metallurg Magnitogorsk can compete with their new arena maybe the
spectators can become the advantage! 35 year old Ravil Gusmanov played 4
games for the NHL Jets in 95 and many in the minors. Veteran Igor
Korolev brings the experience of 795 NHL games into the RSL. Czech
forward Jan Marek is drafted by the Rangers in 2003 (now traded to the
LA Kings) and is showing his talent by scoring
points after points.
4. Khimik Mytishi has 35 year old Albert Leschev & Sergei Mozyakin ranking 3rd and 4th of the top 5 scorers in their lineup. They seem to be very even in their roster. Kazan, Omsk and Magnitogorsk are playing for the championship. Team # 4 in the semifinals will be Khimik Moscowscaja/Mytishi which is based in the Moscow area.
5.
Salavat J. Ufa has some drafted or former NHL players in its
roster. One of them is Vladimir Antipov who played two seasons in the
minors after being drafted by the Maple Leafs in 1996. Ruslan Bernikov
was drafted by Dallas in 2000 but didnt make it in the NHL. At the age
of 29 it seems to be to late. Defender Alexandre Boikov (32) had been
four years in the WHL, then played in the minors and finaly had 10 NHL
games for Nashville. Right wing Konstantin Koltsov drafted by Pittsburgh
in 99 made three seasons or 144 games in Pittsburgh & 86 games for
their AHL farmteam. Drafted are also Roman Kukhtinov (NY Islanders,
01), Dmitri Levinsky (Blackhawks, 99), 35 year old left wing Denis
Metlyuk (Philadelphia, `92), Defender Alexei Semenov (Edmonton Oilers,
`99 made 119 games for the Oilers & Panthers but ended up in the
minors and decided to go home), Alexei Shkotov (St. Louis, `02), right
wing Andrei Sidyakin (Canadiens, `97), Nikolai Tsulygin (Anaheim, `93
31 years old). 24 years old left wing Igor Volkov was drafted by the
Islanders in `03 and shows great talent. Defender Andrei Yakhanov`s time
seems to be over after being drafted by the Bruins in ΄94 and a short
stint in the minors. There are a lot of good players in the line up
but most of them are quite old.
6.
Sibir Novosibirsk is 6th with 73 points 23 year old Sergei
Anshakov was drafted by the Kings in `02. 33 year old Oleg Belov was
picked by Pittsburgh in `95 and had some games in the minors. made
Miroslav Guren registered 36 games, 1 goal and 3 assists for Montreal
over two years `98-`00. 596 NHL-games Alexander Karpovtsev scored 34
goals & 154 assists. Soon he will turn 37 and the end of a great
carreer seems to be close.
7. Then there is the former repeat
champion
CSKA Moscow. Goalie Ivan Kasutin isn΄t showing performances at a
high level he seems to be the problem child.
No. 8 in the middlefield is
Cherepovets . Alexei Glukhov was drafted in 2002 by the Lightnings.
He played one season in the minors (AHL, ECHL) and returned to Russia.
The young Czech defender Josef Hrabal came during the season to the
second best league. 2003 he was drafted by the Oilers and maybe his next
step will be the best league.
9. The great times of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl are gone but with some young players they are trying to come back. In their lines there is also Minnesotan Brett Hauer who only played 35 NHL games, played a lot in the minors, one season in Sweden, four in Switzerland and now in Russia. After the team got the Canadian coach Paul Gardner three weeks ago the Locomotive had a victorious run six (6) wins in a row. The most impressive had been against the champion in Kazan (1-4).
10. Podolsk MVD has some power forwards but won`t be able to survive the first round.
11. With Mike Fountain Lada Tolyatti has a strong Canadian in its lineup, but won`t make the quarter finals.
12. St. Petersburg has a new arena where every year the championship tournament takes place but they are still looking for the right mixture of young & experienced players. They won`t make the second round in the play offs.
13. Since Alexander Ovechkin left Dynamo Moscow to play together with the stars of the Washington Capitals in the NHL the team from Moscow is not the same as before. They won`t arrive in the second playoff round.
14. Nizhnekamsk has young and talented players but only four of them are drafted by NHL teams (Dennis Grot - Vancouver, Sergei Luchinkin - Dallas, Andrei Plekhanov - Columbus & Pavel Valentenko - Montreal). They are not surviving the first round.
15. Alexandr Chagodayev is a forward for Vityaz Chekov who was picked by the Mighty Ducks in `99. Goalie Sebastien Charpentier and Reid Simpson are the American side of the Russian team.
16. Novokuznetsk will be the last team in the play-offs. 34 years old forward Igor Alexandrov also played one year in the AHL (Springfield) but when you look onto his statistics you see that his time is over. Konstantin Baranov is travelling a lot nearly every season he has a new club (in Russia). Many players have international hockey experience in different leagues. Maybe this will give them the last play-off space.
17. Traktor Chelyabinsk will miss the off season. Goalie Chad Alban from Kalamazoo, MI and defender Jason Doig from Montreal are trying to keep the puck out of their goal. But nevertheless they won`t make it.
18 & 19. At the end of the standings there is Krylya Sovetov Moscow (19.) with a difference of 9 points after they lost a key game to Amur Khabarovsk (18.) with 4-0. Khabarosk is the most eastern hockey town of Russia (see map above). Because Russia is very huge there is a time change of many hours for teams coming to this town. This season it seems that Amur Khabarovsk has a bad team because they are also losing too much of their home games. Also former German National Team C Jan Benda who played three years for Kazan once said: Its terrible when you are coming off the plane and you have to play you are too tired most times you are losing to Khabarovsk. The other way its the same then they lose! A similar experience made Vincent Lecavalier & teammate Brad Richards (TBL) during the lockout season when they played in Kazan.
RSL standings {02/06/07} :
1. AK Bars Kazan 97 points
2. Avangard Omsk 93
3. M. Magnitogorsk 87
4. Salavat J. Ufa 83
5. Khimik Moscowskaja 78
6. Sibir Novosibirsk 73
7. CSKA Moscow 71
8. Sev. Cherepovets 71
9. Lok. Jaroslavl 68
10. Podolsk MVD 62
11. Lada Tolyatti 61
12. Dynamo Moscow 60
13. St. Petersburg 59
14. N. Nizhnekamsk 57
15. Vityaz Chekhov 48
16. M. Novokuznetsk 47
17. Trak. Chelyabinsk 43
18. Amur Khabarovsk 33
19. Krylya S. Moscow 23
HOME
Copyright 2008 Western Hockey Network
Ivo Jaschick 2006-07
JAN 2007 -- German Elite League (DEL) Update
December 2006 -- Donald Brashear Feature Interview
NOV 8, 2006 -- ISERLOHN ROOSTERS LIKELY HEADED TO FIRST DEL PLAYOFF APPEARANCE
Sept/October 06: DEL Preview / Finland's Jokerit
Photos by Mathias Lehmann
