BOULDER, Colorado -- Former Ottawa Senators goaltender Ray Emery has signed a one-year deal reportedly worth US$2 million with Russian club Atlant Mytishchi, the CBC reported Wednesday.
Coming off an appearance in the Stanley Cup finals in 2007, Emery had signed a three-year, $9 million contract with the Senators last summer. But after an abysmal 2007-08 campaign in which he played in only 31 games due to various injuries and disciplinary problems, Ottawa decided to buy out the remainder of the 25-year-old's contract this summer.
Apparently there was very little interest in Emery's services from NHL clubs, so Russia appeared to be the best option. Undoubtedly, New York Times reporter Michael Schwirtz will chalk this up as a coup for Russian hockey, as another "star" has fled North America for the bright lights of the KHL.
Signing Emery is a significant investment for his new club, formerly known as Khimik, as the Russian league places heavy restrictions on signing foreign-born goaltenders. Teams are limited to only five foreigners on their roster, but goalies count double towards the quota. Additionally, during the regular season, foreign goalies are not allowed to play more than 50% of their team's minutes. There are no such restrictions on playing time during the playoffs.
Emery will be joining a team with several former NHLers, including defenseman Dmitry Bykov (formerly of the Detroit Red Wings), and forwards Alexander Korolyuk (San Jose Sharks) and Igor Korolev (four NHL clubs).
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Monday, July 07, 2008
Jagr Returns to Avangard Omsk
BOULDER, Colorado -- Jaromir Jagr will be spending next season in the Russian city of Omsk, joining the same club he played with during the NHL lockout in 2004-05, Avangard.
The 36-year-old right winger could not reach a deal with the New York Rangers and decided to leave the NHL when he became an unrestricted free agent. Jagr spent the last four seasons with the Rangers and had just completed the final season of a seven-year, US$76 million contract.
This past season, Jagr had his lowest point total since the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, netting only 25 goals and 71 points. While playing for Avangard Omsk, Jagr led the league in scoring and helped his club capture the European Champions Cup.
The terms of Jagr's new deal were not disclosed by Avangard.
The 36-year-old right winger could not reach a deal with the New York Rangers and decided to leave the NHL when he became an unrestricted free agent. Jagr spent the last four seasons with the Rangers and had just completed the final season of a seven-year, US$76 million contract.
This past season, Jagr had his lowest point total since the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, netting only 25 goals and 71 points. While playing for Avangard Omsk, Jagr led the league in scoring and helped his club capture the European Champions Cup.
The terms of Jagr's new deal were not disclosed by Avangard.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Red Wings Sign Hossa to 1-Year Deal; Bruins Land Ryder
BOULDER, Colorado -- The Marian Hossa sweepstakes are over, and the league's best team just got better as the Detroit Red Wings signed the right winger to a one-year, US$7.45 million contract Wednesday.
Hossa had earlier rejected an offer of six years and $45 million to stay with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had also drawn interest from the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Rangers.
I must say I am glad the Bruins did not saddle themselves with that millstone of a deal they were rumored to have offered Hossa, and I hope that New York Post report was nothing more than rumor. I am surprised that Hossa did not opt for a multi-year deal, and he got only a modest pay raise (he earned $7 million in 2007-08) from Detroit. But the short deal gives Detroit a great deal of flexibility to re-sign Henrik Zetterberg, who will becomes an unrestricted free agent after next season.
The Red Wings have proven over the years that they are willing to spend to hold onto their best players, and many players have taken pay cuts to stay in Detroit. There is a lot of loyalty in that organization (just look at the signings of Chris Osgood and Darren McCarty), and perhaps that appealed to Hossa. The chance to win a Stanley Cup also probably played a large role in his decision.
Without Hossa to worry about, the Penguins were able to lock up Evgeni Malkin for the next several years, signing the 22-year-old center to five-year, $43.5 million contract extension Wednesday. Malkin is entering the final year of his rookie contract, meaning the new deal takes effect in 2009-10 and lasts through 2013-14.
The Boston Bruins acquired unrestricted free agent right wing Michael Ryder from the Montreal Canadiens, signing him to a multi-year contract Tuesday. Details of the deal were not disclosed, as per team policy.
Ryder will be trying to put last season behind him, a dreadful campaign that saw him score only 14 goals and 31 points and ensured his exit from Montreal. Ryder had previously notched two consecutive 30-goal seasons for the Canadiens. During his rookie campaign in 2003-04, he led all rookies in goals (25), assists (38) and points (63) and finished second in Calder Trophy voting behind Bruins goalie Andrew Raycroft.
For a full run-down of all the free agent signings, visit ESPN.com.
Hossa had earlier rejected an offer of six years and $45 million to stay with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had also drawn interest from the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Rangers.
I must say I am glad the Bruins did not saddle themselves with that millstone of a deal they were rumored to have offered Hossa, and I hope that New York Post report was nothing more than rumor. I am surprised that Hossa did not opt for a multi-year deal, and he got only a modest pay raise (he earned $7 million in 2007-08) from Detroit. But the short deal gives Detroit a great deal of flexibility to re-sign Henrik Zetterberg, who will becomes an unrestricted free agent after next season.
The Red Wings have proven over the years that they are willing to spend to hold onto their best players, and many players have taken pay cuts to stay in Detroit. There is a lot of loyalty in that organization (just look at the signings of Chris Osgood and Darren McCarty), and perhaps that appealed to Hossa. The chance to win a Stanley Cup also probably played a large role in his decision.
Without Hossa to worry about, the Penguins were able to lock up Evgeni Malkin for the next several years, signing the 22-year-old center to five-year, $43.5 million contract extension Wednesday. Malkin is entering the final year of his rookie contract, meaning the new deal takes effect in 2009-10 and lasts through 2013-14.
The Boston Bruins acquired unrestricted free agent right wing Michael Ryder from the Montreal Canadiens, signing him to a multi-year contract Tuesday. Details of the deal were not disclosed, as per team policy.
Ryder will be trying to put last season behind him, a dreadful campaign that saw him score only 14 goals and 31 points and ensured his exit from Montreal. Ryder had previously notched two consecutive 30-goal seasons for the Canadiens. During his rookie campaign in 2003-04, he led all rookies in goals (25), assists (38) and points (63) and finished second in Calder Trophy voting behind Bruins goalie Andrew Raycroft.
For a full run-down of all the free agent signings, visit ESPN.com.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
NHL Free Agent Rodeo Kicks off with Huge Deals
BOULDER, Colorado -- The NHL's free agent market officially opened at noon E.T. on Tuesday, and several teams were busy snapping up the most coveted commodities on the market.
But perhaps the most sought-after player, Pittsburgh forward Marian Hossa, remains unsigned. Reportedly the Rangers, Oilers and Bruins are interested in acquiring the 29-year-old Slovak's services.
The New York Post has reported that the Bruins are prepared to offer Hossa close to US$100 million over 12 years. Hossa has already rejected a six-year, $45 million offer from the Penguins.
Among the biggest signings were defenseman Brian Campbell's eight-year, $57 million dollar contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks also addressed some of their goaltending woes by signing 32-year-old Cristobal Huet away from the Washington Capitals for $22.5 million over four years.
Tampa Bay made some early noise, trading for the rights to negotiate with Pittsburgh forwards Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts and Minnesota's Brian Rolston before the market opened. They managed to lock up Malone on Monday, signing him for $31.5 million over seven years, while Roberts was signed to a one-year deal.
In addition, the Lightning brought back Vinny Prospal, who had been sent to the Flyers at the trade deadline. They also added another former Penguin, forward Adam Hall, and Phoenix' Radim Vrbata.
Tampa had recently bought out the contract of their former number one goalie, Marc Denis, and they signed long-time Washington backstop Olaf Kolzig to a one-year deal. Kolzig will likely backup Mike Smith next year, who had taken over the top spot from Kari Ramo at the end of the season.
The Lightning were unable, however, to lock up Rolston, who signed a four-year, $20 million deal with the club he broke into the NHL with, the New Jersey Devils.
Many of the Toronto Maple Leafs' castoffs found new homes on July 1. Darcy Tucker and Andrew Raycroft, who had both been bought out by the Leafs, were each signed by the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado was in need of goaltending help after losing starter Jose Theodore to Washington, where he signed for $9 million over two years.
Mats Sundin, meanwhile, was reportedly offered a two-year, $20 million deal from the Vancouver Canucks. The Leafs captain and unrestricted free agent is currently in Europe contemplating whether to return to the NHL or retire.
Other than the reported Hossa offer, the Boston Bruins have yet to make a move so far this offseason, choosing instead to lock up some core players from last season by re-signing defensemen Mark Stuart and Aaron Ward to multi-year deals. Goalie Alex Auld, who filled a key role for Boston last season after backup Manny Fernandez suffered a knee injury, was lost to Ottawa, where he signed for two years. Boston's only other unrestricted free angent, Glen Metropolit, has yet to sign anywhere.
This whole affair looks to just get crazier, so unless the Bruins sign Hossa to a Yashin-like contract, or the Leafs bring Doug Gilmour out of retirement (again), I'm not going to post about the free agent free-for-all anymore.
But perhaps the most sought-after player, Pittsburgh forward Marian Hossa, remains unsigned. Reportedly the Rangers, Oilers and Bruins are interested in acquiring the 29-year-old Slovak's services.
The New York Post has reported that the Bruins are prepared to offer Hossa close to US$100 million over 12 years. Hossa has already rejected a six-year, $45 million offer from the Penguins.
Among the biggest signings were defenseman Brian Campbell's eight-year, $57 million dollar contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks also addressed some of their goaltending woes by signing 32-year-old Cristobal Huet away from the Washington Capitals for $22.5 million over four years.
Tampa Bay made some early noise, trading for the rights to negotiate with Pittsburgh forwards Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts and Minnesota's Brian Rolston before the market opened. They managed to lock up Malone on Monday, signing him for $31.5 million over seven years, while Roberts was signed to a one-year deal.
In addition, the Lightning brought back Vinny Prospal, who had been sent to the Flyers at the trade deadline. They also added another former Penguin, forward Adam Hall, and Phoenix' Radim Vrbata.
Tampa had recently bought out the contract of their former number one goalie, Marc Denis, and they signed long-time Washington backstop Olaf Kolzig to a one-year deal. Kolzig will likely backup Mike Smith next year, who had taken over the top spot from Kari Ramo at the end of the season.
The Lightning were unable, however, to lock up Rolston, who signed a four-year, $20 million deal with the club he broke into the NHL with, the New Jersey Devils.
Many of the Toronto Maple Leafs' castoffs found new homes on July 1. Darcy Tucker and Andrew Raycroft, who had both been bought out by the Leafs, were each signed by the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado was in need of goaltending help after losing starter Jose Theodore to Washington, where he signed for $9 million over two years.
Mats Sundin, meanwhile, was reportedly offered a two-year, $20 million deal from the Vancouver Canucks. The Leafs captain and unrestricted free agent is currently in Europe contemplating whether to return to the NHL or retire.
Other than the reported Hossa offer, the Boston Bruins have yet to make a move so far this offseason, choosing instead to lock up some core players from last season by re-signing defensemen Mark Stuart and Aaron Ward to multi-year deals. Goalie Alex Auld, who filled a key role for Boston last season after backup Manny Fernandez suffered a knee injury, was lost to Ottawa, where he signed for two years. Boston's only other unrestricted free angent, Glen Metropolit, has yet to sign anywhere.
This whole affair looks to just get crazier, so unless the Bruins sign Hossa to a Yashin-like contract, or the Leafs bring Doug Gilmour out of retirement (again), I'm not going to post about the free agent free-for-all anymore.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Michael Schwirtz Still Sucks at his Job
BOULDER, Colorado -- Some things really get my dander up, and one of them is lazy, stupid reporting. This latest bit of tripe from the New York Times describes a recent report by Human Rights Watch on the growth of violence in the Russian republic of Ingushetia, a region bordering Chechnya. The article was written by one of the Times' resident non-reporters in Moscow, Michael Schwirtz.
The first thing I have to take issue with is that this piece has no corroborating sources. All he did was go to the press conference and quote the one of the report's researchers and an official from the Ingushetian government.
This is most galling to me because several of my colleagues are engaged in research about the diffusion of violence across the North Caucasus region. No sensible person would ever claim that Ingushetia has "long been considered a relatively peaceful enclave in the North Caucasus"; violence has been growing there since the second Chechen War broke out in 1999, and has reached a fever pitch over the past three years. The center of insurgent violence has in fact been moving westward out of Chechnya and into Ingushetia over the past several years. So any claims that the findings of this report are new are either uninformed or disingenuous.
If you would like to find some real information about the distribution of violence in the North Caucasus, look at the research of Jason Lyall from Princeton or my advisor at the University of Colorado, John O'Loughlin. Don't read this garbage.
The first thing I have to take issue with is that this piece has no corroborating sources. All he did was go to the press conference and quote the one of the report's researchers and an official from the Ingushetian government.
This is most galling to me because several of my colleagues are engaged in research about the diffusion of violence across the North Caucasus region. No sensible person would ever claim that Ingushetia has "long been considered a relatively peaceful enclave in the North Caucasus"; violence has been growing there since the second Chechen War broke out in 1999, and has reached a fever pitch over the past three years. The center of insurgent violence has in fact been moving westward out of Chechnya and into Ingushetia over the past several years. So any claims that the findings of this report are new are either uninformed or disingenuous.
If you would like to find some real information about the distribution of violence in the North Caucasus, look at the research of Jason Lyall from Princeton or my advisor at the University of Colorado, John O'Loughlin. Don't read this garbage.
Swedish Star Patrik Nilsson Signs with Raketa Kazan
BOULDER, Colorado -- Patrik Nilsson, the top scorer of the Swedish bandy league the past two seasons, has signed with Russian club Raketa Kazan, the Swedish site Bandysverige.se reported Monday.
The details of the contract agreement have not been released, but negotiations to send Nilsson to the Russian club were first reported back in late May.
The 26-year-old forward has spent the last eight seasons with Sandvikens AIK. In 2007-08 he became the first player in the history of Swedish bandy to notch 100 goals in a season, scoring 114 (94 in the regular season, 20 in the playoffs).
Nilsson had begun negotiations about a possible move to Kazan a year ago, but Raketa's financial troubles put that deal on hold. He will become the fifth Swede on Raketa, joining Anders Ostling, Ulf Einarsson, Johan Andersson and Andreas Bergwall.
The details of the contract agreement have not been released, but negotiations to send Nilsson to the Russian club were first reported back in late May.
The 26-year-old forward has spent the last eight seasons with Sandvikens AIK. In 2007-08 he became the first player in the history of Swedish bandy to notch 100 goals in a season, scoring 114 (94 in the regular season, 20 in the playoffs).
Nilsson had begun negotiations about a possible move to Kazan a year ago, but Raketa's financial troubles put that deal on hold. He will become the fifth Swede on Raketa, joining Anders Ostling, Ulf Einarsson, Johan Andersson and Andreas Bergwall.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Russia Launches Continental Hockey League
BOULDER, Colorado -- Every summer I feel the need to get in my truck and drive a few thousand miles around this country. A road trip is great way to run away from your problems, at least temporarily, and you get a chance to visit friends in places you would normally just fly over traveling from one coast to another.
I had hoped to make a pilgrimage to Toronto to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, but with the American dollar so weak, no free lodging in Ontario, and a carload of contraband fireworks, I thought it best not to risk an international border crossing. Though the trip was light on hockey, I did get in quite a bit of baseball, visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City and catching minor league games on Coney Island and in flood-drenched Des Moines.
Some of the other highlights of the trip included a visit to Petersburg, KY's Creation Museum (you have no idea how crazy this place is until you have visited it - that's me to the right with a dinosaur with a saddle on it), Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary (prison museums are a hobby of mine), and the architectural wonders of Columbus, IN.
But now, onto the news ...
There has been some action on the Russian hockey front this summer. It appears as if Salavat Yulayev Ufa will be the last ever Superleague champions, as the top Russian circuit was dissolved at the conclusion of the season, to be replaced by a new 24-team league that will include teams from other former Soviet republics.
In April, new league president Alexander Medvedev, who is also the deputy chairman of Russian state-owned natural gas giant Gazprom and a member of the IIHF council, announced the creation of the Continental Hockey League (KHL).
The KHL will consist of 24 teams - 20 Russian clubs drawn from the Superleague, as well as Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and Kazakhstan's Barys Astana, who both formerly played in the Russian Elite League, and Belorusian club Dynamo Misk, from the Belorusian Open Championship. The final club - Latvia's Dynamo Riga (logo pictured left) - was founded in April and will begin operations in the new league. The league championship trophy has been named the Gagarin Cup, after the famed Soviet cosmonaut.
The new league was created to challenge to NHL for both fans and players. "Our goal is to eventually become the best hockey league in the world," Medvedev said in an interview with the Russian paper Sovetsky Sport April 10. The new league president hopes that eventually the KHL will be able to attract top teams from Western European leagues as well.
Medvedev promised that the KHL would have much stricter rules regulating team finances and player transactions in order to prevent the instability and infighting that has plagued earlier incarnations of the Russian professional leagues.
The NHL has already entered into negotiations on a temporary agreement with the new league to prevent either league from poaching players. The initial proposal from the NHL falls short of a transfer agreement, something it has been unable to secure with the Russian Hockey Federation (RHF).
Medvedev has stated that his teams are free to sign whomever they like, whether they are under contract with an NHL club or not. But NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly claimed that he had assurances from the new league that there would be no poaching of contract players. "Mr. Medvedev, on behalf of the KHL, has already agreed to respect the valid and binding contractual obligations of players to NHL clubs," Daly said, as reported by the AP June 25.
Earlier this month, some Russian clubs caused quite a stir when they reportedly offered Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin roughly US$12.5 million per season to return to Russia. Malkin has chosen to stay in Pittsburgh in 2008-09, when he is scheduled to earn $3.8 million.
Malkin was at the center of the transfer agreement conflict when he left his Russian club, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, to join the Penguins in August 2006. Pittsburgh had drafted Malkin second overall in 2004, and a legal battle ensued between the clubs over his rights. Ultimately, US courts ruled that Malkin did not have to honor the final year of his contract with Metallurg, and that Pittsburgh had acquired his services legally.
This is the third major shakeup of Russian professional hockey since 2000, when the Professional Hockey League (PHL) was created as an umbrella organization for the country's top two leagues. Then in June 2006, RHF president Vladislav Tretiak dissolved the PHL and placed its teams under the direction of the federation.
The first proposal to create a regional hockey league to compete with the NHL was floated by Russian minister of sport and Hockey Hall of Famer Vyacheslav Fetisov in 2005. Fetisov proposed forming the Eurasion Hockey League (EAHL), which would include clubs from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine and Latvia. That proposal was never enacted but formed the basis for this new league.
[Right: does anything happen in Russia these days without this company's stamp of approval?]
I had hoped to make a pilgrimage to Toronto to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, but with the American dollar so weak, no free lodging in Ontario, and a carload of contraband fireworks, I thought it best not to risk an international border crossing. Though the trip was light on hockey, I did get in quite a bit of baseball, visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City and catching minor league games on Coney Island and in flood-drenched Des Moines.
Some of the other highlights of the trip included a visit to Petersburg, KY's Creation Museum (you have no idea how crazy this place is until you have visited it - that's me to the right with a dinosaur with a saddle on it), Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary (prison museums are a hobby of mine), and the architectural wonders of Columbus, IN.
But now, onto the news ...
There has been some action on the Russian hockey front this summer. It appears as if Salavat Yulayev Ufa will be the last ever Superleague champions, as the top Russian circuit was dissolved at the conclusion of the season, to be replaced by a new 24-team league that will include teams from other former Soviet republics.
In April, new league president Alexander Medvedev, who is also the deputy chairman of Russian state-owned natural gas giant Gazprom and a member of the IIHF council, announced the creation of the Continental Hockey League (KHL).
The KHL will consist of 24 teams - 20 Russian clubs drawn from the Superleague, as well as Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and Kazakhstan's Barys Astana, who both formerly played in the Russian Elite League, and Belorusian club Dynamo Misk, from the Belorusian Open Championship. The final club - Latvia's Dynamo Riga (logo pictured left) - was founded in April and will begin operations in the new league. The league championship trophy has been named the Gagarin Cup, after the famed Soviet cosmonaut.The new league was created to challenge to NHL for both fans and players. "Our goal is to eventually become the best hockey league in the world," Medvedev said in an interview with the Russian paper Sovetsky Sport April 10. The new league president hopes that eventually the KHL will be able to attract top teams from Western European leagues as well.
Medvedev promised that the KHL would have much stricter rules regulating team finances and player transactions in order to prevent the instability and infighting that has plagued earlier incarnations of the Russian professional leagues.
The NHL has already entered into negotiations on a temporary agreement with the new league to prevent either league from poaching players. The initial proposal from the NHL falls short of a transfer agreement, something it has been unable to secure with the Russian Hockey Federation (RHF).
Medvedev has stated that his teams are free to sign whomever they like, whether they are under contract with an NHL club or not. But NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly claimed that he had assurances from the new league that there would be no poaching of contract players. "Mr. Medvedev, on behalf of the KHL, has already agreed to respect the valid and binding contractual obligations of players to NHL clubs," Daly said, as reported by the AP June 25.
Earlier this month, some Russian clubs caused quite a stir when they reportedly offered Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin roughly US$12.5 million per season to return to Russia. Malkin has chosen to stay in Pittsburgh in 2008-09, when he is scheduled to earn $3.8 million.
Malkin was at the center of the transfer agreement conflict when he left his Russian club, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, to join the Penguins in August 2006. Pittsburgh had drafted Malkin second overall in 2004, and a legal battle ensued between the clubs over his rights. Ultimately, US courts ruled that Malkin did not have to honor the final year of his contract with Metallurg, and that Pittsburgh had acquired his services legally.
This is the third major shakeup of Russian professional hockey since 2000, when the Professional Hockey League (PHL) was created as an umbrella organization for the country's top two leagues. Then in June 2006, RHF president Vladislav Tretiak dissolved the PHL and placed its teams under the direction of the federation.
The first proposal to create a regional hockey league to compete with the NHL was floated by Russian minister of sport and Hockey Hall of Famer Vyacheslav Fetisov in 2005. Fetisov proposed forming the Eurasion Hockey League (EAHL), which would include clubs from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine and Latvia. That proposal was never enacted but formed the basis for this new league.
[Right: does anything happen in Russia these days without this company's stamp of approval?]
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Sergei Lomanov, Jr. Returns to Yenisei Krasnoyarsk
BOULDER, Colorado -- Fans of Yenisei Krasnoyarsk had been waiting with baited breath for the club's management to announce the roster for the upcoming season and the team's new sponsorship arrangements.
Head coach Sergei Lomanov, Sr. had big news for the fans Wednesday - not only is the team's financing guaranteed for the next three years, but his son, Dynamo Moscow star forward Sergei, would be returning to Krasnoyarsk, Bandynet.ru reported.
The announcement was supposed to come last week, and the delay was seen by some as a bad omen for the club's future. But with the addition of Lomanov, who fired 56 goals for Dynamo in 2007-08, Yenisei looks to improve on its 10th-place overall finish last season.
Dynamo had added two important players to its already impressive lineup in the past several weeks, snapping up Aleksandr Nasonov and Nikolai Kadakin from Baikal-Energia Irkutsk. Lomanov's move will likely not tip the balance of power back to the eastern division, but the return of one of the game's biggest stars to the east gives some hope for more parity in the coming season.
Among other off-season signings, Yenisei acquired 29-year-old goalie Aleksandr Yevtin. Yevtin played last season for Zorky Krasnogorsk and was a member of the Russian national team.
Head coach Sergei Lomanov, Sr. had big news for the fans Wednesday - not only is the team's financing guaranteed for the next three years, but his son, Dynamo Moscow star forward Sergei, would be returning to Krasnoyarsk, Bandynet.ru reported.
The announcement was supposed to come last week, and the delay was seen by some as a bad omen for the club's future. But with the addition of Lomanov, who fired 56 goals for Dynamo in 2007-08, Yenisei looks to improve on its 10th-place overall finish last season.
Dynamo had added two important players to its already impressive lineup in the past several weeks, snapping up Aleksandr Nasonov and Nikolai Kadakin from Baikal-Energia Irkutsk. Lomanov's move will likely not tip the balance of power back to the eastern division, but the return of one of the game's biggest stars to the east gives some hope for more parity in the coming season.
Among other off-season signings, Yenisei acquired 29-year-old goalie Aleksandr Yevtin. Yevtin played last season for Zorky Krasnogorsk and was a member of the Russian national team.
Russia Tops Canada in OT To Take World Championship
QUEBEC CITY -- Russia came into the final of the IIHF World Championships Sunday as the underdog to the home team Canadians, who entered the tournament as the defending champions. Russia meanwhile had not won the tournament in 15 years, medaling only three times in that span.
Russia is a shadow of the Soviet Union squad that won 22 world titles, including a string of nine in 1963-1971, a run of dominance unsurpassed in the sport. But Ilya Kovalchuk's goal early in overtime sent the Russians to a 5-4 victory and returned a glimmer of the side's former glory.
From the IIHF:
Ilya Kovalchuk’s goal at 2:42 of overtime broke a 4-4 tie and gave Russia an historic gold medal today at the Colisée in one of the most anticipated finals games in many years. Kovalchuk also scored the tying goal with five minutes left in the third period. [more ... ]
Russia is a shadow of the Soviet Union squad that won 22 world titles, including a string of nine in 1963-1971, a run of dominance unsurpassed in the sport. But Ilya Kovalchuk's goal early in overtime sent the Russians to a 5-4 victory and returned a glimmer of the side's former glory.
From the IIHF:
Ilya Kovalchuk’s goal at 2:42 of overtime broke a 4-4 tie and gave Russia an historic gold medal today at the Colisée in one of the most anticipated finals games in many years. Kovalchuk also scored the tying goal with five minutes left in the third period. [more ... ]
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Baikal Captain Kadakin Leaves Team; Earth Ceases to Spin
BOULDER, Colorado -- Baikal-Energia Irkutsk's general manager Pavel Levitin announced Monday that team captain Nikolai Kadakin had left the team and was currently seeking a contract with another club as a free agent, Irkutsk newspaper Nasha Sibskana reported.
The reasons for Kadakin's departure remained unclear, but the club has granted him his unconditional release despite the fact that he was entering the second year of his three-year contract with Baikal. Levitin admitted in his conversation with Nasha Sibskana that Baikal would receive no compensation if the midfielder is signed by another club.
Baikal has reportedly signed a transfer agreement to send Kadakin to league champions Dynamo Moscow, though he still has the option to move to another club before the upcoming season.
Baikal is hoping that newly-signed Pavel Dubovik will be able to fill Kadakin's role as the team's principal center midfielder, Levitin said. Dubovik, however, is only 21 years old and scored only nine points last year (5 goals, 4 assists) for Mayak Krasnoturinsk, a far cry from Kadakin's eight goals and 23 assists in 2007-08.
In addition to the Dubovik signing, Baikal has also added forward Andrei Gerasimov, who, though only 20 years old, has tallied 24 goals each of the past two season for Mayak.
The reasons for Kadakin's departure remained unclear, but the club has granted him his unconditional release despite the fact that he was entering the second year of his three-year contract with Baikal. Levitin admitted in his conversation with Nasha Sibskana that Baikal would receive no compensation if the midfielder is signed by another club.
Baikal has reportedly signed a transfer agreement to send Kadakin to league champions Dynamo Moscow, though he still has the option to move to another club before the upcoming season.
Baikal is hoping that newly-signed Pavel Dubovik will be able to fill Kadakin's role as the team's principal center midfielder, Levitin said. Dubovik, however, is only 21 years old and scored only nine points last year (5 goals, 4 assists) for Mayak Krasnoturinsk, a far cry from Kadakin's eight goals and 23 assists in 2007-08.
In addition to the Dubovik signing, Baikal has also added forward Andrei Gerasimov, who, though only 20 years old, has tallied 24 goals each of the past two season for Mayak.
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