Hockey's Future - The #1 Online Prospects Resource

A check up on an uneventful period for the Lightning's European prospects in the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Russia, and Sweden.

Czech Republic

W Ivan Rachunek	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Zlin	48	9	16	25	2	-27
2003-2004 Budejovice	5	0	2	2	0	-5

 

Stock: Injured

Since Last Report: 0GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0 PIMS, Even

Due to injury, Rachunek has not played a single game since the last European report.

 

Note: Marek Posmyk transferred from HC Plzen of the Czech Extraliga to the Nurnberg Ice Tigers of Germany's DEL on November 27th.

 

Finland

C Karri Akkanen	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Ilves Jr. A	11	1	6	7	65	-2
2002-2003 Ilves	21	0	1	1	0	-3
2003-2004 Ilves/Tappara Jr. A	17	1	4	5	48	-1

 

Stock: Falling

Since Last Report: 11GP, 1G-2A-3P, 26 PIMs, Even
The good news is that Akkanen is now getting regular playing time with Taparra's Jr. A team since the transfer from Ilves Jr. A. The bad news is that he has just 3 points in 11 games since the last update. The worse news is that he isn't the most offensively anemic prospect the Lightning has in Finland this season. All three of Akkanen's points since the last update came in a 7-1 rout of SaiPa Jr. A on December 3rd, for which he was named the first star of the game.

 

W Raimonds Danilics	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Daugavpils Jr. (LAT)	NA	4	5	9	18	NA
2003-2004 Lukko Jr. A	17	0	0	0	6	-6

 

Stock: Falling

Since Last Report: 10GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0 PIMs, -5

Danilics is still searching for the all elusive first point of his Finnish junior hockey career as he still has yet to even tally a helper for a struggling Lukko Jr. A team. On the good side though, Danilics did tally 1 goal and 4 assists in 5 games for Latvia in the Pool A U-20 World Championships.

 

Germany

D Sascha Goc	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Mannheim	49	1	3	4	87	+10
2002-2003 Mannheim (Playoffs)	7	1	0	1	31	+2
2003-2004 Mannheim	30	5	10	15	42	+5

 

Stock: Rising

Since Last Update: 17GP, 5G-8A-13P, 28PIMs, -3

If you're looking for a bright spot for the Lightning's European prospects over the last two months, Germany is definitely one of the best places to find it. After an acrimonious fallout between former NHL veterans Yves Racine and Stefan Ustorf and Mannheim's head coach led to both men being kicked off the team, Goc was named Adler Mannheim's captain, and the new letter on his chest has suited him. Goc scored 2 goals in an November 2nd victory over Wolfe Freiburg and he hasn't looked back since. It is hard to imagine this is the same Sascha Goc who had just 4 points all of last season, and by elevating his play Goc may be deserving of a second look by the Lightning organization.

 

D Marek Posmyk	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Slavia Praha	41	0	4	4	20	+7
2003-2004 HC Plzen (CZE Extraliga)	10	0	1	1	14	-6
2003-2004 Nurnberg (DEL)	7	1	3	4	4	+5

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 7GP, 1G-3A-4P, +5

On November 27th Posmyk transferred to the Nurnberg Tigers from HC Plzen of the Czech Extraliga. To this point, the move to the more North American style DEL has suited Posmyk as he has notched 4 points in his first 7 games in the league.

 

Russia

C/W Dimitri Bezrukov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Spartak (Superleague)	51	10	12	22	24	-4
2003-2004 Nizhnekamsk/Cherepovets	18	1	3	4	10	NA

 

Stock: Falling

Since Last Update: 7GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0 PIMs, NA

During the Karjala Cup break, Bezrukov transferred from Nizhnekamsk to Severstal Cherepovets in the hopes he could find more ice time. Unfortunately, to this point Dimitri has yet to point for his new club.

 

LW Anton But	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Yaroslavl	44	16	13	29	16	NA
2002-2003 Yaroslavl (Playoffs)	9	1	2	3	6	NA
2003-2004 Yaroslavl	31	8	7	15	16	TBD

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 15GP, 5G-2A-7P, 8 PIMs, TBD
It has been a down year for defending Superleague champion Yaroslavl, but that hasn't stopped Anton But from continuing to be one of the more reliable goal scorers in the league. On the Euro Tour circuit, But did not point in the Karjala Cup tournament and was not asked to participate in the Baltica Cup tournament. With Loko now a mediocre seventh place on the table, and their iron fisted grip on the league seemingly broken, one wonders if But might be more amenable to the prospect of moving into a new situation in North America.

 

C/W Alexei Glukhov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Khimik (Upper League)	38	4	4	8	30	+4
2002-2003 Khimik (Playoffs)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
2003-2004 Khimik (Super League)	16	0	0	0	8	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 9GP, 0G-0A-0P, 6 PIMs, NA

Despite the fact he is still searching for his first Superleague point, Glukhov continues to rack up valuable experience at a very young age in Russia's top league. Now a regular in the lineup, Glukhov has helped his team Khimik overcome a horrendous start to play some solid hockey since the Karjala Cup break.

 

C/W Dimitry Kazionov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Lada2 (Upper League)	34	14	13	27	26	+27
2002-2003 Lada	6	0	1	1	4	+2
2003-2004 Lada	30	5	5	10	28	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 13GP, 2G-1A-3P, 20 PIMs

The scoring pace for Kazionov remains cool after an extremely hot start for Lada. Nevertheless, Togliatti is still riding high at second on the league's table 8 points behind leader Magnitogorsk and Kazionov has earned himself a spot on Russia's U-20 World Junior Championships roster which is currently underway in Finland. With Igor Grigorienko set to return to Lada's lineup soon, Kazionov may see a reduction of his minutes, but the 30 games he has played thus far at the Superleague level have shown developmentally he is not too far behind where fellow Lightning prospect Alex Polushin was a season ago. With another year of polish next season with Lada, the Lightning may be ready to sign Kazionov in the summer of 2005.

 

G Vasily Koshechkin	W-L-T	GAA	Sv%	SO
2002-2003 Lada2 (Upper League)	NA	NA	NA	NA
2002-2003 Olmp/Nfty (Upper League)	NA	NA	NA	NA
2003-2004 Lada Togliatti	0-1-0	1.24	NA	0

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 0-0-0, 0.00GAA, NA, 0 SO

In one of the more bizarre incidents in the Superleague this season, Lada's standout netminder J.F. Labbe quit the team and returned to Canada during the Baltica Cup break. In the lurch, it was thought that Koshechkin may be forced to start a significant amount of games for the team, but those fears were soon allayed when Togliatti brought in Czech Extraliga veteran Jiri Trvaj, formerly of HC Vitkovice. In several mop up appearances for Labbe since the last update, Koshechkin has continued to acquit himself admirably in limited action.

 

C/W Alex Polushin	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 CSKA	47	5	6	11	22	NA
2003-2004 CSKA	13	5	2	7	4	NA

 

Stock: Injured

Since Last Update: 0GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0 PIMs, NA

Polushin is still out with a knee injury suffered by a collision with a teammate suffered during training. A source in the Lightning organization has told Hockey's Future the injury will not factor heavily into the decision of whether or not to sign Alex Polushin this summer, as he remains one of the team's most prized prospects.

 

W Pavel Sedov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Khimik (Upper League)	25	1	5	6	6	+2
2002-2003 Khimik (Playoffs)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
2003-2004 Khimik (Super League)	9	1	0	1	2	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 2GP, 0G-0A-0P, 0 PIMs, NA
Since the triumph of scoring his first and only Superleague goal, Sedov has only played a couple of games in the last reporting period.

 

W/C Vitali Smolianinov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Voronezh (Upper League)	14	1	1	2	12	-2
2003-2004 Karaganda  (Upper League)	18	1	0	1	32	NA

 

Stock: Dropping

Since Last Update: 14GP, 1G-0A-1P, 26 PIMs, NA

For Smolianinov, a miniscule one goal in 18 Upper League games this season won't impress anyone.

 

W Ilja Solarev	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-
2003-2004 Barnaul  (Upper League)	17	4	3	7	6	E

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 11GP, 4G-3A-7P, 6 PIMs, +3
The hardworking Solarev, who could not find a team to play for last season, seems to have finally found a niche with Motor Barnaul.

 

W Albert Vishnyakov	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Kazan	46	7	6	13	47	NA
2002-2003 Kazan (Playoffs)	5	1	0	1	0	NA
2003-2004  Kazan/Nizhenkamsk	7	0	1	1	2	NA

 

Stock: Steady

Since Last Update: 3GP, 0G-1A-1P, 2 PIMs, NA
As a result of acquisitions made during the Karjala Cup break, Vishnyakov did not play a single game for Kazan during the last reporting period. Ak Bars loss is Nizhnekamsk's gain as Vishnyakov transferred to Neftekhimik on December 18th during the Baltica Cup break and tallied an assist in his first game for the team. Albert has already proven himself last season at the Superleague level, and the transfer should allow Vishnyakov to continue his career at that level.

Sweden

LW Johan Hagglund	GP	G	A	P	PIM	+/-
2002-2003 Ore/Ham (Alsvensakan)	26	9	7	16	32	+3
2002-2003 Hammarby (SuperAlsv')