2013 WJC Preview: Survivial likely the main goal for Latvia Photo: Goalls will likely be hard to come by for Latvia at the 2013 World Junior Championship, but one player they will depend on for offense is Seattle Thunderbirds forward Robert Lipsbergs (courtesy of Derek Leung/Getty Images) Thanks to Nikitas Jevpalovs’ overtime goal against Denmark at the 2012 World Junior Championship, Latvia escaped relegation into Division I and instead will play in their fifth WJC with a rather young roster featuring several returning players. Sinitsyn bringing his game up to speed with UMass-Lowell Photo: University of Massachusetts-Lowell defenseman and Dallas Stars prospect Dmitry Sinitsyn is adjusting to NCAA hockey in his first season of college hockey (courtesy of Vaughn Winchell) During the University of Massachusetts-Lowell's final game against Colorado College earlier this season, defenseman Dmitry Sinitsyn yelled to fellow blueliner Jake Suter in the offensive zone. 2012-13 KHL preview Photo: Edmonton Oilers prospect Nail Yakupov rejected an assignment to the AHL and instead returned home to play in the KHL during the NHL lockout (courtesy of Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images) The 2012-13 KHL season, the fifth season for this largely Russian league, has just begun, with some changes in team lineups in part due to the NHL lockout. The league has welcomed Ukrainian team Donbass Donetsk, who played last season in the Russian High League, and HC Slovan Bratislava, one of the most reputable teams in Europe and a multiple winner of the Slovakian Championship title. Moreover, HC Lev relocated from the Slovakian city of Poprad to Prague in the Czech Republic. Canadian players head list of top Ivan Hlinka performers Photo: Belleville Bulls defenseman Jordan Subban was one of the top performers for Canada's gold medal team at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Tournament (courtesy of Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
The annual Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, considered by some to be the most prestigeous international hockey competition of players under eighteen years of age, was held last week in Břeclav, Czech Republic, and Piešťany, Slovakia. And as is usually the case in the world of hockey, some results and statistics were simply surprising. Increase in Russian-born draftees at 2012 NHL Draft Photo: Los Angeles Kings draft pick Nikolai Prokhorkin was one of 13 Russians chosen at the 2012 NHL Draft (courtesy of Aaron Bell/CHL Images)
The 2012 NHL Draft was an interesting one for Russia as the first overall pick, for the first time since Alexander Ovechkin's name was called in 2004, was a Russian player, with Nail Yakupov receiving the honor as the choice of the Edmonton Oilers. |
