KHL

Alexander Radulov proved to be rad, but not the one you love if you are a fan of Team Canada, the NHL, or the Nashville Predators. His second period goal proved to be the game-winner in a 2-1 final between Russia and Canada at the IIHF World Hockey Championships.

Radulov created a lot of controversy recently when he jumped from the NHL to the KHL. He was poached from the Nashville Predators and played for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the city of Ufa, which is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, in Russia.

Ufa won the Russian Super League Championship last year and finished first in the KHL's regular season this year. The KHL season is scheduled to end before the World Championships so the best KHL players can represent Russia at the tournament.

The NHL remains unhappy with the KHL and is considering staying out of the 2014 Winter Olympics, to be held in Russia.

In the final game of the tournament, Canada scored first, with a goal by Jason Spezza of the Ottawa Senators in the National Hockey League, but the Russians tied it up later in the opening period, with a goal by Oleg Saprykin of the HC CSKA Moscow in the KHL.

Both goals could be called tip-ins. The teams looked fairly evenly matched, although the Canadians hits were clean but the Russians got a penalty for high sticking and drew a penalty for diving.

The Canadian goalie might have also exaggerated a hit to draw a penalty and, Alexei Kovalev also received a hockey player's smile during the game, losing a tooth.

Radulov got the game-winner early in the second period.

The win gives the Russians plus the Soviet Union 25 world championships, just one more than Canada. However, the Soviets were clearly taking the tournament far more seriously in the days of the CCCP.

The Soviets sent their best team, which also represented them at the Olympics, while the Canadian squad has always been made up of players who did not make it beyond the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the NHL.

Sweden won the bronze medal, defeating a surprising young team from the USA.

The AK Bars will play Lokomotiv in the final of the KHL so Jaromir Jagr's team, Avangard Omsk is out of the playoffs and trying to get Dominik Hasek for next season. No doubt the New York Rangers wish Jagr could join them for the stretch run and the Stanley Cup playoffs this season.

Hasek, 44-year-old retired goalkeeping legend, is not denying rumors he has received an offer to play with KHL's Avangard Omsk. He retired last season after winning his second Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings.

Avangard got Jágr to move from Manhattan to Siberia by offering him the equivalent US $10 million per year to play southwest Siberia, two thousand miles east of Moscow.

Hasek has not ruled out a comeback, but it is suspected he may only return to playing hockey in the Czech Republic. Jagr has said he intends to return to the Czech Republic in the future as well.

The KHL reportedly offered Evgeni Malkin $12 million last year but he decided to stay in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Due to economic problems, the KHL may not be able to make salary offers like that again this year.

The KHL and the NHL fought over Alexander Radulov, who signed a three-year contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa while under contract with the Nashville Predators. The NHL is still not happy with the way that one worked out.

Another former NHL star, Alexei Yashin, is rumored to be returning to the NHL.

Canadian coach Glen Hanlon is back in Belarus as head coach of the Belarusian national team and of Dynamo Minsk in the KHL.

Y siguiendo con su recorrido sorprendente, los Jonas Brothers aterrizaron hoy (domingo 1) por la mañana en Texas y sorprendieron a muchas fans dispuestas a ver su película.

Los chicos pusieron en su blog:

“Es domingo por la mañana aquí en USA y nosotros aterrizamos en Austin, Texas, para sorprender a nuestras fans en los cines. Es algo que nunca olvidaremos. Estamos muy emocionados por visitar esta increíble ciudad y conocer su genial comunidad country. La audiencia se mostró muy complacida con nuestra presencia y nosotros también les agradecemos por darnos la oportunidad de compartir con ellos”.

¿Dónde será su próximo aterrizaje sorpresa?

Fotos gracias a JustJared

The New York Rangers are seeking a compensatory selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft for the loss of Alexei Cherepanov, who died during a game in Russia.

The 19-year-old star of Avangard Omsk, in the Continental Hockey League (KHL), died suddenly,last October, after collapsing on his team's bench, during a KHL game in Checkhov, not far from Moscow.

Rangers GM Glen Sather claims the Rangers should receive the 17th selection in the second round of June's draft as compensation for losing Cherepanov, the 17th overall selection in the 2006 Draft.

The New York Rangers drafted Cherepanov with their first selection, 17th overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Nicknamed the Siberian Express, Cherepanov was in his third season with Avangard, in Siberia. In his rookie season in the Russian Superleague, Cherepanov had more points than Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin, and Ilya Kovalchuk did respectively, at the age of 17. Cherepanov beat the Russian league rookie goal scoring record previously held by Pavel Bure.

Cherepanov was drafted 17th overall despite being considered a top five prospect because of the lack of a new transfer agreement between the NHL and the International Ice Hockey Federation concerning players in the Russian Hockey Federation.

He played a shift with teammate Jaromír Jágr, and the two were talking on the bench shortly after they left the ice, when he suddenly collapsed.
He had a two-on-one situation with Jagr on his final shift. He scored a goal earlier in the game.

The Federal Investigative Committee in Russia announced that Cherepanov engaged in doping, according to Wikipedia, and official sources have stated the banned substance taken was nikethamide, a stimulant, taken before the game.

Cherepanov's team was found negligent, according to an AP report.

The KHL issued indefinite suspensions to the general manager, the president, and team doctor Avangard Omsk, citing criminal negligence for their roles in the death of Alexei Cherepanov.

The indefinite suspensions of Avangard's general manager, Anatoly Bardin; its president, Konstantin Potapov; and one of its team doctors, Sergei Belkin, as well as of Vityaz Chekhov's president, Mikhail Denisov, were announced one day after Cherepanov would have turned 20. Another Avangard team doctor, Dmitry Batushenko, was suspended for two years.

Vladimir Shalaev, a KHL VP, said Avangard doctors and team directors should have known that Cherepanov had a potentially fatal heart condition and it should have prevented him from playing hockey.

Shalaev also said Cherepanov was given a banned performance-enhancing drug, which was found in his system during an autopsy.

Cherepanov died shortly after his heart failed as he sat on the bench alongside his teammate Jaromir Jagr at the end of a game against Vityaz Chekhov. He went into cardiac arrest

Doctors arrived on the scene a full 12 minutes after Cherepanov collapsed, according to the Canadian Press.

Efforts to revive Cherepanov were slow because there were no ambulances or working defibrillators at the Chekhov arena.

The ambulance usually stationed in the arena had already left the building and had to be recalled.

It took approximately 20 minutes to get him to a hospital, according to Wikipedia. While in the care of Chekhov doctors, he was again resuscitated briefly on two occasions, before ultimately passing.

The cause of his death was disputed. A regional investigator said it was chronic ischemia. Investigations of negligence revealed he suffered from myocarditis, a condition where not enough blood gets to the heart, and that he should not have been playing professional hockey.

A chemical analysis of Cherepanov's blood and urine samples allowed experts to concludei Cherepanov had engaged in doping for several months. Official sources have stated the banned substance taken was nikethamide, a stimulant, and that it had been taken three hours prior to the game in which he passed.

Newyorkrangres.com describes Cherepanov as a player who had great potential. He appeared in 14 games with Avangard Omsk of the Continental Hockey League (KHL) this season, registering seven goals and five assists for 12 points.  He ranked second on the team in goals (seven) and fourth in points (12).  He also ranked third on the team with a 24.1 shooting percentage.

The 6-1, 187-pounder appeared in 106 career Russian Super League (RSL)/KHL matches with Avangard Omsk, collecting 40 goals and 29 assists for 69 points, along with 61 penalty minutes.

With 29 points in his first season with Omsk, Cherepanov recorded more points than Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin, Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin and Atlanta’s Ilya Kovalchuk each tallied in their first RSL season.

At 15, he broke through for Avangard-2 (which functions as the club's junior team). In just 28 games, he racked up a staggering 31 goals and 61 points, according to Bill Meltzer of nhl.com.

Cherepanov represented Russia at the 2007 World Junior Hockey Championships and won a silver medal. He was named to the tournament's all-star team and won the award for best forward.

During the 2007 IIHF World U18 Championships Cherepanov lead Russia to a gold medal. In the final against USA, he scored a goal to give Russia the lead early in the third period. Cherepanov was selected to the media all-star team, in total he scored five goals, tied for second in the tournament. His eight point total was second to Nikita Filatov's nine points as scoring leader for team Russia. Filatov now plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL.

During game two of the 2007 Super Series between Russia and Canada, Cherepanov collided with Canadian forward Brandon Sutter and suffered a concussion. Team Russia was winless for the remainder of the series.

Cherepanov led Russia to a bronze medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships, and had three points in the medal winning 4–2 victory over the United States.
State television showed mourners in Ozeki, his hometown in Siberia, lining up on a red carpet placed on the ice in the hockey stadium of Cherepanov’s team, Avangard Omsk, to lay flowers at his coffin. Thousands attended the funeral.

There has been lots of controversy over and in the Continental Hockey League, which is known as the KHL.

The KHL is made up mostly of Russian players, plus a few from Eastern European countries but there are a number of Canadian and American players, most with NHL experience, joining the league.

The top team in the KHL today is Ufa Salavat Yulayev which has Alexander Radulov, who was considered a rising star in the NHL. He was born in Russia. Radulov has 20 goals and 27 assists in 48 games.

Ufa also has Steve McCarthy, a Canadian who played in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, and Atlanta Thrashers.

In second place is Mytishchi Atlant, with Ray Emery, a Canadian who played five seasons with the Ottawa Senators.

Jaomar Jagr's team is Omsk Avangard, and in 13th place. He has 25 goals and 26 assists in 49 games. The team has two other former NHLers—John Graham, an American, played for the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes. He was the goaltender for Team USA in 2007. They also have Jakub Klepis, from the Czech Republic, played for the Washington Capitals a few years ago.

Ray Giroux, another Canadian in the KHL, played for the New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils and is now with St. Petersburg in the KHL, along with David Nemirovsky, a Canadian who played for the Florida Panthers, several years ago.

Pierre Dagenais, a Canadian who played for the New Jersey Devels, Florida Panthers, and the Montreal Canadiens, now plays with Chelybanisk Traktor of the KHL.

Mike Fountain, a Canadian who played for the Ottawa Senators almost a decade ago, plays for Tolyatti Lada of the KHL.

Matta Ellison, Mark Hartigan, and Duvie Westcott are Canadians playing with Riga Dynamo, alongside Marcel Hossa, from Slovakia.

Hossa played for the Canadiens, Rangers, and Coyotes. Ellison played with the Blackhawks and Flyers. Hartigan played with the Red Wings, Blue Jackets, and Thrashers, in the NHL. Westcott also played for the Blue Jackets.

Kirby Law, from Canada, played for the Flers, and is now with Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik in the KHL.

Joel Kwiatkowski, a Canadian, played for the Senators, Capitals, Panthers, Pengins, and Thrashers, in the NHL, and now plays for the Cherepovets Severstal in the KHL.

Astana Barys has three Canadians with NHL experience: Kevin Dallman, Trevor Letowski, and Marc Lamothe. Dallman played for the Blues and the Kings, Letowski played for the Canucks, Blue Jackets, and Hurricanes, and Lamothe was with the Blackhawks and the Red Wings for a couple of games.

Jeff Jillson, an American, who played for the Sharks, Bruins, and Sabres, plays for Balashikha MVD, along with three Canadians: Jame Pollock, J.F. Fortin, and Michael Garnett. Pollock played for the Blues, briefly, Fortin played for the Capitals, and Garnett was with the Thrashers.

Bryce Lampman, an American who played for  the Rangers for several games, is now with Khabarovsk Amur, along with three Canadians: Nolan Pratt, Kyle Wanvig, and Tyler Moss.

Pratt played for the Huricanes, Avalanche, Lightning, and Sabres; Wanvig was with the Minnesota Wild; and Moss played for the Flames, Hurricanes, and Canucks.

Ross Lupaschuk played a few games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and is now with Novosibirsk Siber of the KHL along with another Canadian, Tom Lawson.

Four Americans and five Canadians play for Minsk Dynamo. Ben Clymer, an American, played for the Lightning and Capitals; Jeff Giuliano, from New Hampshire, played two seasons with the Kings; Justin Morrison, from Los Angeles, was drafted by the Canucks; Doug Nolan, from Massachusettes, was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs; Brian Muir, from Winnipeg, played with the Oilers, Blackhawks, Lightning, Avalanche, and Kings; Jeff Plante comes from Toronto and played for the Blue Jackets; Jeff Ulmer, from Regina, played for the Rangers for a season; Mike Manaluk from Winnipeg played for the Blackhawks, Rangers, Flyers, and Blue Jackets; and Andy Chiodo, from Toronto, played several games with the Penguins.

There are five Canadians playing for Chekhov Vityaz: Chris Simon played with the Quebec Nordiques, the Avalanche, Capitals, Blackhawks, Rangers, Flames, Islanders, and Wild; Derek Walso played for the Blue Jackets; Ahren Nittel was drafted by the Devils; Darcy Verot had a season with the Capitals; and Nathan Perrot played for the Leafs and the Dallas Stars. Bryan Bedard, from Rhode Island, played for the Islanders, Leafs, Rangers, Bruins, Blackhawks, and Blue Jackets.

It has been three days since news spread around the hockey world about the sudden and tragic death of 19-year-old star Alexei Cherepanov.

Known to his friends and hockey family as Lyoshka, Cherepanov displayed character on and off the ice. Selected by the New York Rangers in 2007, his skill was heralded by many as the next big player to don a NHL sweater.

All of that changed when Cherepanov, after failing to score on a two-on-one with former Ranger Jaromir Jagr, collapsed on the bench of a reported heart failure. Since then, many different opinions and finger pointing has risen in Russia regarding his death.

According to regional investigator Yulia Zhukova, Cherepanov suffered from ischemic heart disease—a condition where the heart fails to receive enough blood. What is interesting about this suggestion is that no doctors, documents—or anything for that matter—were quoted.

In fact, after searching vigorously through the Internet in both English and Russian, I found nothing about the background of Zhukova. While it may be surprising to some, Russia has always been hush-hush about its downfalls.

This was more evident during the days of the Soviet Union, when plane crashes, subway-escalator accidents, and other tragedies went intentionally unreported. To this day, the government monitors many of the television channels, and journalists rarely speak their mind in fear of losing their lives.

From the get-go, things have been unclear. First, the report of the on-ice collision between Jagr and Cherepanov has been denied and dubbed as fabricated. Next, the game of yes or no of the whereabouts of the ambulance has also been played, with sources saying it had to be called back since the game was almost over.

Hours after these allegations went public, TSN reported that for a person so young such as Cherepanov, ischemica would be virtually unheard of. Their source was Dr. Anthony Colucci, the Detroit Red Wings team physician and emergency-room doctor, and one of the men responsible for saving the life of Jiri Fischer in 2005.

Fischer, like Cherepanov, collapsed on the bench due to cardiac arrest, but thanks to the swift action of Dr.Colucci and other trained men in the arena his life was saved. He added that had Cherepanov suffered from ischemia, there would be no way it would have gone undetected by the various tests all draftees are subject to.

The Rangers medical staff also ran tests when Cherepanov attended training camp in 2007. Another Russian source has stated that negligence on the part of the ambulance staff and improper defibrillators. Had both been present, Cherepanov's life might have been saved. Russian hockey officials have threatened legal action.

This terrible event will most likely be the biggest blemish on the newly formed KHL, which is in its first full season replacing the Russian Super League. The league, which has dubbed itself as the next best thing to the NHL, should be embarrassed for the failure to offer top-of-the-line medical equipment. Instead of luring players with big-money contracts, they should focus on the necessities needed to provide the best possible equipment and training.

If they want to be as good as the NHL (which will probably never happen), they should adopt the NHL's policy regarding having two ambulances in each arena, and having trained medical staff 50 feet from the bench. Only then can they be considered the second-best hockey league in the world.

On Wednesday, thousands gathered to Cherepanov's coffin, which was placed on a red carpet on the ice at Omsk Arena. Later, those same people would follow the coffin to a cemetery not far from the arena to bid their final goodbyes.

Among them was Jagr, who added the last piece of earth onto the coffin as it was lowered into the ground. The club has confirmed that Cherepanov's No.7 jersey will be retired.