Truth & Rumors > NHL
Russian talent drying out
- Views
- 2437
- Comments
- 36
08:30 AM ET 06.22 | Perhaps Nail Yakupov becomes the next great Russian to play in the NHL, and [Evgeni Malkin] just won the Hart Trophy, but there is trend toward fewer Russian players in the league. [Just] a decade after 60 Russian-born players populated the league, the flood has turned to a dribble. Malkin was one of only 24 Russians to compete in the NHL this season, and that includes Alexander Radulov, who dropped in for a late cup of coffee and a late night out. By comparison, there were 59 Swedes and 40 Czechs. ... The flow of Russians peaked in 2000 when 44 were drafted into the NHL, including six of the first 17 selections. Last June, only six Russians were drafted out of 211 players selected, and that was up from four the year before.
Truth & Rumors
MOST POPULAR
-
1
Stunned Cavs open to dealing top pick
- Views
- 6008
- Comments
- 1484
-
2
Duquette's luck running out
- Views
- 2458
- Comments
- 515
-
3
Namath: Jets wasted Smith pick
- Views
- 29596
- Comments
- 95
-
4
Rangers fear 'huge' loss on D
- Views
- 7269
- Comments
- 83
-
5
LeBron knows Indy can beat the Heat
- Views
- 2324
- Comments
- 61


Alana Blanchard
Eva De Goede and Ellen Hoog


Comments (36) Add A Comment
Russian talent drying out or Russian talent running off to KHL?
Garbage Man
Harrisburg , PA
Total Comments (1742)
In Soviet Russia, you draft team!
Argos.
Total Comments (5415)
In Soviet Russia, hockey less important then plane maintenance
Garbage Man
Harrisburg , PA
Total Comments (1742)
It's a different world over there now. The olde "sports academies" don't work like they used to. Now, they're just another country with talented players (ala`Canada, Sweden, Czech Rep, etc) that needs to find a way to make them want to play hard...all the time
Spiny Norman
Total Comments (10843)
It is. They take **** in holes in the ground. No toilets, just a nasty **** in the ground.
Argos.
Total Comments (5415)
Bring your own roll of toilet paper.
THE BISHOP!
Total Comments (13387)
Russian talent drying out
So are vodka imports.
THE BISHOP!
Total Comments (13387)
In Chernobyl, glowing toilet paper will wipe for you
Garbage Man
Harrisburg , PA
Total Comments (1742)
This...
Otis B. Driftwood
Total Comments (30626)
It doesn't seem like the Russian players have the work ethic needed to play in the NHL.
Burgh-Fan
Total Comments (5047)
Mentioning Radulov and Russian talent drying out all at once? Me thinks not.
santapig
Kansas City , MO
Total Comments (3072)
*After mailing it in for the duration of their NHL career.
dannylimes
Toronto, ON
Total Comments (8008)
Hard to believe there was only a two-fours worth of Russians playing this year...
Golden Bay
Total Comments (3935)
at one time comrade we did here too and not that long ago
Swamp Dragon
Total Comments (13811)
and 25 playersfrom NY state at the start of last season
Swamp Dragon
Total Comments (13811)
Isn't it that the talent might be still close to what it was, but iwth the KHL the threat of Russian players using the KHL to drive up their price or to just go there scares teams. I mean the #1 pick is Russian and another player projected to go top 5 is too (though I guess technically he is American as he was born here, but they still are scared of the KHL as they asked him about 100 times already).
Nard Dog
Total Comments (3362)
There was an awesome blog of some Canadian who played this last season in the KHL. I cannot remember what is was called or where I found it now, but it was really awesome.
Argos.
Total Comments (5415)
In some parts of China, people just take craps on the side of the road. Just pull down their pants and do their business, in the middle of the day in front of people.
In most of China, babies and kids do all their craps in the street.
Argos.
Total Comments (5415)
LOL....this is soooooooooooooo funny considering that probably 2 of the top 3 picks will be russian (Yakupov or Galchenyuk (sic)).
There isn't a canadian forward likely to be picked in the top 15. And we're talking about Russian talent drying up? Really? Because the Russian junior team didn't humiliate us enough at the world juniors in recent memory?
Strupidity like this article really gets to me.
puttin on the foil
Total Comments (7695)
if the khl are willing to make radulov one of the worlds most highly paid players, why would ANY middle of the road russian even think of coming to the NHL? They get to be stars in their little pro league & get paid like NHL talent (or better). They come over here & they'd have to fight for ice time & often have to do stints in the ahl. All of a sudden they realize they're not all that good either. Hurts the ego considering that back home they were always told how much better the K is.
puttin on the foil
Total Comments (7695)
Comment
Remember to keep your posts clean. Profanity will get filtered, and offensive comments will be removed.