Last year, a strict salary cap was introduced (a club's annual payroll was not to exceed $39 million), referees began to strictly punish rough players, forwards gained freedom and started scoring, and many clubs became competitive again. Television and the television audience liked these innovations, and the League even allowed raising the salary cap to $44 million. Thus, many teams managed to significantly strengthen their rosters and approached the new championship fully armed.
One would like to believe that the products of Ukrainian hockey, whose number in the NHL increased by one (due to Alexei Mikhnov's move from Yaroslavl to Edmonton), will also be ready for the demands of the world's strongest hockey league. At least, during training camps, many showed their best side and confirmed that they are not playing in the NHL in vain. However, the legion of representatives of the Ukrainian hockey school could have reached the mark of 10 people, but Kharkiv native Denis Shvidky did not impress the Florida coaches and was cut from the training camp. Well, now let's go through the personal stories.
Alexei Zhitnik, «New York Islanders»
Our most experienced hockey player and the highest paid ($3 million per year). Unfortunately, a native of Kyiv and a product of the Sokol school, he has played for the Russian national team and is a lost cause for our national team. This season, Zhitnik could well become the first Ukrainian hockey player to surpass the mark of 1,000 games in the regular season. At the start of the 2006/2007 season, he had 941 games. If you add playoff games for the Stanley Cup, Alexei already has more than a thousand, but now we are talking about the 'regular season'.
During the preseason, Zhitnik, who missed the end of last season due to a broken leg, recorded two assists in four games and confirmed his status as one of the best defensemen in the NHL. And Islanders head coach Ted Nolan even said on the eve of the season that Alexei was included in the so-called 'special team' – the five that plays when the team gets a power play. Together with Zhitnik, other stars of the Islanders will execute the power play – Russians Alexei Yashin and Viktor Kozlov, Slovak Miroslav Šatan, and native Tom Poti.
Oleg Tverdovsky, «Los Angeles Kings»
If Zhitnik is the most experienced among all Ukrainians ever to play in the NHL, then Oleg Tverdovsky is the most decorated. He has won the Stanley Cup twice – in 2003 and 2006. A native of Donetsk, who left Ukraine for Russia long ago and from there went overseas, he was once called the heir to the famous Vyacheslav Fetisov, so the Russians could not afford to let such a talent slip away. However, Tverdovsky never even thought about playing for the Ukrainian national team, although he wanted to bring the first Stanley Cup to his hometown, but something didn't work out.
Oleg is second among the products of Ukrainian hockey in the current NHL in terms of salary ($2.5 million per year), but it was this factor that caused Tverdovsky's transfer from Carolina to Los Angeles literally a few days before the start of the championship. The Donetsk native returned to the well-known California, as he played for Anaheim for several years, without much regret: 'You can congratulate me. Frankly, I expected the trade to happen back in the summer and was surprised that Carolina didn't take any steps in that direction. For me, the move to Los Angeles is a positive factor. After all, things weren't going well in Carolina; in the last regular season, I clearly didn't get enough ice time, and in the playoffs I was completely benched. And no Stanley Cup could improve the situation. I didn't demand a trade, but both sides understood that a transfer would be the best way out of the situation. The club was probably not happy paying quite a lot of money to a player sitting on the bench. I was worried that I was wasting my best years.'
Dainius Zubrus, «Washington Capitals»
Third in annual salary ($1.85 million) among the products of Ukrainian hockey is Lithuanian national team player Dainius Zubrus, who received his education in Kharkiv. Last season, he was second among the Capitals in scoring, behind only the best rookie – Russian Alexander Ovechkin. It is alongside him, the most valuable player of Washington, that the former Kharkiv native will play on the team's first line. The third in their company will be the new captain Chris Clark, and this, you must agree, speaks only in favor of Zubrus.
On the eve of the championship, the Lithuanian with a Ukrainian background discussed the possible playoff entry of the generally weak Washington: 'I know the team is capable of a lot. At least, I believe it. But at the same time, the NHL is now too equal a league. The gap between leaders and outsiders has narrowed significantly. Competition for a playoff spot is so high now that it's hard to promise anything with certainty. Last season, it turned out that we are a very uncomfortable opponent. Even the best teams in the league found it very difficult against us. It will be the same now.'
Nikolai Zherdev «Columbus Blue Jackets»
This product of Kyiv hockey is perhaps the biggest fan of finding himself in the center of various stories. In 2003, he fled from Moscow CSKA to Columbus and heard many 'warm' words about himself. He almost faced a criminal case for evading military service, but it turned out that CSKA is now quite far from the army, and everything died down safely.
But his career in the NHL was interrupted by a lockout that canceled the 2004/2005 season. Zherdev returned to Russia and started playing... for CSKA. And when games resumed in the world's strongest hockey league, he again crossed the ocean. And again he did not stay long in one place. The guy, who celebrated his 21st birthday this year, felt that he was being underpaid in the "Blue Jackets" and demanded a raise. And to make the club bosses more accommodating, he once again left for Russia and signed an agreement with Khimik from the Moscow suburb of Mytishchi.
Columbus resisted the pressure of the young talented forward for a long time, but was forced to make concessions and sign a new three-year contract. During this time, the hockey player, whose dribbling and feints almost drove fans crazy, will receive $7.5 million. Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Doug MacLean had no choice — if he had acted otherwise, the fans would not have understood.
Performances in the Russian Super League allowed Zherdev to get into good shape, but many will be watching the forward in Columbus. The Russian of Ukrainian origin demanded big money, and in the US they are used to getting a return for every dollar spent. The same MacLean noted that "this time the club will not hire a nanny for Zherdev." The fact is that last season, to prevent the forward from isolating himself and help him adapt faster, Columbus assigned Sergei Kharin to him, who played for Krylya Sovetov in Soviet times and later played in lower North American leagues. Now the approach to Zherdev will undoubtedly be different.
But Zherdev himself is still satisfied with himself: "I won't hide it – I signed the contract with Khimik to put pressure on Columbus. I've said more than once that I want to play in the NHL. For me, that league will always be my top priority. But when I realized that negotiations with Columbus could drag on, I decided to sign a safety contract with Khimik. After all, I have to play somewhere. The fact that I managed to play a few games in the Russian championship is good. But I don't think it will affect the composition of Columbus. At least, I haven't had any talks with the coaches yet. And I don't know which line they plan to use me on."
Ruslan Fedotenko, Tampa Bay Lightning
Unlike Zhitnik, Tverdovsky, Zubrus, and Zherdev, another Kievan – Ruslan Fedotenko – is a player for the Ukrainian national team. And it was to Kyiv in 2004 that he brought the Stanley Cup he won with Tampa Bay. The Sokil product almost completely missed preseason training due to a May operation on his left thigh: "I still feel discomfort," Ruslan told American journalists. "Before the start of training camp, I need to properly strengthen the muscle to play at full strength. If everything is okay, I'm confident I can score 30 to 40 goals."
Appearing on the ice in the final preseason game, Fedotenko recorded two assists, feeding Czech Prospal and Russian Afanasenkov, who scored against Dallas. Experts note that after the departure of Swedish Fredrik Modin from the Lightning, the Ukrainian legionnaire (annual salary – $1.65 million) became Tampa Bay's best specialist in wrist shots, and in the upcoming season he should get more playing time.
Vitaly Vishnevsky, Atlanta Thrashers
A product of Kharkiv hockey (and at the same time a player for the Russian national team), Vyacheslav Vishnevsky, after six seasons with Anaheim, was traded to Atlanta this summer. In return, the Ducks received quite a lot – one forward, as well as a draft pick in 2007 and another draft pick to be determined later.
Vishnevsky is not a very productive defenseman (11 goals and 37 assists in 416 games), more focused on disruption (403 penalty minutes). In Atlanta, Vishnevsky did not train for a while due to a groin strain, but still participated in two exhibition games. The salary of the Kharkiv native is $1.55 million per year, and he does not express dissatisfaction with the trade: "Atlanta is a good organization. And I know many of the guys. I played with Slava Kozlov in Khimik during the lockout. I am very glad I came here. I hope I have recovered from the injury. Such injuries are no joke. The groin is always tricky; it can give way at any moment. But if I continue to recover at the same pace, everything will be fine. With the move, I expectedly had some household issues, but with the help of Kozlov and Kovalchuk, I hope to solve them. My wife will stay in California for now. She is studying there, so she will visit me in Atlanta from time to time. As for the game, we'll figure it out, especially since I know Atlanta well. I like their style."
Anton Babchuk, Carolina Hurricanes
This summer, a native of Kyiv, who also played for the Russian national team at the youth level, came to his hometown and brought the Stanley Cup. True, Babchuk did not play in the playoff games for Carolina, but he played 22 games in the regular season, scoring 5 points, so the Hurricanes management accommodated the young (22 years old) guy. But even playing for a Stanley Cup champion does not guarantee a high salary (Anton's is $901 thousand per year).
But if Babchuk progresses steadily, his salary will increase. He should have no problems with competition this season, since Oleg Tverdovsky has been sent to Los Angeles (although before this trade many predicted that Anton would go to the farm club, because Carolina has nine defensemen). The Kiev native played regularly during training camps and scored two points in five games, but unexpectedly did not make the lineup for the opening game of the NHL regular season: 'No, I'm not injured, absolutely healthy,' the hockey player himself said after the match with Buffalo. 'We just played with six defensemen. The coach decided to put the veterans in. I have no complaints. Coach Laviolette said I did a great job in preseason camp, everyone is happy with me. Well, I'll wait for my chance...'
Alexei Mikhnov, Edmonton Oilers
Another former Kiev native, Alexei Mikhnov (who also holds a Russian passport, although his younger brother Andrei plays for the Ukrainian national team), left Yaroslavl under a scandal this summer. And if not for the proceedings surrounding one of the most talented young hockey players on the planet, Evgeni Malkin, who fled from Magnitogorsk to Pittsburgh, Mikhnov would have been talked about much more. Alexei was drafted by Edmonton back in 2000, but only now decided to leave for the NHL.
He disappeared from the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv camp and notified the club by fax of his desire to terminate his contract. For this, Mikhnov was disqualified by the Russian Hockey Federation, which made no impression on NHL officials. During the exhibition games, the Kiev native scored four points (2+2) in five games, received favorable reviews from the local press, and signed a contract under which he will earn $850,000 for his first year in the League.
Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish said before the start of the season: 'Mikhnov intrigued me. Of course, there are aspects of his game he needs to improve, we expect more from him. But overall he is quite dangerous for the opponent.' Moreover, it should not be forgotten that Edmonton does not have its own farm club where they could closely monitor the player's progress, so this factor also played in favor of Alexei making the roster for the season.
The rookie himself was full of optimism: 'Yes, the competition in camp was extremely high. And the level of play in the exhibition games surprised me. But on the other hand, the team treated me very kindly, and I felt needed. Perhaps the critical moment came after one of the exhibition games when I got hit on my finger and couldn't move it for several days. Then it seemed that my spot in the lineup was slipping away. Good thing I managed to recover by the end of the exhibition tournament. And the fact that I'll probably only play on the fourth line doesn't scare me. I'm getting used to Canada little by little. The first three days I lived at the home of the team's general manager, the famous defenseman Kevin Lowe, after which I moved to a hotel. I really wanted to be kept on the team – then I can leave the hotel, rent or buy a house, and bring my wife from Ukraine to Canada.'
Alexei Ponikarovsky, Toronto Maple Leafs
For Kiev native Alexei Ponikarovsky, this season is his sixth in the NHL, but only last season did the Toronto forward truly show what he is capable of. Perhaps that is why his salary for the year ($725,000) is lower than that of league debutant Mikhnov. Nevertheless, in exhibition games Ponikarovsky was very determined and in seven games had 21 shots on goal, and in the first game of the season he scored a goal against Ottawa. Many experts consider the Canadian capital club to be among the main contenders for the Stanley Cup, but that did not prevent the Leafs from routing the Senators 6-0. Also, Ponikarovsky, together with Kazakh Nikolai Antropov and Russian Igor Ulanov, as well as some other hockey players, planned to hold a charity game against American ALMS series drivers.
It should not be ruled out that as the season progresses, someone else will join these nine players. For example, defenseman Denis Shvidky, who was released by Florida. Or someone from the many of our guys playing in various North American hockey leagues. Young Ukrainian talents go overseas every year. For now, the names Igor Gongalsky, Daniil Guryev, Yegor Yegorov, Filipp Ogleznev, Pavel Kozhokin, Dmitri Naida, Roman Khromushkin and many others do not mean much. But we have the example of Ruslan Fedotenko, who became a Stanley Cup champion without being drafted, making his way to the NHL through the lower leagues.