Kolyachonok Invited to NHL Draft Scouting Combine
Flint, Mich. – Flint Firebirds defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok (pronounced koh-lee-uh-cho-nohk) is among the top prospects that have been invited to the 2019 NHL Scouting Combine, held this week at KeyBank Center and HarborCenter in Buffalo, NY.
Kolyachonok becomes the fourth Flint Firebird in the past four years to be invited to the NHL Scouting Combine, following Will Bitten and Nick Caamano (2016) and Ty Dellandrea (2018). Bitten was then selected out of the Firebirds’ organization in the third-round (70th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens, Caamano in the fifth-round (146th overall) by the Dallas Stars and Dellandrea in the first-round (13th overall) also by Dallas.
The combine allows all 31 NHL teams an opportunity to conduct interviews and provide physical and medical assessments of the top prospects eligible for the 2019 NHL Draft.
Kolyachonok, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound native of Minsk, Belarus, became the first ever Flint Firebird to be named to the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) First All-Rookie Team for the 2018-19 season this past campaign after finishing second among all rookie defenseman in the OHL this season. He set a record for most points by a rookie in a Firebirds’ uniform with 30 points (4G, 26A) in 54 games. Along with earning the honor on the league level, he was tabbed as Flint’s ‘Best Defenseman’ at the end-of-year Firebirds’ player awards banquet.
Kolyachonok has been ranked number-31 among North American skaters listed by NHL Central Scouting in their Final Rankings for the 2019 NHL Draft, which takes place June 21-22 in Vancouver, BC.
About The Flint Firebirds:
The Flint Firebirds are a proud member of the prestigious 20-team Ontario Hockey League. The OHL is part of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), which is known as the world’s premiere player development league for the NHL. On NHL opening day rosters in October, 70% of NHL players were CHL alums. Since the Firebirds’ inception in Flint, Michigan four seasons ago, the team has produced 15 NHL signed or drafted players. More than 250 scouts representing all 31 NHL clubs attended a Firebirds game in Flint throughout the 2018-19 season. The Firebirds average nearly 3,000 fans per game at the newly renovated Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center, reaching over 100,000 fans each OHL season.
For media inquiries, contact:
Dominic Hennig
Director of Broadcasting & Communications
Flint Firebirds Hockey Club
[email protected]
(810) 519-9347