Team Russia Roster Announced for 2015 CHL Canada Russia Series
Thursday October 29, 2015
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the roster for Team Russia that will compete in the 2015 CHL Canada Russia Series which begins on Monday November 9 in Kelowna, BC.
A team of 23 Russian players will travel across Canada as part of the 13th annual series playing six games against CHL competition from November 9-19 in preparation for the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship which takes places this winter in Finland.
The 23 Russian players includes three goaltenders, eight defencemen, and 12 forwards and features 6’5’’ Los Angeles Kings prospect Alexander Dergachev who was a member of the 2015 Russian National Junior Team that earned a silver medal at last year’s World Junior Championship. Team Russia is led once again by head coach Valery Bragin who coached in last year’s event as well as the 2011 and 2010 series prior to earning medals at all three corresponding World Juniors including silver in Toronto 2015, silver in Calgary 2012, and gold in Buffalo 2011.
An additional 11 Russian-born CHL players will compete in various games of the series including Philadelphia Flyers first round pick Ivan Provorov of the Brandon Wheat Kings who also earned silver as a member of the Russian National Junior Team last season. Provorov will compete in both games against Team WHL November 9 in Kelowna and November 10 in Kamloops along with fellow Flyers prospect Radel Fazleev of the Calgary Hitmen, New York Rangers prospect Sergey Zborovskiy of the Regina Pats, and Ivan Nikolishin of the Red Deer Rebels.
OHL players competing for Russia include St. Louis Blues prospect Dmitrii Sergeev of the Kitchener Rangers, and Los Angeles Kings prospect Damir Sharipzyanov of the Owen Sound Attack. Both defencemen will compete for their country against Team OHL in Owen Sound on November 12, while defenceman Aleksandar Mikulovich of the Niagara IceDogs will compete for Team Russia on November 16 in Windsor.
Four QMJHL players will suit up for Russia in the final two games of the series taking place November 17 in Rouyn-Noranda and November 19 in Halifax led by Detroit Red Wings first round pick Evgeny Svechnikov of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Fellow Cape Breton forward Maxim Lazarev will also compete, along with Nashville Predators second round pick Yakov Trenin of the Gatineau Olympiques, and Colorado Avalanche prospect Sergei Boikov of the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
Last season Russia captured their third series victory in 12 years over the CHL winning 11-7 in points.
2015 CHL Canada Russia Series – Team Russia:
Most recent club team listed in brackets
*indicates players who competed in 2014 CHL Canada Russia Series
^indicates players who competed in 2015 National Junior Team Summer Development Camp in Calgary
Goaltenders:
Anton Krasotkin (Loko Yaroslavl – MHL)
Maxim Tretiak (Zvezdka Chekhov – VHL)^
Alexander Trushkov (Khimik Voskresensk – VHL)^
Defencemen:
Kirill Ablaev (Spartak Moscow – KHL)
Ilya Dervuk (Avangard Omsk – KHL)^
Ilya Kolganov (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod – KHL)
Alexander Shchemerov (Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg – KHL)
Kirill Tsulygin (Salavat Yulaev Ufa – KHL)
Artem Volkov (Dynamo Moscow – KHL)
Mikhail Yuzeyev (Yuzhny Ural Orsk – VHL)^
Nikita Zhuldikov (Traktor Chelyabinsk – KHL)^
Forwards:
Semyon Afonasevsky (Traktor Chelyabinsk – KHL)^
Alexander Dergachev (SKA St. Petersburg – KHL)*
Ivan Igumnov (Dynamo Balashikha – VHL)
Marat Khayrullin (Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk – KHL)^
Artur Lauta (Avangard Omsk – KHL)^
Kirill Pilipenko (Dynamo Balashikha – VHL)
Alexander Protapovich (Bars Kazan – VHL)^
Andrey Svetlakov (CSKA Moscow – KHL)^
Daniil Vovchenko (Severstal Cherepovets – KHL)*
Egor Yakovlev (Admiral Vladivostok – KHL)
Nikita Yazkov (Metallurg Novokuznetsk – KHL)
Artem Zhelezkov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk – KHL)
WHL players on Team Russia:
Radel Fazleev (Calgary Hitmen)^
Ivan Nikolishin (Red Deer Rebels)*
Ivan Provorov (Brandon Wheat Kings)*
Sergey Zborovskiy (Regina Pats)
OHL Players on Team Russia:
Aleksandar Mikulovich (Niagara IceDogs)^
Dmitrii Sergeev (Kitchener Rangers)
Damir Sharipzyanov (Owen Sound Attack)*^
QMJHL Players on Team Russia:
Sergei Boikov (Drummondville Voltigeurs)^
Maxim Lazarev (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)*
Evgeny Svechnikov (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)*^
Yakov Trenin (Gatineau Olympiques)
Staff:
Head Coach – Valery Bragin
Assistant Coach – Anvar Gatiyatulin
Assistant Coach – Alexander Boykov
Assistant Coach – Vladimir Kulikov
Video Coach – Vladislav Krutskikh
General Manager – Alexei Kochetkov
Doctor – Alexander Borodin
Physiotherapist – Artem Timofeev
Equipment Manager – Alexander Rezepov
Media Manager – Petr Tereshchenkov
The schedule for the 2015 Canada Russia Series is as follows:
Game 1 – Monday, November 9 at Kelowna, BC
Game 2 – Tuesday, November 10 at Kamloops, BC
Game 3 – Thursday, November 12 at Owen Sound, ON
Game 4 – Monday, November 16 at Windsor, ON
Game 5 – Tuesday, November 17 at Rouyn-Noranda, QC
Game 6 – Thursday, November 19 at Halifax, NS
The 2015 Canada Russia series is supported by CHL associate sponsors, BMO Bank of Montreal, Cooper Tire, autoTRADER.ca and Sherwin-Williams. All six games will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
For more information including how to purchase tickets please visit http://canadarussia.chl.ca.