LoFFeN from HFBoards put together this stupendously awesome highlight video of everyone’s favorite Rangers Russian rookie, Artem Anisimov. Enjoy!
Watch the larger version on YouTube.
Photo: Sportsdaily.ru
While the NHL playoffs are just starting to heat up, the rest of the world is busy preparing for the IIHF World Championship, which gets underway in Germany on May 8th. For Russia, Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic, the final opportunity to audition players and gear up for the championship comes in the form of the LG Hockey Games, a round-robin tournament that serves as the culmination of the season-long Euro Hockey Tour.
Two New York Rangers forwards, Artem Anisimov and Enver Lisin, earned invites to play in the games on behalf of Russian national team, which opened its schedule with a game against Team Finland on Thursday in Helsinki. Both players participated in Thursday’s tournament-opener.
Lisin made his national team debut, serving as a spare forward who was inserted up and down the line-up throughout the game. The 23-year old soon-to-be restricted free agent even spent some time on Russia’s top line, but didn’t factor on the scoresheet.
Anisimov, meanwhile, made a strong bid to remain with the team when it travels to Germany. The 21-year old center set up Russia’s first goal, feeding Sergei Mozyakin in the slot with a pass from the corner. His play earned positive reviews by commentators and reporters alike and his line with Mozyakin and Maxim Shushinsky, which finished with two of Russia’s four goals, was widely considered Russia’s best.
Their performance wasn’t enough to earn Russia a victory, however, as the team fell 5-4 in a shootout. Eighteen year-old draft-eligible Finn Mikael Granlund, the top ranked skater from Europe, scored the winning goal in the shootout.
The Russians will regroup on Friday and take on tournament hosts Sweden in Stockholm on Saturday before finishing the tournament with a game against the Czech Republic. Russia’s final roster for the World Championship is expected sometime after that game concludes.
Before he left Russia’s training center in Novogorsk on Wednesday, Anisimov chatted with Sportsdaily.ru about playing for the country’s national team, his rookie season in the NHL, and who he wants to win the Stanley Cup (Hint: his pick was on the wrong end of the biggest upsets in recent NHL history.) A translation of the interview is below.
While a contract hasn’t been signed yet, Avangard Omsk General Manager Anatoli Bardin confirmed in a press conference this morning that former NHL star Jaromir Jagr will remain with his club for another season. “Jagr will be on our team next year,” Bardin explained. “That is absolutely accurate. The details will become known before the beginning of the season.”
Bardin also denied rumors that an additional, mystery sponsor had come forward to cover the cost of Jagr’s contract, and assured those present that the Czech’s salary would be covered as part of the club’s main operating budget.
In discussing changes that are expected within his club this summer, Bardin also shared that former Atlanta Thrasher Eric Perrin will not return, and that the rights to defenseman Anton Babchuk, who’s reported to be interested in returning to the Carolina Hurricanes, would be traded to another KHL team if the 25-year old blueliner opted to remain in Russia. Finns Karri Ramo and Lasse Kukkonen remain under contract for one more year, but both have clauses in their contracts that would allow them to leave for the NHL if they choose, according to Bardin.
