Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd And then there were three. Igor Kravchuk recently became the third current Russian member of the Calgary Flames, joining Valeri Bure and Oleg Saprykin when he was picked up on waivers from Ottawa on 10 November 2000. The 34-year-old defenseman didn’t see the move coming, but […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 1999 By Lucas Aykroyd Tall expectations led the San Jose Sharks to draft Viktor Kozlov 6th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Coming off a strong rookie season with Moscow Dynamo of the Russian League, the 6-5, 232-pound center was expected to energize the Sharks’ woeful attack. But he […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd John Sanful’s forthcoming book Russian Revolution: Exodus to the NHL dubs Alexei Kovalev an “enigma.” It’s hard to disagree with that assessment. The 27-year-old right wing has confounded teammates, coaches and fans ever since he entered the NHL with the New York Rangers in 1992-93. Blessed […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd Few players on the Nashville Predators qualify as household names, and Karlis Skrastins isn’t one of them—yet. But since he scored his first NHL goal on 26 December against St. Louis, the 25-year-old Latvian defenseman has shown he’s ready to take a regular NHL shift. In […]

Originally published on EuroReport in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd Jozef Stumpel is rarely the center of attention, but his smart playmaking skills are a big reason why the Los Angeles Kings enjoy the NHL’s second-best offense. Even though the 6-3, 225-pound center from Nitra, Slovakia has missed 25 games due to hernia surgery and a […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 1999 By Lucas Aykroyd German soccer is world-renowned, but German hockey has some way to go before it can be considered on a par with the Big Six of Canada, Finland, Russia, Sweden, the United States, and the Czech Republic. Players like Jochen Hecht are doing much to enhance their […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd If Jaroslav Spacek can elevate his NHL game to the level he’s shown in international competition, the Chicago Blackhawks are in for a real treat this year. Spacek has won gold medals in IIHF tournaments three out of the last four years, and in 1997-98, he […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd Bobby Holik relishes the role of one-man wrecking crew. Of that there can be no doubt. The big center from Jihlava of the Czech Republic made a name for himself early in his career with the New Jersey Devils by leading the “Crash Line” with Randy […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd It hurts to be dumped. But maybe if you’re being dumped by Philadelphia GM Bobby Clarke, it doesn’t feel so bad. At least if you ask Eric Lindros. Jan Hlavac, who was shipped to Philadelphia in the deal for the Big E last summer, is the […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd “Sensational,” “slick,” and “savvy” are terms often applied to the Sedin twins. However, in recent weeks, “struggling,” “slowing down,” and “searching for answers” have been bandied about. Fortunately, Vancouver’s heralded Swedish rookie duo hasn’t been expected to do all the scoring, as they might on an […]