VHL weekly review

NATIONAL TEAM CALL-UP

Fourteen players have been called up by head coach Valery Bragin to the under 20 Russian national team World Junior Championship training camp. The tournament will take place in Canada between December 26th and January 5th.

Goalkeepers: Anton Krasotkin (HC Ryazan), Vladislav Sukhachyov (HC Chelmet Chelyabinsk).

Defensemen: Artyom Chmykhov (Zvezda Chekhov), Kamil Fazylzyanov (Ariada-NKH), Mikhail Epishin (THC Tver), Ruslan Petrischev (Toros), Artyom Volkov (Dynamo Balashikha).

Forwards: Mikhail Kotlyarevsky (Toros), Danila Kvartalnov, Pavel Karnaukhov (both Zvezda Chekhov), Mikhail Maltsev (SKA-Neva), Nikita Li (Khimik), Denis Alexeev, Danil Yurtaykin (both HC Ryazan).

The final decision on the World Junior Championship roster will be taken after the camp in Canada, where players who play in North America will join up with the team.

LEADERS OF THE WEEK

THC Tver, who won the VHL regular season last year, are once again among the leaders this time around. The Tver outfit currently share first place with Torpedo, winning the vast majority of their games. However, despite their regular championship dominance in the previous season, they failed to impress in the playoffs. They will be hoping that this tradition changes this time around.

Nevertheless, Torpedo aren't willing to let Tver pull away. Torpedo have recently come off the back of a successful away series, taking all possible twelve points.

STAR DEBUTANT

Any player who has competed at the highest level and won trophies is considered a celebrity in the VHL. The next to join that list is goaltender Mikhail Biryukov, who recently signed for Nizhny Novgorod. He was immediately sent to the VHL though, where he played for HC Sarov in a game against Zvezda Chekhov. He did well too, conceding only two goals as his team emerged victorious in regulation. 

SERIES OF WINS AND DEFEATS

Ariada-NKH are enduring a shocking campaign, with their losing streak now standing at a terrible fifteen. Their latest setback came in Saint Petersburg, falling to SKA-Neva 2:4. The Tatarstan outfit have been helped out by parent club Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk this season, however even that hasn't improved their fortunes. Tough times for their supporters.

Having stopped the rot of nine consecutive defeats, Sputnik have now suddenly strung together eight victories on the bounce. They have already risen to ninth, and given the fact that they have six home matches coming up, they could climb even further.

BEST PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

HC Bars player Timur Bilyalov, holding a 95.8 saves percentage and a goals against average of 1.76, is the best goalkeeper. He kept three shutouts.

Leonid Metalnikov, who plays for Torpedo, has been named as the top defenseman. Over the course of the past week, he racked up seven points (2+5) and a plus/minus rating of +6.

The best forward is Alexander Shin of the same club, Torpedo. In six matches, he registered thirteen points (5+8) and a plus/minus rating of +9. He also netted one winning goal.

Torpedo teammate Nikita Mikhaylis is the best VHL newbie. He boasts eight points (3+5), a +4 plus/minus rating and scoring one game clinching marker.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation