Rasmus Dahlin, Andrey Svechnikov and Jespere Kotkaniemi

© AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth

TASS, June 23. Russian hockey players Andrey Svechnikov, Vitaly Kravtsov, Grigory Denisenko and Alexander Alekseev was chosen in the first round draft pick of the National hockey League (NHL), which was held on Saturday night in Dallas.

18-year-old Svechnikov, was chosen as the club’s “Carolina” for the second number, after the Swedish defender Rasmus Dalin (“Buffalo”). Under the ninth overall draft pick was chosen striker Chelyabinsk “Tractor” Kravtsov (the”new York Rangers”), under a 15-m – striker Yaroslavl “Locomotive” Denisenko (“FL”), under 31st – protector Alekseev (“Washington”). In previous times at least four Russians were selected in the first round in 2015 – Ivan Provorov (7th room, “Philadelphia”), Denis Guryanov (12, “Dallas”), Evgeny Svechnikov (19, Detroit) and Ilya Samsonov (22, “Washington”).

In the top ten of at least two Russians have used only four times . Pick in 1992 in the top 10 were selected Alexei Yashin (2nd, “Ottawa”), Darius Kasparaitis (5, “new York islanders”) and Andrei Nazarov (10th, “San Jose”), in 1996: Andrei Zyuzin (2nd, “San Jose”) and Alexander Volchkov (4th, Washington), 2001 – Ilya Kovalchuk (1st, “Atlanta”), Alexander Suites (3rd, “Tampa Bay”) and Stanislav Chistov (5th, Anaheim) 2004 – Alexander Ovechkin (1st, Washington) and Evgeni Malkin (2nd, Pittsburgh).

Dalin became the second Swede, who left in the draft at the first number, after mats Sundin in 1989. 18-year-old Dalin became the 14th defenseman, who was selected first in the history of the NBA draft, he also became the second European after Czech defender Roman Hamrlik (1992).

For the first time in the history of the first six numbers of the draft were given to players from different countries. Under the third number of the “Montreal” was chosen Finn Jespere Kotkaniemi under the fourth – American Brady Tkachuk (“Ottawa”), under the fifth canadian Barrett Huyton (“Arizona”), and under the sixth Czech – Filip Zadina (“Detroit”). For the first time since 1999 in the top three was not a single North American.

See also

Nikolishin: hockey Svechnikov will be a team player “Carolina” in the next NHL season

Representatives Svechnikova glad the Russians in the NHL draft chose “Carolina”

NHL entry draft with the participation of Russian hockey players will be held in Dallas

All in all the first round draft pick was selected by the representatives of seven countries: Canada (10), the United States and Sweden (6), Russia (4), the Czech Republic and Finland (2), Germany (1). Among them are 17 forwards, 14 defensemen and no goalies.

Svechnikov is ready for the NHL

Svechnikov spent last season in the club’s Junior Hockey League Ontario (OHL) Barry the colts”, playing in a regular season of 44 games in which he scored 72 points (40 goals, 32 assists). In the playoffs he scored five goals and made six assists in eight games. Also Svechnikov was named the best rookie team of the season.

In the composition of the youth and Junior national teams of Russia Svechnikov has spent 32 games in which he scored 34 points (17+17). At the youth world Championships in 2018 Svechnikov played five games and gave up five assists. Team Russia in the quarterfinals of the tournament lost to the Americans with the score 2:4. At home the Junior world championship in 2018 in Chelyabinsk Svechnikov is not performed.

“Svechnikov is ripe for the NHL, next season he will be the player “Carolina” – said the world champion and bronze medalist of the Olympic games of 2002 Andrei Nikolishin. Is it in the tests, and all other indicators were strong. He will not have problems with adaptation.”

The agent of the Russian hockey player mark Gandler told TASS that representatives of Svechnikova happy with the choice of “Carolina”. “It is a high level of professional and passionate owner, a great coach and a large set of promising players,” said Gandler.

The prospects of other Russians in the League

Striker Chelyabinsk “Tractor” Vitaly Kravtsov was named the best rookie of the regular championship of the Continental hockey League (KHL). He spent 35 games in the regular season, scored 7 points (3+4). In the playoffs on account of forward 11 points (6+5) in 16 games. Kravtsov’s contract with the “Tractor” is valid until the end of next season.

The @NHLCanes selected right wing @ASvechnikov14 at No. 2, marking the fourth time they have drafted that high.

2018 – Andrei Svechnikov
1983 – Sylvain Turgeon
1993 – Chris Pronger
2003 – Eric Staal pic.twitter.com/4G4g1UgKEA

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 23, 2018

“Kravtsov in the future good prospects in the NHL, it is well-proven, plays in the NHL – said Nikolishin. – The guy is very talented, hardworking, creative. I think that the arrival of the coach German Titov with his experience of playing in the NHL and expertise will help to further open up to Kravtsov”.

Denisenko in the last season he played in the Youth hockey League (MHL) for “Loco” and together with the team he won the Kharlamov Cup. In 31 regular season on account of the striker’s nine goals and 13 assists, but in games of the playoffs Denisenko scored 7 points (5+2) in 12 games. 17-year-old hockey player played four matches in the play-offs, but points are not scored. The striker did not participate at the Junior world championship.

“Denisenko is still far from coming to the NHL. He showed himself only at youth level, only began to be drawn to the games for the main team of Lokomotiv, he still has a long way to go. What he selected in the first round suggests that estimated its potential technical talent. But he still needs to prove himself at senior level, and then time will tell how it will develop,” said Nikolishin.

Under 31-m number current holder of the Cup of Stanley “Washington” chose an attorney Alekseeva. Last season, the Russians played for the club the Junior Western hockey League (WHL) “Red deer”. The defender has played 45 matches in the regular season and scored 37 points (7 goals + 30 assists) in the playoffs, scoring 5 points (2+3) in three games.

The remaining rounds of the draft will be held in the night on Sunday. They will take part in a few more Russian players, in particular, Kirill Marchenko, Ivan Morozov, Alexander Romanov and Ruslan Iskhakov. The regular championship of NHL of a season-2018/19 starts on 6 October.