The imports keep coming

Another busy week of trades unites a band of brothers (in-law) to Moscow and piles up the new arrivals for Kunlun and Vityaz. Meanwhile, in Magnitogorsk, the championship party continues.

Family affair at Spartak

Slovak forward Adam Ruzicka can look forward to a familiar face in the locker room at Spartak – his brother-in-law Michal Cajkovsky is already a key player for the Red-and-Whites. That connection might have been part of the attraction for Adam, a big, physical center whose career in North America ended under a cloud when he was placed on waivers by the Coyotes back in February. Previously, he had racked up 117 NHL games, mostly with Calgary, but never quite established himself on a team. Aged 25, he could prove to be a long-term figure in Moscow. Spartak also announced that Cajkovsky has signed a two-year extension.

Vityaz additions

The Vityaz imports are assembling. Although the Moscow Region club lost Scott Wilson to Metallurg, it has added three new faces and extended forward Derek Barach. The first newcomer, Frederik Gauthier, is a big center. He played for Team Canada in the 2015 World Junior final, helping the host nation edge Russia in a thrilling final. After that, Freddy went on to play almost 200 NHL games for Toronto, Arizona and New Jersey. HE spent the last two years in Switzerland with Ajoie. Gauthier was also a team-mate of Nicolas Baptiste with Canada U18s. And the pair is back together after the right wing also signed up with Vityaz. Last season, Baptiste helped Tappara to another Finnish championship, and he could be the latest in a long line of handy acquisition from the Liiga. The third new face, Dean Stewart, arrives after three seasons with Manitoba Moose in the AHL. He joins fellow Canadian Jeremy Roy on defense and completes the import quota on the team.

Grman to Admiral

Mario Grman is back in the KHL. The Slovak defenseman, who was part of his country’s team at the recent IIHF World Championship, joins Libor Sulak and Austin Ortega at Admiral. Grman looks like a natural replacement for Colby Williams, who has left the Vladivostok club. Grman has played in the league before, as a 21-year-old with Slovan. Even then, he had more hits than any of his team-mates, and was among the leaders for blocked shots. He remains a big hitter, with a 100kg frame to throw into those challenges. That’s been a trademark in a career that includes Olympic bronze in Beijing as well as spells in Finland and the Czech Republic.

Dragons strengthen D-core

Kunlun Red Star, often one of the last teams to announce its updated roster, has been busy early this season. After naming Mikhail Kravets at head coach, the Dragons have signed three new North American defensemen. Adam Clendining is perhaps the best known of the trio: he won World Championship bronze with Team USA in 2021, and has two World U18 golds. He played last season in Finland, as did his new teammate Martin Lefebvre, a Canadian who has won titles in Norway and Denmark. Another American, Ian McCoshen, completes the trio. He played in two World Junior campaigns for his country and was drafted by Florida. He spent last season with Assat in Finland.

Tkachyov extends

Nobody really expected Avangard’s Vladimir Tkachyov to feature in this summer’s news. Last year he signed a three-year deal in Omsk and there was no sign of anybody having a change of heart. Then came reports of interest from the NHL after Vladimir’s impressive season for the Hawks (86 points in 70 games). Avangard moved swiftly to keep hold of one of its top assets and negotiated an updated five-year deal that will keep Tkachyov, 28, with the club until 2029.

Magnitogorsk celebrates

After winning the 2024 Gagarin Cup, it was party time for Metallurg. The champion team paraded its trophy through the streets of Magnitogorsk, to the delight of fans from all over the Southern Ural city. There was particular pride this year: Magnitka had the youngest roster ever to win the cup. Head coach Andrei Razin was delighted with the way his players more than delivered on his pre-season promise to create a team that would battle to the very end in its quest for a cup. And he also paid tribute to the huge support he and his team enjoyed. 

“Today we came out on this parade and, to be honest, I was stunned,” he said. “There were people standing and cheering in every street. I want to thank everyone, and apologise to anyone who didn’t manage to get a photo or an autograph.”