For Immediate Release
Wednesday November 12, 2003

Toronto - The Canadian Hockey League today announced the Russian Selects roster of players who will compete in the RE/MAX Canada-Russia Challenge presented by Suzuki.

The Russian Selects will be coached by Rafail Ishmatov, the head coach of Russia's National Junior Team at the 2003 World Junior Championships in Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia. He will be joined by National Junior Team assistants Sergei Gersonsky and Valentin Gureev.

Five players from the Russian Selects have represented their country in the World Under-18 Championships and one was a member of Russia's gold medal winning National Junior Team last year.

"A number of these players have a legitimate shot at making the Russian Junior Team that will play in Finland at Christmas time," said Goran Stubb, Director of European Scouting for the National Hockey League. "They are bringing their top two goaltenders and should be very strong in that department."

The roster includes goaltender Konstatin Barulin, who played for Russia in the World Junior championships and was a third round pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, and Nashville Predators prospect Rustem Sidikov.

The defencemen include Ivan Koltsov, a sixth round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2002, Anton Belov, who played for Russia in each of the past two World Under-18 Championships, and Alexander Shinin, who played for Russia in the 2002 Under-18's.

Up front, the Russian Selects include left winger Vladislav Evseev, a second round pick of the Boston Bruins in 2002, and Konstantin Makarov, who played for Russia at the World Under-18's and is a top prospect for the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Also on the Russian Selects squad is Alexei Krutov, whose father Vladimir played for the Vancouver Canucks and the Russian National Team.



RE/MAX Canada-Russia Challenge
Russian Selects

No. Name Pos Ht Wt Birthdate Club NHL
1 Sidikov, Rustem G 6.01 169 May 7, 1985 Moscow CSKA NASH '03
30 Barulin, Konstantin G 6.00 176 Sept. 4, 1984 Tvumen Gazovic STL '03

2 Nikitin, Nikita D 6.03 179 June 16, 1986 Omsk Avangard
3 Moshkarev, Evgeny D 6.02 191 March 31, 1987 Omsk Avangard
4 Shinin, Alexander D 6.01 191 Jan. 7, 1984 Cherepovets Severstal
5 Koltsov, Ivan D 6.02 182 March 7, 1984 Cherepovets Severstal EDM '02
14 Badvantdinov, Damir D 6.02 185 April 24, 1984 Moscow Dynamo
15 Sokolov, Viktor D 6.03 191 Feb. 13, 1986 Moscow Dynamo
18 Belov, Anton D 6.03 185 June 29, 1986 Moscow CSKA
27 Karpov, Sergei D 6.01 198 March 11, 1984 Moscow Dynamo

7 Egorov, Alexander LW 5.09 168 June 30, 1985 Omsk Avangard
8 Mushtaev, Vyacheslav C 5.09 165 July 5, 1985 Omsk Avangard
9 Payor, Sergei C 5.11 170 June 29, 1984 Omsk Avangard
10 Abdrakhmanov, Ruslan C 5.11 198 Nov. 25, 1984 Ufa Salavat Yulaev
11 Romanov, Konstantin C 6.01 174 March 14, 1985 Moscow Dynamo
12 Romanov, Artem C 5.11 187 June 22, 1984 Togliatti Lada
16 Khasanshin, Ruslan RW 5.10 169 Feb. 7, 1985 Togliatti Lada
17 Krutov, Alexei RW 5.11 186 Feb. 1, 1984 Moscow Soviet Wings
19 Nikulin, Alexander C 6.01 183 Aug. 25, 1985 Moscow Dynamo
21 Papkov, Vyacheslav C 5.08 150 Sept. 22, 1984 Moscow Dynamo
24 Makarov, Konstantin LW 5.11 198 Sept. 17, 1985 Magnitogorsk Metallurg
29 Evseev, Vladislav LW 6.02 196 Sept. 10, 1984 Moscow Dynamo BOS '02

Manager Valentin Kozin
Head Coach Rafail Ishmatov
Assistant Coaches Sergei Gersonsky
Valentin Gureev
Physiotherapist Sergei Ulanov
Team Doctor Dmitry Bogdashevsky



The RE/MAX Canada/Russia Challenge presented by Suzuki begins on November 17 in London, Ontario and continues November 19 in Sarnia. The Halifax Mooseheads (Thursday November 20) and Rimouski Oceanic (Monday November 24) will host the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League games and the Calgary Hitmen (Wednesday November 26) and Brandon Wheat Kings (Thursday November 27) of the Western Hockey League will host the final leg of the series.

All six games will be broadcasted nationally on Rogers Sportsnet.

The RE/MAX Canada/Russia Challenge will be an integral part of the identification process for Canada's National Junior Team final selection camp. Each league has a management team who will work with Blair Mackasey, Hockey Canada's head scout, to select the roster of 22 players who will represent each regional league.


Canada and Russia have finished first and second in the World Junior Championships eight times in the past 18 years, including last January when Russia defeated Canada 3-2 to win the gold medal in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Russia has 12 gold medals in World Junior play, including each of the past two years. Canada is second on the all-time list with 10.


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For More Information:

Canadian Hockey League
Aaron Bell
Director of Information
Tel: (416) 332-9711, ext. 228
Fax: (416) 332-1477
Email: abell@chl.ca
Internet: www.chl.ca