UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE
by Ihor Stelmach
Vishnevski an Anaheim hit man
Ukrainian Vitaly Vishnevski is not yet a household name to NHL fans, but opponents are very well aware of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks' second-year defenseman.
"Number 6, right?" asked newly acquired right-winger Dan Bylsma, who first saw Vishnevski while playing for the rival Los Angeles Kings last season.
After all it was a monstrous Vishnevski check that put the hurt on Kings' star Ziggy Palffy in a late-season game. The hit left Palffy with a sprained shoulder that cost him the final 12 games of the season.
"Every team you play against, there's a line-up on the board and you go, 'Watch out for this guy,' " Bylsma said. "From that hit on, Vishnevski was one of those guys."
Vishnevski, Anaheim's first-round pick (fifth overall) in 1998, arrived in the NHL midway through last season after playing 35 games with Cincinnati of the American Hockey League. A native of Kharkiv, Vishnevski made an immediate mark. In 31 games, he led or co-led the Ducks in hits 16 times; he finished his first season with 113 official hits.
"He certainly did a great job for us as a 19-year-old last year," ex-Anaheim coach Craig Hartsburg said. "He played, obviously, very physical and very hard. He's a guy that everybody in this league is going to hate playing against."
Unlike players with long rap sheets, such as San Jose's Bryan Marchment and Pittsburgh's Darius Kasparaitis, Vishnevski has rarely run afoul of the striped shirts.
"He takes very few penalties," Hartsburg said, noting Vishnevski's modest 26 minutes in penalties. "The thing is, he plays hard and he plays clean."
Though Vishnevski managed only one goal and two points to go along with his even plus-minus rating, the physical 6-foot-2, 200-pounder offers significantly more than an imposing presence.
"That's not the only thing he does for us," Hartsburg continued to say. "He is very poised with the puck. Very seldom did he make bad decisions; very seldom is he out of position. Add on the fact he plays a hard game, where he finishes his checks extremely hard, that and that only adds to the total package of what he does."
The biggest challenge for Vishnevski this season is that he is unlikely to sneak up on anyone any more. While superstars Paul Kariya and Teemu Sealnne remain everyone's focus, opponents have also taken notice of Anaheim's rambunctious defense corps, headed by Vishnevski and young Russian Ruslan Salei.
"When people expect you to be physical, it's probably harder to be more physical," Salei explained. "Last year, nobody in the league knew Vishnevski. Nobody really expected him to do anything like that. Now they're going to be more careful, so it's probably going to be a little bit harder for him."
Like many NHLers from Eastern Europe, Vishnevski is struggling to overcome the language barrier. His speaking and comprehension have improved vastly in just one year, but he still needs an interpreter for interviews.
Questioned through Salei about his reputation for big hits and growing unpopularity throughout the league, Vishnevski merely smiled. Asked to evaluate his play, he offered little response.
"He said he's really shy," Salei said. "He thinks people who watch him know better how he looks (than he does). He's just trying to be focused all the time, play simple and not try to do too much."
Only 20 and in just his second year in North America, Vishnevski is understandably uncomfortable in the public eye. His maturity level, however, seems extremely advanced.
"He's a great kid," ex-coach Hartsburg said. (Hartsburg was fired less than two months into this season.) "He's a little bit shy, but he's always smiling. His poise was remarkable for a young guy who didn't know the language. He played a lot on instinct and he has great instincts. He speaks better now. That's one area that he'll get better at, just his understanding of everything."
Vishnevski adds a welcome dimension to Anaheim's promising collection of 20-something defensemen which also includes future superstar and fellow-Ukrainian Oleg Tverdovsky, Salei, Niclas Havelid and Pavel Trnka.
"The more Vishnevski keeps maturing and learning in the league, he's going to get better and better," Hartsburg said. We don't anticipate him taking huge leaps and bounds...His improvement wll be gradual, but that's based on the level he started. He's at a very high level right now. He's certainly going to be a big part of this franchise for a long time."
The odds are good Vitaly Vishnevski will be a bona fide hit! Heck, in many ways he already is!
(Quotes courtesy of Dan Wood, beat writer for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, via The Hockey News.)
Ukrainian Transactions/Injuries:
(all player movements from June through December, 2000)
ANAHEIM - Peter Pohradsky, D, signed three-year contract; Oleg Tverdovsky, D, signed three-year contract; Pohradsky out with broken foot; Gregg Naumenko, GT, and Pohradsky assigned to Cincinnati (AHL).
ATLANTA - David Kaczowka, LW, returned to Seattle (WHL); Darcy Hordichuk, LW, signed contract and assigned to Orlando (IHL).
BOSTON - Seamus Kotyk, GT, assigned to Providence (AHL).
BUFFALO - Dave Andreychuk, LW, signed one-year contract; Alexei Zhitnik, D, signed contract; Zhitnik suspended four games for high-sticking incident in October 17 game vs. Montreal; Andreychuk out day-to-day with sore ribs.
CALGARY - Wade Belak, D, signed contract; Daniel Tkaczuk, C, assigned to St. John (AHL); Tkaczuk later recalled, reassigned and again recalled from St. John.
CAROLINA - Steve Halko, D, signed contract; Brett Lysak, C, returned to Regina (WHL); Jaroslav Svoboda, LW, assigned to Cincinnati (AHL).
CHICAGO - Bill Lesuk named director of amateur scouting; Ed Olczyk, C, retired.
COLORADO - Yuri Babenko, C, assigned to Hershey (AHL); Jordan Krestanovich, LW, returned to Calgary (WHL); Babenko recalled from Hershey and later returned.
COLUMBUS - Signed Mike Maneluk, LW, to contract; Andrei Srubko, D, signed contract and assigned to Syracuse (AHL); Sergei Klimentiev, D, signed contract; Robb Palahniuk, LW, released; Klimentiev assigned to Syracuse (AHL); Shane Bendera, GT, returned to Red Deer (WHL); Maneluk assigned to Chicago (IHL) and later recalled.
DALLAS - Brad Lukowich, D, traded to Minnesota for future draft picks; Lukowich reacquired in trade with Minnesota and signed to one-year contract; Evgeny Tsybouk, D, assigned to Utah (IHL).
DETROIT - Joey Kocur, RW, announced his retirement.
FLORIDA - Dennis Shvidki, RW, signed contract; Joey Tetarenko, D, signed contract; Peter Ratchuk, D, and Tetarenko assigned to Louisville (AHL); Tetarenko later recalled and again returned; Shvidki assigned to Louisville (AHL), recalled and returned; Ratchuk recalled twice and returned.
MINNESOTA - Nick Naumenko, D, signed contract; Brad Lukowich, D, traded back to Dallas; Naumenko assigned to Cleveland (IHL); Maxim Sushinsky, RW, signed three-year contract; Sushinsky out with appendectomy, indefinite; Curtis Leschyshyn, D, strained groin, day-to-day, indefinite; Sushinsky sprained wrist, day-to-day.
MONTREAL - Tyler Hanchuk, D returned to Brampton (OHL).
NASHVILLE - Yevgeny Namestnikov, D, signed contract; Miroslav Durak, D, returned to Des Moines (USHL); Dean Serdachny, D, returned to Swift Current (WHL); Jure Penko, GT, returned to Green Bay (USHL); Alexander Krevsun, LW, assigned to Milwaukee (IHL); Jayme Filipowicz, D, assigned to Milwaukee; Jan Lasak, GT, assigned to Milwaukee; Namestnikov assigned to Milwaukee (IHL); Drake Berehowsky, D, strained right elbow, day-to-day; Berehowsky suspended one game for receiving match penalty in game with Anaheim in late December.
NEW JERSEY - Stanislav Gron, RW, assigned to Albany (AHL).
N.Y. ISLES - Lee Sorochan, D, released.
N.Y. RANGERS - Marty Melnychuk, F, assigned to Hartford (AHL).
OTTAWA - Jason Maleyko, D, returned to Brampton (OHL); Rastislav Pavlikovsky, LW, assigned to Grand Rapids (IHL); Chris Szysky, RW, assigned to Grand Rapids.
PHILADELPHIA - Ruslan Fedotenko, RW, Todd Fedoruk, LW, Sergei Skrobot, D, assigned to Philadelphia (AHL); Jeff Finiak, D, returned to Tri-City (WHL); Fedotenko and Fedoruk recalled; Fedoruk reassigned to Philadelphia (AHL) and later again recalled.
PHOENIX - Bill Lesuk, director of scouting, resigned; Alex Andreyev, D, assigned to Springfield (AHL); Keith Tkachuk, LW, mild groin strain, day-to-day.
PITTSBURGH - Boris Protsenko, RW, assigned to Wilkes-Barre (AHL).
ST. LOUIS - Yevgeny Pastukh, LW, returned to Red Army (Russia); Cody Rudkowsky, GT, Graham Belak, LW, assigned to Worcester (AHL); Jaroslav Obsut, D, assigned to Worcester.
SAN JOSE - Greg Andrusak, D, signed contract as free agent; Miroslav Zalesak, RW, assigned to Kentucky (AHL); Andrusak assigned to Kentucky, recalled twice and returned twice.
TAMPA BAY - Kyle Kos, D, Diter Kochan, GT, assigned to Detroit (IHL); Nikita Alexeev, D, returned to Erie (OHL); Kochan recalled from Detroit twice and returned.
TORONTO - Garth Malarchuk named full-time scout; David Nemirovsky, C, Dmitri Yakushin, D, assigned to St. John's (AHL); Dmitri Khristich, RW, traded to Washington for third-round pick in 2001 draft.
WASHINGTON - Ross Lupaschuk, D, returned to Red Deer (WHL); Jason Shmyr, LW, assigned to Portland (AHL); Steve Konowalchuk, LW, signed four-year contract.
| Player | Team | GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
PIM |
| Peter Bondra | Washington | 39 |
20 |
19 |
39 |
26 |
| Keith Tkachuk | Phoenix | 34 |
16 |
16 |
32 |
59 |
| Oleg Tverdovsky | Anaheim | 40 |
6 |
19 |
25 |
14 |
| Dmitri Khristich | Toronto - Washington | 40 |
7 |
16 |
23 |
8 |
| Steve Konowalchuk | Washington | 38 |
12 |
10 |
22 |
56 |
| Andrei Nikolishin | Washington | 38 |
9 |
11 |
20 |
16 |
| Alexei Zhitnik | Buffalo | 33 |
4 |
13 |
17 |
20 |
| Tony Hrkac | Anaheim | 38 |
7 |
10 |
17 |
6 |
| Ruslan Fedotenko | Philadelphia | 29 |
8 |
6 |
14 |
17 |
| Dave Andreychuk | Buffalo | 34 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
18 |
| Maxim Sushinsky | Minnesota | 28 |
7 |
4 |
11 |
29 |
| Drake Berehowsky | Nashville | 35 |
2 |
8 |
10 |
45 |
| Vitaly Vishnevski | Anaheim | 40 |
1 |
8 |
9 |
40 |
| Richard Matvichuk | Dallas | 34 |
2 |
6 |
8 |
30 |
| Daniel Tkaczuk | Calgary | 11 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
| Brad Lukowich | Dallas | 36 |
2 |
5 |
6 |
28 |
| Todd Fedoruk | Philadelphia | 18 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
28 |
| Denis Shvidki | Florida | 19 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
10 |
| Ken Daneyko | New Jersey | 37 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
35 |
| Mike Maneluk | Columbus | 5 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Curtis Leschyshyn | Minnesota | 21 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
11 |
| Glen Metropolit | Washington | 4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Steve Halko | Carolina | 33 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
| Yuri Babenko | Colorado | 3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Peter Ratchuk | Florida | 4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Joey Tetarenko | Florida | 6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
| Wade Belak | Calgary | 18 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
57 |
| Greg Andrusak | San Jose | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| (GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in Minutes.) | ||||||
| Player | Team | GP |
MINS |
GA |
AVG |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
| Dieter Kochan | Tampa Bay | 7 |
173 |
6 |
2 . 08 |
0 |
l |
0 |
0.933 |
| (MINS = Minutes Played, GA = Goals Against, AVG = Goals Against Average, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Save Percentage.) | |||||||||
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 21, 2001, No. 3, Vol. LXIX
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