UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE

by Ihor Stelmach


2000 minor league statistical recap

Some 132 pucksters of Ukrainian origin toiled away in professional hockey's seven minor league circuits last season. Eight of them also saw action with their parent NHL clubs, either as a promotions for jobs well done or to replace a vacant roster slot, usually due to injury.

Breaking down the Ukes by position, there were 13 goaltenders, 41 defensemen and 78 forwards. There were more left- and right-wingers than centermen.

The most popular name for Ukrainians in the minors was Mike - there were seven of those. Five Jeffs and four Alexes rounded out the top three name selections. Oh, and three guys actually had the same surname: the three Shmyr brothers, Dean, Jason and Ryan. This tough threesome totalled some 905 minutes in penalties.

Top minor league Ukrainian goal-scorers were Mike Maneluk (47), Peter Ambroziak (44) and Christian Skoryna (40). Assist leaders included Brent Gretzky (91), Keith Osborne (55) and Skoryna (52). The top three point scorers were Gretzky (127), Skoryna (92), and Maneluk and Ambroziak (87). Ryan Shmyr was the most penalized Uke (437 minutes), followed by Marty Melnychuk (375) and Garry Gulash (358).

From Maine to Alaska, the roster of Ukrainians spans the full alphabet: from A (Alex Alexeev) to Z (Darius Zabawa). Take a look at the chart below.


UKRAINIANS IN MINOR LEAGUE HOCKEY
 

Position Player Team League

GP

G

A

PTS

PIM

D Alex Alexeev Tacoma WCL

68

11

40

51

87

LW Peter Ambroziak New Mexico WPL

57

44

43

87

86

LW Vitali Andreev Macon CL

63

19

17

36

20

D Alex Andreyev Mississippi ECL

21

1

2

3

43

D Greg Andrusak Chicago IHL

43

1

19

20

40

C Jeff Antonovich Fayetteville CL

70

32

33

65

63

C Yuri Babenko Hershey AHL

75

20

25

45

53

RW Shannon Basaraba Wheeling ECL

55

11

20

31

11

LW Frank Bialowas Hershey AHL

40

4

3

7

65

RW Mike Bodnarchuk Birmingham ECL

13

7

4

11

17

D Aaron Boh Peo-Tol-Ark ECL

45

8

32

40

233

D Ihor Boiko Greensboro ECL

57

1

15

16

103

RW Rob Boyko Abilene WPL

9

1

1

2

6

D Steve Cheradaryk Lowell AHL

11

1

3

4

11

    New Orleans ECL

56

8

17

25

192

LW Dave Chyzowski Kansas City IHL

81

37

33

70

138

D David Craievich Mobile ECL

27

1

14

15

20

D Sergei Deschevy Topeka CL

43

0

2

2

161

C Andy Doktorchik Huntsville CL

65

12

16

28

105

D Mike Dombkiewicz Pee Dee ECL

9

0

2

2

4

C Steve Dowhy Fresno WCL

53

21

37

58

39

LW Jason Duda Wichita CL

55

27

41

68

60

RW Brad Federenko Jacksonville ECL

70

25

41

66

22

RW Todd Fedoruk Philadelphia AHL

19

1

2

3

40

    Trenton ECL

18

2

5

7

118

F Ruslan Fedotenko Philadelphia AHL

67

16

34

50

42

    Trenton ECL

8

5

3

8

9

D Jayme Filipowicz Milwaukee IHL

76

9

23

32

118

C Brent Gretzky Chicago IHL

2

0

0

0

0

    Asheville UL

74

36

91

127

68

LW Stanislav Gron Albany AHL

65

19

10

29

17

D Garry Gulash Quad City UL

64

9

37

46

358

D Dwayne Gylywoychuk Waco WPL

2

0

0

0

4

    Wichita CL

30

1

3

4

48

RW Kelly Hrycun Asheville UL

2

0

1

1

0

LW Phil Husak Ohio UL

54

8

9

17

36

C Ryan Huska Springfield AHL

61

12

9

21

77

RW Alex Kholomeyev C. Christi WPL

61

25

21

46

163

F Dmitri Kluchko Knoxville UL

5

0

0

0

2

D Zenith Komarniski Syracuse AHL

42

4

12

16

130

D Kyle Kos Utah IHL

56

1

3

4

101

C Jeff Kostuch Muskegon UL

19

2

2

4

16

C Mark Kotary M. Valley UL

72

22

25

47

23

RW Rick Kowalsky Hamp. Roads ECL

67

23

47

70

109

D Jeff Kozakowski Mobile ECL

59

0

30

30

90

D Evgeny Krivomaz Rockford UL

69

5

19

24

100

D Stu Kulak Austin WPL

42

4

10

14

16

D Corey Laniuk San Diego WCL

49

1

2

3

162

LW Andrew Luciuk Muskegon UL

70

34

38

72

40

LW David Lylyk San Angelo WPL

27

2

2

4

4

    Phoenix WCL

30

8

2

10

26

    San Antonio CL

3

0

0

0

0

C John Maksymiuk South Carolina ECL

3

1

0

1

0

D Don Malko Fresno WCL

67

4

9

13

172

LW Mike Maneluk Philadelphia AHL

73

47

40

87

158

D Roman Marakhovski Huntsville CL

45

4

4

8

41

RW Jay Mazur Alexandria WPL

47

21

34

55

27

RW Brad Mehalko Kansas City IHL

11

1

3

4

2

D Marty Melnychuk Arkansas WPL

50

5

12

17

375

C Glen Metropolit Portland AHL

46

18

40

58

71

LW Chad Michalchuk Central Texas WPL

52

12

34

46

175

LW Yuri Moscevsky San Diego WCL

9

0

1

1

59

    Topeka CL

4

1

0

1

7

F Roman Mucha Mohawk Valley UL

28

6

12

18

14

D Jeremy Mylymok Houston IHL

4

0

0

0

4

    Jackson ECL

43

1

15

16

79

D Yevseny Namestnikov Hartford AHL

33

1

9

10

14

    Milwaukee IHL

12

2

3

5

17

D Nick Naumenko Kansas City IHL

54

9

27

36

79

RW David Nemirovsky St. JohnÕs AHL

57

18

25

43

69

LW Mikhail Nemirovsky Adirondack UL

69

30

33

63

90

D Mike Nikolishen Orlando IHL

6

0

0

0

8

    South Carolina ECL

61

11

24

35

79

F Stewart Nowosad Memphis CL

58

4

11

15

47

D Jaroslav Obsut Worcester AHL

7

0

2

2

4

LW Chad Onufrechuk Mobile ECL

46

16

17

33

30

RW Keith Osborne Ohio UL

70

15

55

70

71

RW Greg Pankiewicz Houston IHL

62

22

19

41

134

D Jeff Pawluk Shreveport WPL

60

8

10

18

54

LW Ryan Pawluk Mississippi-Arkansas ECL

60

17

21

38

38

LW Doug Pirnak Fayetteville CL

58

1

9

10

158

RW Ryan Pisiak Austin WPL

28

10

8

18

250

    San Antonio CL

2

0

0

0

29

F Bobby Pochyly Fort Worth WPL

65

14

15

29

42

D Mark Polak New Orleans ECL

70

26

30

56

66

RW Mike Prokopec Manitoba IHL

68

23

21

44

100

RW Tyler Prosofsky Toledo-Birmingham ECL

59

11

23

34

245

RW Boris Protsenko Wilkes-Barre AHL

64

15

21

36

41

D Jay Pylypuik Missouri UL

16

0

2

2

20

    Memphis CL

34

0

4

4

26

D Sergei Radchenko Knoxville UL

56

2

8

10

145

D Alex Radzinsky Arkansas-Toledo ECL

76

3

7

10

48

D Peter Ratchuk Louisville AHL

76

9

17

26

64

LW Matt Ruchty Binghamton UL

64

23

20

43

321

RW Bogdan Rudenko Idaho WCL

56

14

18

32

133

LW Curtis Sheptak St. John AHL

21

2

8

10

27

RW Dean Shmyr Greensboro ECL

50

2

5

7

298

LW Jason Shmyr Portland AHL

53

3

4

7

170

LW Ryan Shmyr Lubbock WPL

65

0

3

3

437

C Gary Shuchuk Orlando IHL

71

16

33

49

94

RW Christian Skoryna Long Beach IHL

1

0

0

0

0

    Fresno WCL

71

40

52

92

70

RW Vadim Slivchenko Wheeling ECL

9

2

7

9

6

F Tom Slukynsky El Paso WPL

21

5

8

13

6

RW Denis Smakovsky Birmingham ECL

70

27

26

53

82

D Jamie Sokolsky Huntington ECL

70

19

39

58

87

D Lee Sorochan St. John AHL

59

4

37

41

122

D Andrei Srubko Utah-Grand Rapids IHL

33

1

2

3

141

    Port Huron UL

2

0

0

0

7

D Pat Stachniak Binghamton UL

4

0

0

0

0

RW Wayne Strachan Rockford UL

41

18

27

45

32

C Mark Strohack Wichita CL

70

14

29

43

78

F Matt Suchodolski Lake Charles WPL

2

0

0

0

0

C Steve Suk Macon CL

64

17

48

65

69

F Chris Szysky Grand Rapids IHL

26

4

3

7

40

D Joey Tetarenko Louisville AHL

57

3

11

14

136

LW Oleg Timchenko Greensboro ECL

56

20

21

41

51

C Daniel Tkaczuk St. John AHL

80

25

41

66

56

RW Stanislav Tkatch Memphis CL

20

5

6

11

8

LW Trevor Tokarczyk Knoxville UL

12

1

0

1

19

    Memphis CL

2

0

0

0

0

D Evgeny Tsybouk Michigan IHL

50

0

2

2

82

    Ft. Wayne UL

2

0

0

0

0

F Josh Tymchak Asheville UL

44

5

6

11

185

D Vitaly Vishnevski Cincinnati AHL

30

1

1

2

41

C Joe Wassilyn Phoenix WCL

12

0

0

0

44

LW Trevor Wasyluk Worcester AHL

47

6

7

13

14

    Peoria ECL

7

8

5

13

6

F Casey Wolak Baton Rouge ECL

40

4

8

12

120

C Shawn Yakimishyn Adirondack UL

65

18

25

43

156

D Dimitri Yakushin St. JohnÕs AHL

64

1

13

14

106

C Brendan Yarema Kansas City IHL

61

13

19

32

139

D Troy Yarosh Oklahoma City CL

4

0

0

0

4

RW Darius Zabawa Detroit IHL

1

0

0

0

0

    Flint UL

54

12

13

25

18

F Aaron Zarowny Lake Charles WPL

70

14

32

46

95

F Steve Zoryk Arkansas ECL

49

15

14

29

66

RW Jarret Zukiwsky Anchorage WCL

16

6

1

7

72

    San Antonio CL

28

7

12

19

112


UKRAINIAN GOALTENDERS IN MINOR LEAGUE HOCKEY
 

Player Team League

GP

MINS

W

L

T

GAA

PCT

Mike Buzak Albany AHL

14

775

3

9

2

3.17

0.9

  Utah-Milwaukee IHL

12

592

2

6

1

3.13

0.893

  Augusta ECL

3

149

2

0

0

4.4

0.853

Rob Galatiuk Corpus Christi WPL

2

107

1

1

0

3.36

0.918

  Oklahoma City CL

30

1,529

14

6

4

3.22

0.883

Dieter Kochan Springfield AHL

2

120

1

1

0

2.5

0.921

  Grand Rapids IHL

2

93

1

0

1

0.64

0.97

  Binghamton UL

43

2,543

29

11

3

2.59

0.922

Taras Lendzyk Charlotte ECL

12

636

4

4

1

3.58

0.9

  Peoria ECL

19

1,136

11

8

0

2.32

0.927

Gregg Naumenko Cincinnati AHL

50

2,876

17

25

7

2.98

0.906

Randy Petruk Cincinnati IHL

26

1,435

13

9

3

3.51

0.897

  Florida ECL

6

338

5

0

1

3.36

0.89

Oleg Romashko Greensboro ECL

2

29

0

0

0

2.02

0.923

Cody Rudkowsky Worcester AHL

28

1,405

9

7

6

3.2

0.895

  Peoria ECL

10

599

6

4

0

3.2

0.875

Jeff Salajko Manitoba IHL

3

138

1

1

0

2.16

0.932

  Arkansas ECL

48

2,678

14

30

1

4.17

0.891

Konstantin Simchuk Knoxville UL

64

3,580

24

35

3

3.9

0.877

Eddy Skazyk Corpus Christi WPL

42

2,206

19

14

5

3.86

0.902

Vitali Svatchenko Tacoma WCL

3

74

0

1

0

6.41

0.784

Sergei Tkachenko Arkansas ECL

2

119

0

0

2

3.51

0.901

  Greenville ECL

13

707

6

3

2

3.51

0.901

  Asheville UL

12

601

6

6

0

4.09

0.897

GP = Games Played; MINS = Minutes; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GAA = Goals Against Average; PCT = Save Percentage.


Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 18, 2001, No. 7, Vol. LXIX


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