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NHL’s 1st Round Draft pick of four Russian players is ‘huge bonus for them,’ says coach

Among the drafted players are goalkeeper Yaroslav Askarov from KHL’s SKA HC; forward Rodion Amirov from KHL’s Salavat Yulayev HC; defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin from KHL’s Salavat Yulayev HC; and forward Yegor Chinakhov

MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/. A selection of four Russian young ice hockey players in the 1st Round of the US-based NHL Draft earlier in the week will serve as a huge bonus for them in the future, Igor Larionov, the head coach of the Russian national youth ice hockey team, told TASS on Thursday.

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Four Russian ice hockey players were picked in the 1st Round of the 2020 NHL Draft, which was organized as an on-line conference late on Tuesday night. Among the drafted players are goalkeeper Yaroslav Askarov (from KHL’s SKA HC); forward Rodion Amirov (from KHL’s Salavat Yulayev HC); defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin (from KHL’s Salavat Yulayev HC); and forward Yegor Chinakhov (from KHL’s Avangard HC).

"I can call it a big success and a huge bonus for them," Larionov said in an interview with TASS. "The pandemic opened new possibilities and the boys received a chance of playing in the Kontinental Hockey League."

"Almost the whole world is not playing ice hockey [during the pandemic], except for Russia and it certainly played a role in their favor during the NHL Draft," he continued. "To be honest, I was a bit surprised as I had expected at least six Russians to be selected in the NHL 1st Round Draft."

Larionov also stated that he had already extended his congratulations to Amirov, Mukhamadullin and Askarov.

"I haven’t yet personally met with Chinakhov, but I will personally congratulate him, when we meet at the training camp of the Russian national youth ice hockey team," he added.

"I am very pleased to see that NHL clubs did a certain amount of work having decided to work with these boys in the future," the Russian coach said. "There is a load of work ahead and the players, as well as their representatives, will soon realize it. I am very glad for them."

According to the NHL’s official website, "Askarov became the highest-drafted Russia-born goalie in NHL history when the Nashville Predators selected him with the No. 11 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft on Tuesday."

"I feel joy and happiness, and still can't understand what just happened," Askarov was quoted as saying by the NHL’s press office after the NHL’s Nashville Predators HC chose him in the first round. "Every kid has dreams and goals, and I was one of them."

The Kontinental Hockey League was founded in Russia in 2008 and listed 24 professional ice hockey clubs until this year, namely from Russia, Belarus, China, Finland, Kazakhstan and Latvia.

International experts deem the KHL as the premier ice hockey league in Europe and Asia ranking it as the world’s second most important one right on the heels of the US-based NHL (National Hockey League).

The KHL Board of Directors announced on August 7 that the 2020/2021 season, which kicked off on September 2, would see the participation of 23 clubs from six countries compared to 24 clubs during the previous season.

The list of the participating hockey clubs (HCs) for this season was reduced from 24 to 23 after Admiral Vladivostok HC announced earlier in the year a decision to quit the league due to financial difficulties, because the bulk of the regional budget in the Primorye Territory, where the club is stationed, was allocated to fight COVID-19.

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