[News] With the 205th OA pick the Flames select D Ilya Solovyov

[burn_this_city]

In about 5 years we'll have a D pair we can call the Iron Curtain.

[sureLoss]

OHL Prospects
@BrockOtten
In Ilya Solovyov, the Flames are getting a big, mobile blueliner who started off the last OHL season on fire but cooled significantly in the second half, especially after the return of Bode Wilde to Saginaw. Aggressive in playing down low to pinch, using his size.

[JurassicTunga12]

Glad we aren't ignoring Russian players now.

edit: Oops, not quite. Had read an article that listed as such.

[Cheese]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Wayne Gretzky is of Belarusian decent, so being a small country, I wouldn't be surprised if they share some common ancestors.

That's the best I got.

Nope..
Wayne Douglas Gretzky was born on January, 29, 1961. He is a canadian hockey player of Ukrainian origin.

[Burner]

Originally Posted by JurassicTunga12

Glad we aren't ignoring Russian players now.

I dont suggest you go to Belarus and call them Russians.....

[1991 Canadian]

I like the idea of drafting more Russian (and Belarussian) players.

a) These are decent prospects
b)I think having guys from similar backgrounds is important to convince these guys to come here.

Take Rafikov for example. When he was drafted, the Flames didn't have a single Russian in the system. Show up to training camp with no familiar faces. Nobody to speak Russian with / help get acquainted with North America. Likely staring down the prospect of slugging it down in Stockton. Not a great proposition when you can earn a stable paycheque in the KHL.

Who knows, these Russians/Belarussians might all be duds, but I like the gamble.

[David Struch]

Saw him play recently for the first time.

Very impressive player.

Ultra aggressive offensively. Looks to use his size advantage deep in the ozone. Very strong on the puck and tough to separate from it. Really strong along the wall and assertive in spinning off checks and looking to drive the net. Has some explosiveness in his stride too, that I saw catch some defenders off guard. Would have to see more to get a true read of his skating ability (didn't get a great assessment of top speed, lateral mobility).

But I mean, the above description sounds like I am talking about a forward, and that's how aggressive Solovyov was with the puck.

But he wasn't terrible in his own end either.

I want to see more.

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...h-cgy.2692733/

[Canada 02]

according to Button, the plan is to bring him over to play in the AHL next season

[Reggie Dunlop]

Oh...

So instead of waiting for the draft to end so he could be signed as a FA, the team used their last pick?

Not a bad strategy if they thought other teams were interested.

Stockton is turning into Little Moscow

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Cheese

Nope..
Wayne Douglas Gretzky was born on January, 29, 1961. He is a canadian hockey player of Ukrainian origin.

Are you sure?

Wayne Gretzky was born on January 26, 1961, in Brantford, Ontario, the son of Phyllis Leone (Hockin) and Walter Gretzky.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Gretzky

The Gretzky family were landowners in the Russian Empire, and supporters of Tsar Nicholas II[2] originally from Grodno/Hrodna (now in the Republic of Belarus).[3]
Walter Gretzky has stated that his parents were "White Russians from Belarus",[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Gretzky

*wikipedia caveats apply

[1qqaaz]

His family is just from that Polish-Ukrainian-Belorussian corridor that was formerly part of the Russian empire (until the end of WWI).

Belarus was never really a country (created for the first time after the collapse of Russia in WWI). For most of the last 1000 years, those lands were part of Poland/Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Neither was Ukraine, unless you go back to the Kievan Rus, which was also the predecessor state of Russia.

A lot of people in Alberta/Saskatchewan/Manitoba have that Ukranian-Polish mix. I don't think Gretzky is any different (even though he's from Ontario). Except Walter Gretzky can apparently still speak Polish. It's easier just to say Slavic.

[sureLoss]

Interview with Solovyov in Russian:
https://hockey.by/news/intervyu/news117558.html

Says he has been to Calgary before with the Belarus U17 team when they won a tournament. Attended a NHL game during that time where the Flames lost 3-1.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Interview with Solovyov in Russian:
https://hockey.by/news/intervyu/news117558.html

Says he has been to Calgary before with the Belarus U17 team when they won a tournament. Attended a NHL game during that time where the Flames lost 3-1.

this would have been the 2017 Mac's I assume? I think I watched them play in that one. the game would have been a loss to Anaheim (shocker) mind you this was only a few weeks after the Flames had handed the Ducks a big drubbing in the Dome

[Since1984]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

OHL Prospects
@BrockOtten
In Ilya Solovyov, the Flames are getting a big, mobile blueliner who started off the last OHL season on fire but cooled significantly in the second half, especially after the return of Bode Wilde to Saginaw. Aggressive in playing down low to pinch, using his size.

Sounds like really poor man's Russian Valimaki.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Interview with Solovyov in Russian:
https://hockey.by/news/intervyu/news117558.html

Says he has been to Calgary before with the Belarus U17 team when they won a tournament. Attended a NHL game during that time where the Flames lost 3-1.

I see that we were at the same game.

[Tkachukwagon]

Ilya Solovyov makes his NHL debut tonight. Hell of a 7th round pick!

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Aww...there's no Crazy Bacon Legs post in here telling us to mark his words...kid's a beast etc.

[Geeoff]

"maybe we should trade more late picks for other people's trash at the deadline" - Brad Treliving (thankfully in Toronto)

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

OHL Prospects
@BrockOtten
In Ilya Solovyov, the Flames are getting a big, mobile blueliner who started off the last OHL season on fire but cooled significantly in the second half, especially after the return of Bode Wilde to Saginaw. Aggressive in playing down low to pinch, using his size.

Bode Wilde is playing in the Slovakian league....

WHO'S LAUGHING NOW???