WC: Roster Talk '11 – Belarus

smitty10

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Aug 6, 2009
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2,643
Toronto
Expect Grabovski, S. Kostitsyn, A. Kostitsyn and possibly Kolosov to be there for the start of the tournament as well. Stefanovich and Gotovets may be selected too in order to maintain their commitment to the National Team and to strengthen their development.

Looks like the Belarussians could be a surprising team this year. They always have the chance to be a contender, but if they can get all of their NHLers (including Salei) they may medal.
 

Grabovski

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Aug 12, 2009
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Hamilton, Ontario
Expect Grabovski, S. Kostitsyn, A. Kostitsyn and possibly Kolosov to be there for the start of the tournament as well. Stefanovich and Gotovets may be selected too in order to maintain their commitment to the National Team and to strengthen their development.

Looks like the Belarussians could be a surprising team this year. They always have the chance to be a contender, but if they can get all of their NHLers (including Salei) they may medal.

Andrei will be in the Playoffs with the Habs and Sergei will be with the Preds and Salei will be with the Wings. Grabo will be the only NHLer for the start of the tournament and possibly Stefanovich from the AHL. But I will be rooting for them for sure, I hope Grabo has a killer tourny.
 

afrobomber11

Registered User
May 23, 2010
481
6
Flin Flon Manitoba
Andrei will be in the Playoffs with the Habs and Sergei will be with the Preds and Salei will be with the Wings. Grabo will be the only NHLer for the start of the tournament and possibly Stefanovich from the AHL. But I will be rooting for them for sure, I hope Grabo has a killer tourny.

stefanovich played for minsk
 

Shaun_W_W

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Jan 7, 2007
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With all the other NHL players going to the playoffs it should be the Grabo show for Belarus.
 

smitty10

Registered User
Aug 6, 2009
9,805
2,643
Toronto
Both Kostitsyn's will probably arrive very shortly after the start, unless they reject an invitation. I don't see either of their teams going to far in the playoffs. Nashville may make it passed the first round though. Salei will probably go deep. I don't see him playing.
 

frostyflo

Registered User
Jan 29, 2009
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Austria
just saw AK is coming...does this work?! I mean if I remember correct it was Sergei who had the problems with Grabovski but I guess Grabo and Andrei aren`t friends either
 

Grabovski

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Aug 12, 2009
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Hamilton, Ontario
just saw AK is coming...does this work?! I mean if I remember correct it was Sergei who had the problems with Grabovski but I guess Grabo and Andrei aren`t friends either

No, Andrei and Mihkail are good friends. And even Sergei and Mikhail have put that all behind them and don't each other anymore lol. So yes Anrdei and Grabo will play on the same line!
 

Grabovski

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Aug 12, 2009
4,035
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Hamilton, Ontario
Grabovski named captain of Belarus. What a great character guy. Go Belarus Go!

KOSICE, Slovakia -- Mikhail Grabovski is hoping to use the IIHF World Hockey Championship for a little career advancement.

The Toronto Maple Leafs forward was named captain of Belarus on the eve of the tournament and admitted to feeling the weight of responsibility after Thursday's practice at Steel Arena.

"I think it's a little bit hard for me right now because I'm a first-time captain," said Grabovski. "Everybody, young players, look how I play and it's a little bit of pressure.

"But it's OK, it's the next level for my career and I think that will help me be stronger when I start playing in playoffs in the NHL."

The 27-year-old centre is coming off a career season that saw him register 29 goals and 58 points in 81 games for the Maple Leafs.

He's attending his sixth world championship and has brought along his parents -- an annual tradition for the family. While some NHLers decline invitations to take part in the tournament, Grabovski would never dream of doing such a thing.

"I love to play hockey and I don't want to finish season when somebody (else is) playing," he said. "I know NHL teams (are) playing right now.

"For me, I don't want to go on vacation because I want to play. I like hockey. I'm always happy to play for national team."

Belarus opens the event against Canada on Friday (TSN, 2:15 p.m. ET). Montreal Canadiens forward Andrei Kostitsyn has also agreed to join the team, but isn't expected to arrive in time for the game.

The tournament opener will offer Grabovski a chance to face three Toronto teammates -- goalie James Reimer and defencemen Dion Phaneuf and Luke Schenn.

"I have a chance to score (on) Reimer if he plays tomorrow," said Grabovski.

The country finished 10th at last year's world championship in Germany, but is hoping for a better result here. It placed sixth in 2006 -- thanks in part to nine points in seven games from Grabovski -- and would love to deliver that kind of performance for the country's passionate hockey fans.

No one is a bigger supporter than Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who plays the sport recreationally and has met Grabovski in the past.

"It's sport No. 1 in our country," said Grabovski. "(Lukashenko) always wants to win and I think all Belarusian people wants to win.

"We have a small country, but our country has a lot of great sportsmen."

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=363940
 

Grabovski

Registered User
Aug 12, 2009
4,035
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Hamilton, Ontario
I posted this on the Leafs thread so thought it was appropriate to go in here too if any of you wanted to know a little about Belarus.

Besides Grabovski and Kostitsyn is there anyone in the NHL from Belarus?

There is Grabo, Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn, Ruslan Salei. Most of the Belarussians play for Dinamo Minsk of the KHL which is a Belarussion hockey club from the capital city Minsk that is in the KHL. Plus they have Denis Denisov and Vladimir Denisov and Mikhail Stefanovich and Sergei Kolosov who was drafted by Detroit and is currently playing with their AHL affiliate Grand Rapid. Also Konstantin Koltsov played a couple seasons with the Pens, now plays in the KHL.

All in all hockey is basically their most popular sport for their small country. Their president, Alexander Lukashenko is a HUGE hockey fan. Apparently he plays hockey everyday as a exercise routine and is good friends with Grabo. This is their president lol:
luka_hokkey_3.jpg


Also president Lukashenko is trying to make hockey more popular so the government plans to construct no less than 30 new arenas by 2012. They have already started constructing alot of them in order to prepare for 2014 World Championships that will be held in Minsk Belarus.

I was in Belarus not too long ago and took pictures of the new 15,000+ seating arena which was still under construction at the time:
dscn9032.jpg


dscn9012.jpg


Here are some new pics of the arena (Home of Dinamo Minsk now):

_MG_5255_resize.jpg


253.jpg
 

Dima_BLR

Registered User
May 13, 2006
269
7
Good Old Europe
I posted this on the Leafs thread so thought it was appropriate to go in here too if any of you wanted to know a little about Belarus.

....Plus they have Denis Denisov and Vladimir Denisov....

All in all hockey is basically their most popular sport for their small country. Their president, Alexander Lukashenko is a HUGE hockey fan.

denis denisov? lol that's a russian denisov who has nothing to do with belarus.
and, btw, football (or soccer) is way more popular than hockey in my country despite all those efforts by mr. lukashenko to make hockey sport №1 here.
 

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