Wondering how things are going over in Russia in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)?
Here's the latest on a few noteworthy players toiling in Russia's major league:
The biggest name in the KHL, JAROMIR JAGR is fifth in scoring with 41 points (19G,22A) in 35 games with Omsk Avangard. Jagr scored 90 points or more ten times in the National Hockey League and played with Omsk during the 2004-05 lockout.
KEVIN DALLMAN, a former Boston and Los Angeles defenseman is ninth in scoring with 16 goals and 16 assists in 34 games with Astana Barys.
ALEXANDER RADULOV who brought great attention to the KHL when he jumped from the Nashville Predators has 13 goals and 16 assists in 34 games- good enough for 15th place in KHL scoring.
Former Ottawa and New York Islanders underachiever ALEXEI YASHIN has 12 goals and 16 assists in 35 games with Yaroslavl Lokomotiiv. His 28 points puts him right behind Radulov in the scoring race.
Winger PAVEL BRENDL who scored 73 goals in 1998-99 in the WHL with Calgary Hitmen and who selected fourth overall in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft is 20th in scoring with 22 goals and only 5 assists for 27 points in 34 games with Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo. Brendl, now 27, was a bomb in the NHL with Philadelphia, Carolina and Phoenix.
JOZEF STUMPEL has 4 goals and 19 assists in 30 games with Astana Barys.
Former NHL problem child, CHRIS SIMON (who will be 37 in January), is tied for the penalty minute lead in the KHL with 164 minutes in just 25 games. Simon who plays for Chekhov Vityaz is tied with defenseman MARTIN GRENIER of Chelyabinsk Tractor who had brief NHL stints with Phoenix, Philadelphia and Vancouver. Grenier has played four more games than Simon.
Defenseman DUVIE WESTCOTT, formerly of the Columbus Blue Jackets is ninth in the KHL PIM parade wuith 102 minutes in 33 games.
Other former NHL'ers in the top 15 in PIM's include LADISLAV NAGY and MARCEL HOSSA.
Alexander Radulov is a young player who had the potential to be a future NHL star. He seems to be somewhat of an oddity in the Kontinental Hockey League as a check of KHL rosters shows a strange mix of Russians, Europeans, NHL'ers past their primes and veteran American Hockey Leaguer's.
Next time- A look at noteworthy players in European leagues.
