U18 Ivan Hlinka Tournament: Russia Part 1

Traditionally, Russia opt against sending their best available players to this event and consequently haven't been overly successful having not captured gold since 1995.

There is plenty of room for optimism however as the Russians took home the bronze medal for the second consecutive time at the Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament held in Slovakia and the Czech Republic from Aug 14-18, 2007.

Team Russia opened the tournament with back-to-back wins over the USA and Slovakia before succumbing to a hard-hitting Finnish team, but ended the tournament on a high note with a win against Canada in the bronze-medal game.

McKeen's Chief Scout David Burstyn attended the event and takes a look at several quality Russian players including exciting winger Nikita Filatov.

Nikita Filatov (2008), RW, CSKA

An entertaining, offensive dynamo with elite puck skills .. does a remarkable job controlling passes and, in one fluid motion, shifting his body to attack and getting a jump into the offensive zone .. teammates appeared a step behind at times as he ranks among the upper echelon of his age group as far as processing the offensive side of the game .. can dismantle a defensive box with his shiftiness and wide array of moves .. still very slight in stature however and needs to make considerable upgrades in the weight department as he can get somewhat intimidated in the neutral zone .. a slick skater who has no problem jumping into the offense thanks to an exceptional first step .. far from a complete player, yet nevertheless warrants top 10 consideration at this stage for his skill alone. Tournament Stats: 4-2-1-3, 8PIM, PLUS-2

Dmitri Kugryshev (2008), RW, CSKA

Russia's best all-around forward .. combines grit with an attractive skillset that often left the opposition confused as to how to play him .. no other forward on Russia worked as hard as he did to get the puck .. his down-low play and continual thrusting of his legs to keep moving spoke volumes about his competitiveness .. consequently drew penalties as opponents were forced to haul him down .. very shifty and dangerous in open ice as he has the 1-on-1 moves which can make a defender look silly .. helped create plenty of chances, yet did not produce as well here as he has at previous levels of competition, so this could likely be just a slight blip on the radar. Tournament Stats: 4-1-1-2, 6PIM, PLUS-3

Andrei Loktionov (2008),C, Yaroslavl

Second-line center benefited greatly from the heightened attention other teams paid to Russia's top line .. a highly skilled and incredibly smart player .. blessed with extraordinary hockey sense - arguably displayed the best vision among all the tournament's forwards .. attacks the net and shows no hesitation sacrificing himself to get into scoring areas .. blessed with only average speed, however his puckhandling skills often draws opponents out of position which allows him to make an incisive pass to an open teammate .. always finds an option even when double-teamed which infuriates the opposition as he makes it look so easy .. the assistant captain, he oozes potential and shows all the makings of being this year's Sam Gagner. Tournament Stats: 4-2-3-5, 6PIM, PLUS-2

Pavel Chernov (2008), C, Khimik Mytischi

First-line center delivered a dependable two-way game and proved a perfect complement to hotshot Nikita Filatov, aided by quick hands and swift distribution skills .. the pair displayed strong chemistry and fed off of one another, with Chernov often the recipient of easy tap-in goals on setups manufactured by Filatov .. never gives up on a play and follows it to the end .. an average skater .. gets his name on the scoresheet thanks to his awareness on the ice, especially in the offensive zone .. frequently starts many plays with key faceoff wins as well .. makes subtle plays as he possesses a soft passing touch .. his smarts and overall skillset makes him a player worth evaluating further. Tournament Stats: 4-3-1-4, 6PIM, PLUS-1

Vyacheslav Voynov (2008), D, Chelyabinsk

Combines healthy puckmoving skills with a blistering shot .. shows the presence of mind to alter his position once he crosses the line utilizing his lateral movement to get a better view of the net .. knows where the puck is on his blade, always looking forward and never down .. lethal when afforded open ice as he can control the tempo of a game .. his cool and calm decisions with the puck on the PP, coupled with his shot make him very hard to play against .. gets slightly cocky at times and takes risks at the line, not protecting the puck as strong as he should .. brings a physical dimension as his stocky, muscular build allows him to pummel the opposition .. one of the most skilled defenders at this tournament, however still suffered bouts of inconsistency in which he didn't touch the puck for entire periods. Tournament Stats: 4-0-1-1, 6PIM, EVEN

Maxim Chudinov (2008), D, Cherepovets

Saw his icetime increase during the tournament and even received some minutes on the first powerplay unit .. displays raw offensive skills with considerable upside .. boasts a decent point shot .. doesn't always unleash a slapshot but does a good job getting a snap shot on goal for deflections and tips .. very hard to knock off the puck or his skates for that matter, due to his superb balance .. competes and plays with a high passion level, his offensive gambles began to pay off later in the tournament .. shows good gapping abilities backed by solid reverse movement plus the intelligence to recognize the break in the play .. played at an elite level and should get plenty of scribbles in NHL scout's notebooks. Tournament Stats: 4-1-0-1, 10PIM, PLUS-2

Danil Alistratov (2009), G, Chelyabinsk

The smallest goalie to participate in the tournament .. very athletic and agile .. plays more of a standup style in an effort to cover as much of the net as possible .. very quick feet that are matched by a quick glove .. his balance allows him to move from post-to-post and also regain his stance .. remains relatively square to the shooter .. his concentration level to stay with shooters is also a positive, while he rarely commits .. swallows up rebounds .. an average stickhandler - not overly astute playing the puck especially on his backhand side .. possesses very good poise and could turn into a formidable goalie especially if he undergoes a growth spurt. Tournament Stats: 2GP, 1-1, 3.50GAA