The Kontinental Hockey League has recently announced the full 2016 All-Star game rosters on its official website. The 2016 All-Star game will be held on January 23rd at the brand-new VTB Arena in Moscow, which opened less than one year ago. It will be the second All-Star game held in the Russian capital city, after the famous 2009 game on the Red Square. This will also make the third consecutive All-Star game held in the Western Conference, after the games in Sochi and Bratislava.
While the NHL is finding new and new methods to please their fans during the All-Star weekend, the KHL keeps on playing on a more traditional East vs West format, with players of the first line being picked by the fans, second line by journalists, and third lines by the league itself. Just as all other years, the game will feature a good number of prospects and former NHL players.
This how the rosters will look like:
Team West
Goaltender Alexei Murygin (Lokomotiv, 8,323 votes), Ilya Sorokin (CSKA). Defensemen: Mat Robinson (Dynamo Moscow, 8,112), Nikita Zaitsev (CSKA, 5,087); Philip Larsen (Jokerit), Cam Barker (Slovan); Milan Jurcina (Medvescak) and Ziyat Paigin (HC Sochi). Forwards: Alexander Radulov (CSKA, 16,227), Ilya Kovalchuk (SKA, 9,695), Matt Ellison (Dinamo Minsk, 8,140); Nikita Gusev (SKA), Vadim Shipachyov (SKA), Daniil Apalkov (Lokomotiv); Kaspars Daugavins (Torpedo), Dmitry Kagarlitsky (Severstal) and Brandon Kozun (Jokerit).
Team East
Goaltender Alexander Salak (Sibir, 9,661 votes), Juha Metsola (Amur). Defensemen: Alexander Loginov (Salavat Yulaev, 8,783), Vladimir Denisov (Traktor. 5,930); Oskars Bartulis (Admiral), Kevin Dallman (Barys); Tobias Viklund (Lada) and Jonathon Blum (Admiral). Forwards: Sergei Mozyakin (Metallurg Magnitogorsk, 13,540), Linus Omark (Salavat Yulaev, 7,339), Vladimir Sobotka (Avangard, 7,020); Danis Zaripov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Anatoly Golyshev (Avtomobilist), Jan Kovar (Metallurg Magnitogorsk); Kirill Kaprizov (Metallurg Novokuznetsk), Mikhail Varnakov (Ak Bars) and Nigel Dawes (Barys Astana).
This means that Kirill Kaprizov will be one of the youngest players ever to play at the All-Star game. Among the youngest player to take part to the game there are NHL players and prospects like Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vladimir Tarasenko, Nikolai Prokhorkin, and Andrei Mironov. The record for the oldest player, which belongs to Dominik Hasek with more than 46 years of age, seems hardly beatable. Sergei Mozyakin is the all-time goal and point scorer leader, with 16 goals and 23 points in seven games. Before the game, the two teams will change themselves in different skills contests.
Team East won four of the five conference-split All-Star games, while won only in the 2014 event in Bratislava. For more information, visit the KHL All-Star game page in English.
RELATED: Prospect, Former NHL PLayers Highlight 2015 Stats Report