The KHL has recently announced the 2018 All-Star Game rosters through the event’s official website. The event will be similar to last year’s edition, with the main event being a mini-tournament played between four teams composed of the four KHL divisions and a number of other events that will be spread all over the so-called “Week of Hockey Stars”.
Kirill Kaprizov during a 2017-18 KHL game. (Photo: cska-hockey.ru)
The events will start on Jan. 10 with the Women Hockey League All-Star Game, where former NWHL forward Lyudmila Belyakova will skate. The next event will be the MHL All-Star Game. Just as last year, the top four junior players will be selected to play in the KHL All-Star Game, scheduled for Jan. 14. All of the events will be played at the new Barys Astana home arena in the Kazakhstani capital. Each of the 27 KHL teams will be represented with at least one player.
One of the best stories from last year was Andrei Altybarmakyan. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect scored the game-winning goal in the grand final for the Chernyshev Division team. We’ll see if any of the other prospects will be able to steal the scene as Altybarmakyan did last season in Ufa. The MHL All-Star Game will feature, among other young players, Philadelphia Flyers goaltending prospect Kirill Ustimenko.
This is how the full rosters will look like:
Bobrov Division
Goalies: Ryan Zapolski (Jokerit), Igor Shestyorkin (SKA).
Defensemen: Mark-Andre Gragnani (Dinamo Minsk), Dmitry Kalinin (Spartak), Patrik Hersley (SKA), Sami Lepisto (Jokerit).
Forwards: Eeli Tolvanen (Jokerit), Ilya Kovalchuk (SKA), Nikita Gusev (SKA), Miks Indrasis (Dinamo Riga), Zach Boychuk (Slovan).
Tarasov Division
Goalies: Julius Hudacek (Severstal), Ilya Sorokin (CSKA).
Defensemen: Staffan Kronwall (Lokomotiv), Nikita Nesterov (CSKA), Vojtech Mozik (Vityaz), Ilya Nikulin (Dynamo Moscow).
Forwards: Kirill Kaprizov (CSKA), Dmitry Kagarlitsky (Severstal), Pavel Padakin (HC Sochi), Brandon Kozun (Lokomotiv), Denis Parshin (Torpedo).
Nikita Nesterov is now a KHL All-Star (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Kharlamov Division
Goalies: Emil Garipov (Ak Bars), Ilya Ezhov (Neftekhimik).
Defensemen: Andrei Markov (Ak Bars), Chris Lee (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Nikita Tryamkin (Avtomobilist), Charles Genoway (Lada).
Forwards: Sergei Mozyakin (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Vladimir Tkachyov (Ak Bars), Dan Sexton (Neftekhimik), Paul Szczechura (Traktor), Pavel Varfolomeyev (Yugra).
Chernyshev Division
Goalies: Alexei Krasikov (Sibir), Magnus Hellberg (Kunlun Red Star).
Defensemen: Kevin Dallman (Barys), Philip Larsen (Salavat Yulaev), Evgeny Medvedev (Avangard), Yegor Martynov (Avangard).
Forwards: Nigel Dawes (Barys), Linus Omark (Salavat Yulaev), Alexei Byvaltsev (Amur), Vladimir Tkachyov (Admiral), Linden Vey (Barys).
Meet the host of 2018 #KHLAllStar weekend – the Chernyshev Division! pic.twitter.com/9rpovIPmKn
— KHL (@khl_eng) December 8, 2017
There are a good number of NHL prospects and former players. The New York Rangers will have Igor Shestyorkin, while the Islanders will see Ilya Sorokin. Nashville Predators 2017 first-round pick, Finnish Eeli Tolvanen was one of the highest vote-getting players overall. One of the most awaited players will, of course, be Minnesota Wild prospect Kirill Kaprizov, who’s having a great season and will most likely earn a spot at the next Olympics.
The All-Star game itself will be preceded on Jan. 13 by the Master Show, where the players will compete in several skills competitions, similarly to the NHL counterpart.
In spite of his recent injury, Metallurg Magnitogorsk star Mozyakin is at his tenth All-Star Game as he skated in every single All-Star event since the league was born. The active players with the most All-Star game appearances are Ilya Nikulin and Kevin Dallman. Dallas Stars forward Alexander Radulov was elected to eight KHL All-Star games.
Alexander Radulov with the Montreal Canadiens jersey. (Photo credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports)
You can find more information about the events, including rosters for the MHL and Women’s League All-Star Games, on the event’s official website.
