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Belarusian hockey players continue to conquer the NHL

The 109th season of the National Hockey League is underway. Last year, Belarusians set a record for the number of hockey players involved in the world’s strongest league: seven of our players featured in the NHL over the course of the season. How many will play this year?

   






















               
Yegor Sharangovich (right)                          REUTERS                                 


Twelve Belarusians visited NHL clubs’ pre-season camps, but only a third of them made it to the main squads. Aliaksei Protas, who had a brilliant season with the Washington Capitals last year, retained his place in the team. Yegor Sharangovich, who did not shine as brightly for the Calgary Flames due to injuries and ailments, is also still in the game. 19-year-old Belarusian defenceman Artyom Levshunov, signed for the Chicago Blackhawks, continues to settle into the best league in the world and receive compliments from hockey experts, who are convinced that the lad has every chance of becoming an NHL star. Another of our players, Ilya Solovyov, has had a nervous few weeks. The Calgary Flames, where the Belarusian played, put him on waivers. Fortunately, the defenceman found himself with the Colorado Avalanche the very next day. However, another player in the same position, Vladislav Kolyachonok, was less fortunate — he was not claimed off waivers, so the Minsk native will start the season in the AHL with the Texas Stars.
In addition to Kolyachonok, the AHL will see appearances from goalies Aleksei Kolosov and Nikita Tolopilo, forwards Andrei Loshko, Yegor Sidorov, Danila Klimovich and Ilya Protas, and defender Dmitry Kuzmin... The lads have a chance of ‘getting promoted’.
Meanwhile, three of our hockey players have already opened their points account in the new NHL season. Aliaksei Protas earned an assist in Washington’s game against the Boston Bruins, which ended in a 1–3 scoreline — the Belarusian participated in his team’s only goal-scoring attack. Although Yegor Sharangovich, playing for the Calgary Flames, made a productive pass in the match against the Vancouver Canucks, the Belarusian forward’s team lost by a large margin of 1–5. Artyom Levshunov, as part of the Chicago Blackhawks, assisted a teammate in scoring against the Boston Bruins. Chicago lost to their opponent 3–4 in overtime. 


    















 Ilya Solovyov (right)                                    REUTERS                                                          Vladislav Kolyachonok         sport5.by          
 
By Tatiana Pastushenko