Alex Semin, acquired this summer by the Carolina Hurricanes for a whopping $7 million for one season, is set to make his 2012-13 debut Friday for Sokol Krasnoyarsk, which is not a KHL team but does play hockey close to where he grew up.
Sokol is part of the Russian Major Hockey League, a feeder system below the KHL that does not pay its players nearly as much.
Alex Semin’s salary in Sokol will be about $1600 US per month (min for VHL). You could be proud if your salary higher. #canes #caps
— Pavel Lysenkov (@plysenkov) September 25, 2012
“Money is not the most important thing in life. Even if I spend the entire season in Krasnoyarsk, it won’t be a loss for me,” the sniper, who could still reportedly move up to the KHL later this season, told Pavel Lysenkov of Sovietsky Sport.
Watch Semin practise with his new team:
Stanley Cup champion Anze Kopitar made his debut with his younger brother Gasper’s team, Mora IK of Sweden’s second-tier league, HockeyAllsvenskan. And to the surprise of no one, he’s lighting it up. Kopitar earned “player of the match” status after scoring four points in Mora’s 6-2 victory over Vasteras.
NHL scout Hakan Andersson thinks Anze Kopitar’s only playing at half speed. Seems to be enough to get 2 points/period at this level #lakings
— Linus Hugosson (@linushugosson) September 25, 2012
Winger Nikolay Zheredev — late of the NHL’s Blue Jackets, Rangers and Flyers — scores on a beauty ‘tween-the-legs dangle for Atlant Moscow Oblast, a team he joined last season to get the jump on all the imports:
Swiss team EHC Biel’s new acquisition, Tyler Seguin, to his imaginary dog: “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not at TD Garden anymore.”
Big enough rink twitter.com/tylerseguin92/…
— Tyler Seguin (@tylerseguin92) September 25, 2012
NHL goalie duel set for Sunday? Yes, these are desperate times. Stream if you’re starving:
Seems pretty likely that Sunday’s Plzen vs. Sparta game will have an #NHL goalie duel between Rask & Neuvirth. Live online, 9 AM EDT.
— Matias Strozyk (@MaStrozyk) September 25, 2012