THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Maxim Shalunov and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Nikita Nesterov headline Russia’s roster for annual Subway Super Series against the Quebec, Ontario and Western hockey leagues.
The six-game series opens Monday in Victoriaville, Que., followed by games in Quebec City, Ottawa, Sault Ste., Marie, Ont., Regina and Moose Jaw, Sask.
Canada has won every series since 2003 with the exception of last year, when the Russian took it four games to two.
The event is a tune-up for the world junior hockey championship, which opens in Calgary and Edmonton on Dec. 26.
Russia is bringing 22 players from that country and during the series will add another nine who are currently playing in the QMJHL, OHL and WHL.
The Russians are coached by Valery Bragin, who was behind the bench at the 2005 world junior hockey championship in Grand Forks, N.D. Canada defeated a Russian team that included Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin for gold that year.
Shalunov and Nesterov are two of four 1993-born Russian players making the trip, while the rest are 1992 birth years. Shalunov was chosen in the fourth-round by Chicago and Nesterov in the fifth by the Lightning.
Last season Team Russia emerged with their first series win, later sending 17 players from the 2010 Subway Super Series team to the 2011 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo, NY, where they won gold defeating Canada in the final game.
Team Russia:
Goaltenders:
Sergey Kostenko (Metallurg, Novokuznetsk), Pavel Suchkov (Dizel, Penza)
Defencemen:
Victor Antipin (Metallurg, Magnitogorsk), Roman Rukavishnikov (Atlant, Moscow Region), Mikhail Naumenkov (CSKA), Efim Gurkin (Salavat Yulaev, Ufa), Artem Karavaev (Sibir, Novosibirsk), Grigory Zheldakov (Spartak, Moscow), Ildar Isangulov (Salavat Yulaev, Ufa), Nikita Nesterov (Traktor, Chelyabinsk)
Forwards:
Nikita Gusev (CSKA), Nikita Kucherov (CSKA), Vladislav Kartaev (Salavat Yulaev, Ufa), Kirill Rasskazov (Avangard, Omsk), Daniil Apalkov (Metallurg, Magnitogorsk), Pavel Kulikov (Neftekhimik, Nizhnekamsk), Maxim Shalunov (Traktor, Chelyabinsk), Pavel Medvedev (Spartak, Moscow), Bogdan Potekhin (Metallurg, Magnitogorsk), Bulat Shavaleev (Ak Bars, Kazan), Valery Knyazev (Sibir, Novosibirsk), Emil Galimov (Neftekhimik, Nizhnekamsk)
Victoriaville Game Only:
Artem Sergeev (Val d’Or Foreurs), Anton Zlobin (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Quebec City Game Only:
Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec Remparts)
Ottawa Game Only:
Alexander Khokhlachev (Windsor Spitfires), Vladislav Namestnikov (London Knights), Andrey Pedan (Guelph Storm), Ivan Telegin (Barrie Colts), Nail Yakupov (Sarnia Sting)
Regina Game Only:
Andrey Makarov (Saskatoon Blades)
The 2011 Subway Super Series is supported by CHL associate sponsors, Bank of Montreal and CCM. All games will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet with the two QMJHL games shown on TVA Sports.
2011 Subway Super Series Schedule of Games:
Game 1 – Monday November 7 at Victoriaville, QC
Game 2 – Wednesday November 9 at Quebec City, QC
Game 3 – Thursday November 10 at Ottawa, ON
Game 4 – Monday November 14 at Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Game 5 – Wednesday November 16 at Regina, SK
Game 6 – Thursday November 17 at Moose Jaw, SK
The QMJHL, OHL and WHL rosters have already been announced. The players chosen to face Russia are all age eligible (born in 1992 and 1993) to represent Canada at the world junior championship.
Hockey Canada head scout Kevin Prendergast will evaluate the Canadian players for possible invitations to December’s selection camp in Calgary.
Canadian players in the series includes Moose Jaw Warriors left-winger Quinton Howden, Niagara IceDogs goalie Mark Visentin, centre Ryan Strome and defenceman Dougie Hamilton, as well as defenceman Nathan Beaulieu and forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Zack Phillips of the Saint John Sea Dogs.
–With files from Sportsnet staff
