Photo: @Capitals
The Washington Capitals have been renowned for drafting and developing some high-talent players in their 48-year history and on Thursday, July 7, added what they hope will be the next name on that list in Russian left wing Ivan Miroshnichenko with the 20th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The newest Capitals’ prospect spoke to the media via translator after becoming the team’s most recent draftee.
The Capitals’ more notable Russian draftees include 2004 first overall pick and face of the franchise Alex Ovechkin, along with names such as Alex Semin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Dmitry Orlov in more recent times. In 2015 the team selected goaltender Ilya Samsonov with the 22nd overall pick, and defenseman Alexander Alexeyev 31st overall in 2018.
“It’s a tremendous feeling. It’s such a great organization, there’s so many great players, Russian players, so to join them is a tremendous honor.”
The 18-year old forward has had a trying 2022, being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in March. The former captain of Russia’s 2021 Gold Medal-winning Hlinka-Gretzky Cup team recorded 10 goals and six assists in 31 Games Played this past season with Russian second-tier league team Omskie Krylia.
“The last few months have been great. Obviously before then was some challenging times, but before then but when I was in Russia, it was super. The plan is for me to stay here [North America], obviously I have the Development Camp coming up here, but then the plan is for me to rejoin my team in Omskie.”
We are picking up what you’re putting down, @MeghanChayka! pic.twitter.com/tE85vSAaqy
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 8, 2022
The Primorsky Krai, Russia native (listed as 6’1″, 185 lbs) was likely headed for a higher selection prior to his diagnosis, however his skill-set and sample size of play gained him positive reviews from scouts in the league.
“At that point I had a feeling [on whether he would be selected by the Caps]. Everything I have to work on and hopefully the coaches will be able to help me. I’m always trying to get back on the ice, I’ve been on the ice about 10 times now. I’m just now getting back on the ice.”
The Capitals’ decision to draft Miroshnichenko comes as a high-risk, high-reward selection, however the potential for the young forward’s game leaves many with a positive feeling on the pick. Having just been cleared a month ago to resume skating, the night could not have ended on a better note for the newest first-round selection of the Caps.
General manager Brian MacLellan on selecting Ivan Miroshnichenko: “He’s a really good player. [The scouts] liked the personality, they liked the character. Like what he’s battling through right now. Hopefully it works out and we got a really good player on our hands.” https://t.co/3Mh7yJBXsR pic.twitter.com/8j6dirHUIb
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 8, 2022
Watch Miroshnichenko’s full media interview below.
Ivan Miroshnichenko talks with the media through a translator after being selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 #NHLDraft in Montreal.#CapsDraft pic.twitter.com/BFXuFfr1gP
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 8, 2022
By Michael Fleetwood
Why is the NHL so disconnected as to allow this trend of supporting Russia and Belarus? Is this simply because Bettman chooses to not “make waves” and compromise the NHL’s fading business relationship with Comrade Putin?
There is no justifying the NHL allowing for Ovechkin to remain in the USA given his long-running friendship, business relationships, and past blatant Putin campaigning on his own website!!
It’s time for the U.S. Government to follow the Washington Caps’ MONEY TRAIL and prove there is no connection to Russia.
Sports worship is a dangerous religion.
I think it’s very similar to when US invaded Iraq for fictitious “Weapons of Mass Destruction”. It was business as usual, and they weren’t going to ban US players or shut down the league.
Booooooooo Kevin boooo
Lol, I applaud this comment.
Horrible Take! 1st off NBA has been in bed with China forever! A real global threat! NBA should shutdown its Asian affairs and just go out of business then? It’s just funny or ridiculous Certain people want to use the normal people/athletes as political pawns bc they don’t like Putin. Tough. Just bc Caps are great at developing & drafting Russians they shouldn’t be punished bc other teams don’t have that same history/connections of scouts regionally otherwise.
You have gotta be the biggest moron on this board. Ovechkin is a Russian player and grew up in the country and made him arguably the best goal scorer in NHL history. With your logic, no Canadian player should be allowed to play in North America. Trudeau is a socialist and the son of Fidel Castro and corrupt as hell. Chomp on that for a while you bigot.
Great pick! At 18, he’s still 3 years away from Hershey, so hopefully the political climate improves by then.
He could be, with his talent level, one who could play in the KHL after this season for a year or two, then jump straight to the Caps ala Kaprizov.
I am not unsympathetic to those who feel strongly about punishing Russia by wanting to do something, like going after their athletes. look, I don’t like either what the Russian government is doing. I don’t think anyone here does. And if there really are supporters of the invasion, then go get bent and jam it up your ass sideways. But should we be putting the sins of the government upon athletes? Is Ovi really a true believer in his president or is it just putting up the facade?
I mean, he’s too close to the autocrat and has been feted by the damn guy. What’s Ovi supposed to do? If I’m a super star Colombian soccer player back in the ’80’s and Pablo Escobar’s cartel guys come to me and tell me Pablo wants to see you, hang out with you, am I gonna say “Nah, no thanks. Got plans to chill with my friends later.” Really? So I have no idea if Ovi really has loyalties to the guy or not. If he does, he can get bent and I’ll turn my back on the guy forever.
As for a young kid who’s just a hockey player, are we to punish him? Now, if you’re questioning what role do Russian citizens, like pro athletes, have in changing their way of life, that is a different discussion from a blanket sanctioning of Russian and Belarus players in the NHL. I don’t know what the answer is, will player sanctions in international sports have any effect upon foreign policy objectives of the Kremlin? Life in the police state is pretty good if you’re part of the police. If you’re a regular citizen, you gotta worry about the State cracking down on any dissent. If you’re a high profile celebrity and close to the autocrat, you really gotta think hard about dissent and its consequences.
If it’s a universal truth or a standard you want to apply, then we have to start sanctioning China and Chinese athletes for their human rights violations of the Uighars. Countries that abuse their indigenous populations in South America. Or maybe US athletes because of human rights violations of black Americans by the police, etc. Should Stephan Marbury and Jeremy Lin and all others who play basketball over in China be sanctioned too? Or the American women who play basketball, like Brittney Griner, over in the Russian leagues? how far do we go?
World is screwed up, I wish globally we could all evolve towards a greater understanding of each other and abide more and more by the Golden Rule. It’s hard. There’s so much this world needs: love, empathy, compassion, patience, service towards the needy, but at least leave us with some diversions (like sports) and a respite from a sometimes cold and unfeeling world….
This.
thanks 👍
What I wanted to say was I was wondering bout the Russian they drafted couple years ago Brogden Triniyev F I read Novacaps article from 4 weeks ago saying how he played in Hershey playoff game etc. So I’m wondering shouldn’t he be ready to Crack the lineup soon if McMichael and Lapierre are already here or soon to be? Players drafted before him or around him
Right-handed winger Bogdan Trineyev played 2 playoff games for the Hershey Bears, but he had zero goals and a plus/minus of -1. Trineyev had been playing before that for Moscow Dynamo in the KHL, but he had zero goals and 1 assist in 20 games, including 11 regular-season games and 9 playoff games in the KHL. Unlike Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre, Trineyev has zero experience in the National Hockey League. If Trineyev is to make the Capitals’ roster this Fall, he would have to impress at the Caps’ late-summer training camp. The Caps also have other young forwards who are higher in the depth chart than Trineyev, such as Joe Snively, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Brett Leason, Beck Malenstyn, Aliaksei Protas, and Garrett Pilon — all of whom already have some NHL experience. The best thing for Trineyev might be to play at least one year for the Hershey Bears in the AHL in order to learn the North American style of hockey and to master the defensive tactics of the Washington Capitals organization. Look at Jakub Vrana and Daniel Sprong — neither ever mastered the defensive tactics, so Washington Capitals coach Peter Laviolette benched them, and they eventually were traded away.