EURO CURVE

Euro Curve takes a look at the latest international hockey news.

- Kazakh-born prospect Konstantin Pushkarev, who debuted last season with the Los Angeles Kings, has left the Iowa Stars to play with CSKA Moskva of the Russian Super League. In 2006'07, Pushkarev scored two goals and two assists in 16 games for the Kings before he was traded to the Dallas Stars organization towards the trade deadline. With Iowa this season, Pushkarev had six points in eights games but obviously felt that Russia would be a better place for his development. Pushkarev was drafted by the Kings in 2003 (2/44) and looked to form a good 1-2 rookie punch with Slovenian Anze Kopitar last season but was dealt in a multi-player deal that saw Mattias Norstrom and himself leave the Kings.

A Talent Analysis from website http://www.hockeyfutures.com/ is provided here:

Hockey's Future Russian Correspondent, Eugene Belashchenko, had to say about Pushkarev, "A typical sniper...a very good skater, with a high top speed and great acceleration...very aggressive on the ice and does not hesitate to crash the net...very competitive and doesn’t give up on a play...not an asset defensively, needs to work on this aspect of the game....possesses a good wrister with a quick release...needs to bulk up and improve his strength to supplement his aggressiveness with power and that will come with time."

-www.hockeyfans.ch reports that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Simon Gamache could return to SC Bern of the Swiss League if he is clears the NHL waiver wire. Gamache has two goals and two assists in 11 games with the Leafs thus far and has done an admirable job filling in for injured forwards Kyle Wellwood and Darcy Tucker. Gamache has put up huge offensive numbers everywhere he has played including scoring a mind-boggling 184 points-74 goals and 110 assists- in 72 games for Val d'Or of the QMJHL back in 2000'01. He also had 86 points in 80 games for the Milwaukee Admirals in 2004'05, during the lockout year. Gamache is rumoured to be interested in returning to his former club SC Bern, where he potted 20 goals and 46 assists in 44 games in 2006'07.

- I know you Russian Super League nuts out there want to know Team Russia's lines for the upcoming Karjala Cup tournament, so here they are ( courtesy, Illegal Curve's favourite source for Russian Super League news, http://www.russianprospects.com/)

Vyacheslav Bykov announced the lines for the Karjala Cup tournament that will soon take place in Finland. The squad includes a number of NHL prospects, who will be holding key roles.

LINE 1: Vladimir Antipov (Toronto Maple Leafs) – Sergei Zinovjev (Boston Bruins) – Sergei Mazyakin – Ilya Nikulin (Atlanta Thrashers) – Andrei Proshkin

LINE 2: Nikolai Kulemin (Toronto Maple Leafs) – Ivan Nepryaev – Timofei Shishkanov (St. Louis Blues) – Peretyagin – Vitaly Atyushov

LINE 3: Fedor Fedorov (New York Rangers) – Alexei Tereschenko (Dallas Stars) – Dmitri Afanasenkov – Kuteikin – Anton Belov

LINE 4: Alexei Simakov – Anton Kuryanov – Oleg Saprykin (Ottawa Senators) – Evgeny Medvedev – Konstantin Korneev (Montreal Canadiens)

The rest of the team, including defensemen and goalies is as follows:

GOALIES: Alexander Eremenko ("Salavat Yulaev"), Semen Varlamov (Washington Capitals) ("Lokomotiv"), Yachanov (SKA), , Biryukov (KhK MVD),

DEFENSEMEN: Ilya Nikulin (Atlanta Thrashers), Evgeni Medvedev, Alexei Emelin (Montreal Canadiens) (all - "Ak Bars"), Denis Kulyash (Nashville Predators), Konstantin Korneev (Montreal Canadiens), Anton Belov (all - CSKA), Vitaly Proshkin, Kuteykin (oba - "Salavat Yulaev"), Vitaly Atyushov ("Metallurg" Mg), Dmitri Bykov (Detroit Red Wings) ("Khimik"), Yakov Rylov "(Dynamo"), Peretyagin (SKA),

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.