Chris Simon and Darcy Verot raising hell in the KHL

I think it's fair to say that the Russian hockey fans like Chris Simon. Simon, who was basically exiled from the NHL, now plays for Moskvalaget HK MVD. Recently, in what was Simon's KHL debut I believe, a brawl broke out and Simon pounded on Mikhail Fedosejev, leaving him bleeding and retreating. That fight can be seen below:



There were several fights in that game. Over 160 minutes in penalties were handed out. Did you hear the fans cheer Simon? Did you see his teammates tapping their sticks on the ice as he left?

Simon did state that he's not in Russia to fight, but to play hockey. But I don't think his brawler side can always be contained for all that long. Apparently, Fedosejev considers himself a tough guy and went after Simon to prove himself. Well that was a mistake.
I know that more fans are going to these games, according to the reporter in the Simon story, but the KHL is threatening suspensions to Simon and any other player for continued brawls. Apparently, there is no such thing as "suspended without pay" in the KHL, correct me if I'm wrong. So what do the fighters have to lose?
Either way, I love old-school brawls. Seeing Simon pound that guy amuses me.
Link to the Simon story.

Darcy Verot, who played for the Capitals for about a third of a season about 5 years ago, is in his 2nd season in Russia. He has 29 penalty minutes in 3 games with Chekhov Vityaz so far. Last season for the same team he scored 2 goals in 43 games and amassed 511 penalty minutes! Goon city! From the same game as the Simon incident, here is Verot putting a beating on Alexey Krovopuskov.




VEROT TUBE

- How about a Darcy Verot tribute/compilation from his rugged butt-kicking 2007-08 season.

- Verot wouldn't get away with this shit in the NHL. But it sure as hell is entertaining. Listen to the hundreds.......and hundreds of the Vityaz fans chanting Darcy's name.

-Tootoo vs Verot 1

- Tootoo vs Perot 2. Not so tough now, are ya Darcy? Owned twice in the same game by the same guy.

T Tags: Chris+Simon+fights+Mikhail+Fedosejev Darcy+Verot+fights+Alexey+Krovopuskov KHL Goons brawls blood videos YouTube

Jagr signs in Russia

From Naslund-bashing to Jagr-bashing. It has been confirmed now that the Russian team Avangard Omsk has signed Jagr to a 2-year deal. No dollar figures yet, but I would guess it's $10 million per season, given the Malkin situation of recent past. Jagr played for Omsk during the last NHL lockout.
It does not bother me one bit that Jagr is leaving. When motivated, Jagr could be the top player in the game. When lack of motivation set in, you just wanted to shoot the guy.
My biggest memory of Jagr is a sour one. When the Penguins played the Rangers at MSG in what was Wayne Gretzky's final game, it was Jagr that scored the tying goal and the OT winner and threw a bit of a dagger at the festivities. The move he pulled was spectacular. That wasn't the sour part. No, the sour part is what Gretzky said to Jagr in the post game handshake and how Jagr handled it. The Great One "passed the torch" to Jagr and it was convenient at the time, because Jagr had spoiled the party temporarily with the OT goal.
But Jagr didn't really accept the torch. He looked uncomfortable about it when asked about it. I remember it. He didn't want the recognition or maybe even the attention.
And despite 2 awesome years for Jagr after that "passing", including an Art Ross trophy in 2001, Jagr went into decline when signed by the Capitals. That's when the bad Jagr came out, and his 3 years in Washington were a waste. "Spoiled", "Unmotivated", just a couple of words that were constantly used about him. Definitely not the right guy for Gretzky to be passing the hockey superstar torch to. One commentor at the NY Post.com blogs said it right:

Jaromir Jagr is listed at 6'2" / 240. Had he any heart, he could be Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier and Bob Probert all wrapped up in one. He's a massive individual with ungodly puck skills, but seems devoid of any work ethic or passion. Imagine someone as big and as talented as Jagr willing to play tough. It would be an awesome sight. But Jagr, at times, plays more like a 80 lb. ballerina in a big man's body.

Despite 3 good recent seasons, where Jagr has looked motivated several times in the Big Apple, I don't care. Goodbye and good riddance. I don't like players that act like 3-year old kids, I don't care how talented they are.
But to end this piece on a positive note... I don't know if have seen any player who was that hard to take the puck away from. Sickening. Jagr was big and strong with perfect hands....when motivated, and a treat to watch.

JagrTube

TOP 10 Jagr Goals

-Some good Jagr humor in this clip.

-Jagr's goal of the 2006-07 season

-Jarko Ruutu smokes Jagr (2006 Olympics)

-Jagr's 600th goal.

Jagr Fact:?

Jagr wore the number 68 on his uniform in remembrance of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968..

T Tags: Jagr+signs+in+Russia Avangard+Omsk

It's a Russian takeover!!!

The joys of being married to a Russian wife. She threw a few verbal jabs at me when Kovalchuk scored the OT winner as the Russians beat the Canadians today. But you know, it didn't really bother me all that much. I am a big fan of most Russian players, especially those that play with heart. And boy, there was a lot of that in Russia's game on Sunday.

“Right now we are the champions of the world and it feels so great,” Alex Ovechkin said. “It’s really special to win here because this is hockey and it’s a hockey-mad country.

I should feel some anger over that statement out of patriotism and competitiveness but really, Canada has won so many of these and this was Russia's first gold medal win at the IIHF Worlds since 1993.
A hell of a game. And a hell of a celebration by the Russian squad afterward. I don't think that 80% of the team could hold a tune as they sang to the Russian anthem, but it still gave me chills listening to it. Seeing Kovalchuk cry with joy. Seeing the players grab the CBC camera and say hello to their mothers half way across the globe. Good stuff.
Congrats to the Ruskies. They deserved it.
You'd have to think that Evgeni Malkin wished he was there today, but he got an even bigger reward....a berth into the Stanley Cup finals. Malkin is unreal. But so are the new crop of Russians playing in the NHL. These guys are taking over. Ovechkin (best player in the world...not Crosby), Malkin, Semin.....and who can say enough about what Evgeni Nabokov did not only for the Sharks this season, but also what he did for the Russian squad as they pushed for gold. Nabby saved their butts earlier in the game when they took way too many penalties. He is a force and, as TSN put it, a stabilizer.
Check out these highlights of the game in Russian. Think those guys were excited about the gold medal win?

T Tags: Russia+wins+gold IIHF Canada hockey