The Russian Hockey Federation has published its preliminary list of players for the 2010 national Olympic team, which consists of 14 players from the National Hockey League (NHL) and nine from the Continental Hockey League (KHL).
Strong Olympic squad
The squad for the reigning world champions at next year's Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver is as follows:
Goaltenders: Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix Coyotes, NHL), Semyon Varlamov (Washington Capitals, NHL), Yevgeny Nabokov (San Jose Sharks, NHL).
Defenders: Anton Volchenkov (Ottawa Senators, NHL), Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL), Denis Grebeshkov (Edmonton Oilers, NHL), Dmitry Kalinin (Salavat Yulaev, KHL), Konstantin Korneyev (CSKA, KHL), Andrei Markov (Montreal Canadians, NHL), Ilya Nikulin (Ak Bars, KHL), Fyodor Tyutin (Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL).
Forwards: Maxim Afinogenov (Atlanta Thrashers, NHL), Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings, NHL), Danis Zaripov (Ak Bars, KHL), Sergei Zinovyev (Salavat Yulaev, KHL), Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta Thrashers, NHL), Viktor Kozlov (Salavat Yulaev, KHL), Yevgeny Malkin (Pittsburg Penguins, NHL), Alexei Morozov (Ak Bars, KHL), Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals, NHL), Alexander Radulov (Salavat Yulaev, KHL), Alexander Syomin (Washington Capitals, NHL), Sergei Fyodorov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL).
The team is led again by Coach Vyacheslav Bykov, who is already being talked of as a coaching great, after ending a 15-year wait for the world title last year and retaining the title with the team this year.
This list is still considered to be preliminary and is subject to change in case some of the players sustain injuries. However, the final list will have to be confirmed on February 15, a day prior to the opening of the Olympic Hockey tournament, and must not be changed afterwards.
Belarus was the first to announce its squad on December 23, while Sweden will make its announcement on December 27; Latvia, Norway and Slovakia - on December 29; Germany, Canada, Finland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland - on December 30; and the United States - on January 1.
Another Russia vs. Canada final?
With Russia clinching 2008 and 2009 world titles playing both times in the final games against Canada, many hockey fans and experts hope that the teams will meet again in the final of the 2010 Olympics.
Russia's Ilya Kovalchuk, who was named the most valuable player of the world championship in Switzerland this year, said he hoped that such a scenario will repeat, but any team is capable of reaching the final.
"One must not take the Olympic Games as a Russia versus Canada [tournament]. Any team can win here. This is not [NHL's] seven-game play-off series and everything would depend on a definite game, when everything possible might happen. But probably, the majority is waiting for this final, and I hope it will take place," the 26-year-old forward said.
Kovalchuk was also the author of the winning goal in Russia's 5-4 overtime victory against the hosts at the 2008 World Championship in Canada.
"We have twice defeated Canada in the finals of the world championships in the last two years. I hope we will do the same at the Olympics," he said.
With 1993, 2008 and 2009 Russia's world titles and the Soviet Union's 22 golds, the Russian team is a world championship title higher than Canada with its total of 24 golds.
MOSCOW, December 25 (RIA Novosti)
