Login

fgh · 01-23-2015, 04:43 PM

Today, Russia, a team that has been plagued since its beginning with underwhelming play and a most recently non-qualifying team for the IIHF tournaments, took a step forward toward huge success in the long run. With the SMJHL Draft fast approaching and international players who are without a nation to play for deciding which nation they will be representing, Russia has started the IIHF recruiting season with their first official recruit!

[Image: 594923.jpg]

Vsevolod Nikitin addresses the media about IIHF recruiting

Vsevolod Nikitin, head GM of Russia, held a press conference today to announce their new recruiting strategy. Nikitin, a new GM with no previous experience, has been looking to make a name for his country by playing for the team he manages. This is a difficult task, considering his new SHL contract with the Seattle Riot, but Nikitin has said previously that he will prove critics wrong about the great Motherland and her hockey team.

Quote:As I'm sure each of you know, Russia has not had a great past season. The IIHF Friendlies were a sign that we might not qualify for the IIHF Tournament this year, and that prediction was correct. As a result, the Head and Co-GM for this glorious nation, Sam Samsinov and Jermaine Tennyson, stepped down from their respective posts to focus on a more hockey-centric career in the SHL. Samsinov, a native Russian, is still with us on our team and we hope to keep the winger for years to come, and Tennyson, while American, will always be a friend to us.

With this happening, I came in and looked at what we had. We don't have the base that Canada, the United States, Latvia, Sweden, Finland, and Czechoslovakia have, but we have some top-end talent in veterans like Armin Brovalchuk, Mikhail Krivosarov, Alexey Kovalenko, and Roy Razin to rely on for the next few years while we build a recruiting base. Unfortunately, this will also be a year where we say goodbye to one of our best defenders in Vladislav Smirnov, who will retire from hockey after S22. He played many a great game with Russia and he will be a legend to the people of Moscow and beyond.

As we lose players, we must obtain new ones, more fresh blood to help support our team. We have a young dominant player like that in Yuri Boyka, a multiple award winner in the SMJHL and great contributor for his team in Los Angeles. We also have some newer blood from the most recent SHL draft in Chernika Banananov and Ales Smirnov coming to us. Banananov will continue to be a dominant force as he will be with the CHiefs in his first SHL year and Smirnov will be a great contributor toward his defending 4-Star Cup Kelowna Knights while he develops for the boys in "Miami".

But we still have holes to fill. Gustavo has been loyal in net, but has become more stagnant than anything and Ryan Winters hasn't developed the way Russia thought he would earlier in his career. With this glaring need at goaltender, I have been pleased to welcome Noah Jackson to our nation as our next big goaltender prospect. He's been a great guy for St. Louis and I hope he can bring the Arch mentality to Russia like I did when I joined just a few seasons ago.

Another hole is the obvious gap that Smirnov will leave at defender. We are currently trying very hard to find someone to take over for him for the next few season, and players like myself have stepped up to the plate to keep Russia afloat. But with today's signing of Fernando Pergher from Brazil, we have at least the start to a deep defending core that will carry us for years to come.

Pergher is brand new to the IIHF and SHL world, but the people of Russia know that Fernando will fit in great along our blue line and help ease the pain of eventually losing greats like Smirnov, Waldo Cezar Jr., and others. He seems responsive, loyal, and ready to take on the SMJHL by storm when he is drafted in the next few weeks. I have had many a conversation with the bright young man and I can say that I approve of him greatly.

That is all that I have to disclose so far, thank you for coming!

On top of the GM's speech, Russia has been excited to unveil a new signature look for their team. The team sought out the best and the brightest to help with their signature look and have found great artists in Marek Martinek and Jigsaw McGraw. Martinek was allowed to capture the Russian team camaraderie with a team signature and he delivered for us greatly!

[Image: x2qI4Yh.png]

And what a beauty that is! Team spirit is not the only part of Team Russia's motto, however, as each player must be individually motivated to succeed as much as they can while playing for their homeland. Jigsaw McGraw put his best foot forward when trying to capture this look with personalized signatures and here's the first example with Vsevolod Nikitin as the model.

[Image: teamrussia2.png]

While this signature is a work in progress, the overall tone of the signature screams Russian! Russian management is proud to have these two masterpieces in their stockpile for recruiting needs, among other things.

That seems to be all the news from Russia currently, but stay tuned for more recruiting announcements!

If you want to talk to Russia's newest member, you can talk to him here.

UPDATE: UZI® has just finished the first round of signatures for Team Russia and management wants to make sure every new recruit sees what they get when they adopt the Russian culture.

[Image: boyka.png]

Code:
WC: 900+ words

Jorec · 01-23-2015, 04:45 PM

Leo Senpai · 01-23-2015, 04:55 PM

That's a fucking dope as sig. Who made it god damn. OH ME OH MY!

fgh · 01-23-2015, 05:01 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Leonidas@Jan 23 2015, 02:55 PM
That's a fucking dope as sig. Who made it god damn. OH ME OH MY!

Who else? I seriously just used their player names in Frank (Team sig) and UZI® (Individual sig)

Harry · 01-23-2015, 05:42 PM

Sweden or die mothafuckas

fgh · 01-23-2015, 05:44 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Harry@Jan 23 2015, 03:42 PM
Sweden or die mothafuckas

If you don't want to play for the next 5 seasons lol

soulja · 01-23-2015, 05:53 PM

Ferdy · 01-23-2015, 07:45 PM

Hopefully I don't disappoint.
The hype is real...

[Image: 99655_3761673538.gif]

***HabsFanFromOntario*** · 01-23-2015, 07:54 PM

LOL @ McGraw recycling the sig design I told him I loved and had made for me.

fgh · 01-23-2015, 07:56 PM

Quote:Originally posted by HabsFanFromOntario@Jan 23 2015, 05:54 PM
LOL @ McGraw recycling the sig design I told him I loved and had made for me.

Looks better than your sig

#CaptainPlanet #RecyclingSavesLives #GoGreen #GoRussia

UZIÂ® · 01-23-2015, 08:08 PM

Quote:Originally posted by HabsFanFromOntario@Jan 23 2015, 06:54 PM
LOL @ McGraw recycling the sig design I told him I loved and had made for me.

Which first made an appearance 12 seasons ago in the VHL :lol:

I showed mpc some examples and it was one of the 2 favorites. They aren't new but easy to make a shitload when needed(as VHL'ers can attest).

fgh · 01-24-2015, 03:27 PM

UPDATE!

Ferdy · 01-24-2015, 04:49 PM

Those sigs are just amazing.
My God. Smile

Edit: Why no space between "Team Russia" and "Captain"?

Navigation

Extra Menu

About us