Photo credit: sports.ru

The last time we caught up with Caps prospect Stan Galiev, he was rehabbing a wrist injury and showing RMNB some exclusive photos of his new championship ring. Hopefully that wrist has fully healed, because it must now bear the burden of another gaudy ring: the Saint John Sea Dogs have won the QMJHL championship for the second year in a row.

Thursday, Saint John emphatically clinched the title, blowing out Rimouski Oceanic (Sidney Crosby’s former Junior team) 8-0 in Game Four. They now will advance to the Memorial Cup for the second straight season. Galiev had a five-point night, tallying a natural hat trick, adding two assists, and rifling a game-high nine shots on net. Galiev and his line-mates Zach Phillips and Tomas Jurco also combined for twelve points.

“My legs felt good and I wanted to be dangerous with the puck every time,” Galiev told The Canadian Press after the game. “I’m just having fun and this will be a great memory. I’ve had three great seasons here and we’re looking forward to the Memorial Cup.”

Those who follow the Sea Dogs closely may not have been surprised — the team, sporting four NHL first-round draft picks, has been remarkable all season long, winning 50 games for the third straight season. They also lost just one game through four rounds of the playoffs, sweeping three teams.

Galiev, who continues to grow into his wiry frame, was dominant in the playoffs tying Charlie Coyle (QMJHL MVP) for the team’s points lead (34). He also scored more goals than any other Sea Dog (16) and finished the playoffs with an astonishing plus-30 rating. Galiev’s postseason scoring nearly doubled his regular season output (19 points and 13 goals in 20 games), which was cut short due to wrist surgery.

The 2012 Memorial Cup will begin May 18th in Shawinigan, Quebec. The Sea Dogs will look to be the first repeat team since the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires (Taylor Hall, Philipp Grubauer) did so in 2009 and 2010.

GIFs

Galiev’s sick assist to Tomas Jurco for a first period goal.

The Sea Dogs bench goes wild.

Team picture! (All GIFs from Station Nation)

Photos

Stan raises the cup on the ice.

Galiev and Tomas Jurco: two-time champions.

Stan holds the cup on team bus.

Galiev poses with teammates Ian Saab and Charles Roussel.

Stan holds the cup with his roommates Jason Cameron and Dylan McGuigan. (All photos from Stan Galiev’s Twitter account)

Additional reporting by Ana Hansen.

Stan is given his ring during “Night of Champions.” (Photo via sashastolemyheart)

Last year, the Saint John Sea Dogs were unstoppable. Led by Jonathan Huberdeau, Zack Phillips, Tomas Jurco, and Nathan Beaulieu — top prospects all of whom were selected in the top 35 of the 2011 NHL Draft — the Sea Dogs ripped off an insane 77-11 record capturing both the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Presidents Cup and the Canadian Hockey League’s Memorial Cup. Saint John — who joined the QMJHL as an expansion team just six years ago — became the first organization from Canada’s Maritimes region to win the most coveted prize in Junior Hockey.

The Sea Dogs new championship banners. (Photo credit: saintjohnseadogs.com)

On October 29th, the club celebrated their two titles by hosting a “Night of Champions” at Harbour Station. In front of an announced crowd of 5,888, the Sea Dogs raised their championship banners and handed out 67 rings to players and management.

Each ring, which Team president Wayne Long estimated cost the club around a thousand dollars apiece, is personalized with the player’s name and number and feature their 77-11 record on one side and their “Leave No Doubt” slogan on the other. 23 blue stones are encrusted on the top and four clear diamonds are planted on the side.

Caps prospect Stanislav Galiev — who scored 48 goals in 88 games and averaged well over a point per game during Saint John’s Championship run — was impressed with his new bling.

“They did a great job on the rings,” Galiev told RMNB. “It’s a great feeling from last year and we know how hard we worked last season to get it.”

Unfortunately, the 19-year-old Moscow native had to accept his new jewelry with a fluorescent orange cast covering his left forearm and could not play in the team’s 6-0 victory over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. During Capitals Training Camp in September, the 2010 third round pick absorbed a hit along the boards which broke his wrist. “After I went into the boards,” Stan explained, “[my arm] started to hurt so bad. It wasn’t even that bad of a hit!”

Galiev tried to play through the pain and managed to score three goals in the Sea Dogs’ first five games. But after being examined by team doctors, the team shut him down. Stan tells RMNB that the cast comes off next Tuesday and he’s eager to play again.

Regardless, after being passed over by the Russian WJC team last December, Galiev now has something awesome that even the gold medal-winning Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov can be jealous of: a championship-winning season. Maybe that’s why– as we ended our conversation– Galiev admitted he wears the ring 24/7. He might have been joking. Maybe.

While he’s healing up, at least Galiev can pass the time by blinding himself with that ring.

Photos of Stanislav Galiev’s Championship Ring

Photo credit: Stan Galiev

Photos Taken During “Night of Champions”

Photo credit: saintjohnseadogs.com

Sea Dogs goalie Jacob DeSerres & Galiev mug for the camera. (Photo via sashastolemyheart)

Video recapping the Sea Dogs’ Playoff Run Last Year

The 2011 NHL Entry Draft, set to be held in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday, June 24th and Saturday, June 25th, will see the Capitals picking 26th for the second year in a row. Since this year’s draft pool is weak and lacks what George McPhee calls “real difference makers,” I will be focusing on four prospects who are somehow connected to the Capitals.

Alexander Khokhlachev, C, Windsor Spitfires, OHL

Statistics: GP: 67, G: 34, A: 42, +/-: 9, PIM: 28

Caps Connection

Khokhlachev is a Moscow native, just like Alex Ovechkin and Stanislav Galiev. Unlike them, however, he is not a Dynamo alumni — instead, he played for their biggest rival, Spartak, the same team Ovechkin’s cousin (who may or may not be drafted in 2012 or 2013) suits up for. Khokhlachev currently plays for the team that wears these somewhat familiar jerseys.

Scouting Report

OHL Insider:

His offensive skills are abundant and it’s hard to miss him when he’s on the ice. He has boat loads of creativity, good speed, a good shot, great hands, especially in tight, but there’s a few things that you can’t miss that make you wonder if he’ll ever be able to make the jump. He’s very undersized, and it’s quite apparent that he needs to strengthen his body significantly to develop any further. On the defensive side of the puck, he often looks lost and out of position. Comparable: Michael Grabner

B2011DW:

When at his best, he’s flying around the ice, turning defenders inside out and wiring pucks to the back of the net from just about any spot in the offensive zone. One NHL scout we know absolutely loved Khokhlachev at the beginning of the year given how seamless his transition was to the OHL, but as the season wore on and he saw him more and more, the red flags started to surface about his overall intensity and willingness to compete when the going gets rough. Solid two-way player…when he wants to be.

The Scouting Report:

Pros: Work ethic/hustle, hockey sense Cons: Consistency, playing bigger than his 5’10” size Skillset Comparison: Alexander Burmistrov

Video

Fedor’s Take

Khokhlachev is a boom-or-bust type of player with, admittedly, a very high ceiling. But with guys like Galiev, Kugryshev, and Perreault already in the system, do the Capitals need another flashy stick-handler who is not a maven in his own end?

Nicklas Jensen, LW/RW, Oshawa Generals

Statistics: GP: 61, G: 29, A: 29, +/-: 14, PIM: 58

Caps Connection:

From his NHL.com profile:

Favorite NHL team: Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals [Ed. Note - That has to be a mistake!] Favorite NHL player: Alexander Ovechkin Favorite Shootout move: “Ovechkin fake-shot deke” Favorite Goal celebration: “Ovechkin going nuts”

Scouting report

OHL Insider:

He has very good size and uses it to his advantage to cycle the puck in the offensive zone. He likes to move the puck around a lot with short, crisp, accurate passes. He has strong skating with long, powerful strides, and he uses it to play the game at a higher than average pace. Comparable: Lars Eller

B2011DW:

Perhaps the best player ever to come out of Denmark, this power forward prospect has it all: size, skill and some real intriguing NHL potential if he could just figure out how to keep his on switch engaged throughout a game.

The Scouting Report:

He’s a dynamic player with great skating ability and with his size, he can fight through checks and use his skating ability to go end to end or break plays through the neutral zone. Consistency was an issue for him, but he looks to be bringing it more every game now.

DraftRank:

NHL comparable: Nikolai Kulemin

Video

Fedor’s Take

Jensen is likely a more reliable pick than many players in this draft who are flashier, simply because he already has a bigger, more mature body and enjoys battling in the corners. With his plus size, game-breaking ability, skating and checking, he could grow into a top-six forward when he matures. His stock is quickly rising, however. He’s crept into the top 20 in some recent mock drafts.

Tomas Jurco, RW, St. John Sea Dogs

Statistics: GP: 60, G: 31, A: 25, +/-: 46, PIM: 17

Caps Connection:

Jurco is a teammate and often a linemate of another Caps prospect, Stan Galiev. He also played for the junior squads of HC Kosice, where Capitals legend Peter Bondra played for many years.

Scouting report

The Scouting Report:

Jurco is arguably the biggest game-breaker in this draft, and has made no shortage of high-light reel plays so far in his year and a half long tenure in the QMJHL. Still has issues finding consistency with his game, however, and after a quick start his production has slowed down significantly.

B2011DW:

Skills-wise, Jurco is a clear first-rounder, but his consistency has been the biggest concern, as he tends to go long stretches without doing much. The streakiness coupled with pretty indifferent defensive effort is largely responsible for him dropping out of contention for top-10 consideration but make no mistake- this kid is a heck of a talent.

DraftRank:

NHL comparable: Martin Havlat

Video

Fedor’s Take:

Known for his creative, jaw-dropping shootout moves in the videos above, Jurco was at his best this year when his team needed him the most: the Memorial Cup. Jurco displayed his offensive versatility, scoring in very different ways, such as utilizing his stick-handling to cash-in on a breakaway and using his noggin to knock in a puck in front of the net. While Tomas is clearly one of the more talented players in the draft, he also needs to learn how to defend in his own end and be more consistent.

Vladislav Namestnikov, RW/C,  London Knights, OHL

Statistics: GP: 68, G: 30, A: 38, +/-: 12, PIM: 49

Caps Connection

Namestnikov is playing for the Knights– coached and partially owned by former Capitals captain Dale Hunter. On a non-Caps-related note, Namestnikov is the nephew of two former NHLers — Slava Kozlov and Ivan Novoseltsev. It’s not a surprise considering that Namestnikov is from the small town in the Moscow region — Voskresensk, known as the native town of many hockey players such as Soviet stars Alexander Ragulin and Viktor Krutov, NHLers Andrei Markov, Valeri Kamensky, Valeri Zelepukin, Igor Larionov, and Sergei Berezin. Namestnikov’s father played in the NHL himself: 43 games with the Canucks, Islanders and Predators, as well as two playoff appearances and numerous seasons in the minors.

Scouting Report

OHL Insider:

He’s tall, but still has some filling out to do, though it doesn’t hold him back too much. He has very strong skating, with a great first step and extreme agility that he uses to weave in and out of traffic. His puck control is second to none and he has terrific hands. He’s a dynamic offensive player that could hurt teams with his strong vision in the offensive zone, and great passing ability, but he also has tremendous finishing ability and a quick accurate wrist shot that he can use to easily pick corners from in close. Comparable: Milan Hejduk

The Scouting Report:

Namestnikov is a smooth skater who can move up and down the ice fairly effortlessly and also is a very good puck mover. He sees the ice well and makes a lot of smart decisions with the puck which makes his linemates a lot better. Really lacks a lot of strength which is a big issue for him as he does get pushed around a bit, and he really needs to find a way to add some weight in the future.

B2011DW:

Namestnikov is a serious skater with all the tools in the box when it comes to his feet- quick burst, top speed, shiftiness and agility. When carrying the puck at full gallop, he’s very difficult to contain. His biggest challenge is getting stronger and filling out a slight frame. He got knocked around a bit this year, but made a quick transition to the North American game given his command of the language and ease with having played in North American rinks growing up.

DraftRank:

Pavel Datsyuk, minus the defensive ability

Video

Fedor’s Take

Namestnikov, just like Khokhlachev, doesn’t seem to be a very good fit for the Capitals, who already have Evgeny Kuznetsov developing fast in Russia. And as we all know, having former NHL players as a relative doesn’t make a pick any more reliable. Does Anton Gustafsson’s name ring any bells?

Fedor’s Pick: For the 26th pick in the draft, the Capitals should select Nicklas Jensen. I believe he can become a top-six power forward. If he’s not available, Tomas Jurco would be a solid addition.

Jensen, who was one of the strongest players at the draft combine this year, may not necessarily have the high ceiling Jurco or Khokhlachev has, but he has a better chance of reaching his full potential. He’s the type of player the Capitals can always use more of: unafraid to crash the net and score dirty goals. Jensen also could be effective on the third or fourth lines if he’ doesn’t become a top six forward.

Additional reporting by Ian Oland and Chris Gordon.

Stanislav Galiev celebrates his first career Memorial Cup goal (Photo: Aaron Bell/CHL Images)

By all accounts Stanislav Galiev has had a good year. On June 26, 2010, the 18-year-old Russian sniper was selected by his favorite NHL team, the Washington Capitals, in the third round of the 2010 Draft. Shortly thereafter, he attended Caps Development Camp — where he impressed many by being one of the fastest and most exciting players on the KCI ice.

After taking a short break, Galiev returned to his junior team, the Saint John Sea Dogs, in the fall. The talented Sea Dogs were coming off a 2009-10 season in which they started the campaign with a 22-game winning streak (from October 17 until December 12) and made it to the QMJHL Finals. To the surprise of no one, the squad continued its dominance in 2010-11, relying on Galiev’s play-making (37 goals, 28 assists) and the development of four potential first round picks in the upcoming 2011 NHL Entry Draft: Jonathan Huberdeau (top five), Nathan Beaulieu (top 15), Zack Phillips and Tomas Jurco.

Saint John racked up an insane 58-7-3 record in the regular season and lost just three of 19 games on the way to capturing their first QMJHL Championship in franchise history. Notably, Galiev finished in the top five of postseason scoring, notching 27 points (10 G, 17 A). The team’s winning ways have continued in the Memorial Cup, as the Sea Dogs won their first two games of the tournament and earned a bye to the finals which are set to begin Sunday.

Several Russia media members have spoke with the Caps prospect over the past week. RMNB’s Igor Kleyner and Fedor Fedin offer the translations.

First, Igor translates Slava Malamud’s article for Sport-Express, which was published before the Memorial Cup:

Slava Malamud — Is your overall impression of this season positive? Have you been able to accomplish all your goals?

Stanislav Galiev — I started scoring more. I shoot the puck more often. As a result, I get more ice time. So, it appears the goal has been achieved. I tried to work hard in every game. I was scoring at about a point per game rate. So, yes it’s been a positive season.

Slava Malamud — Alexander Radulov managed to become an idol during his time in Quebec. Have you managed to achieve the same status?

Stanislav Galiev – They treat me great at Saint John. I don’t know if I personally became an idol, but I feel how much they love their team. I was really surprised by the relationship the town has with a junior club. But it’s a small town, not much is here besides hockey. All the attention is on us. Wherever you go, they recognize you. Even the little kids come up and ask to have a picture with you. It’s great.

Slava Malamud — Is participation in the Memorial Cup really such a great honor?

Stanislav Galiev — It really does mean a lot. Especially since last year we lost in the [QMJHL's] finals and this year we set the club’s record in points and wins. To me personally it feels great that we made it to the Cup. Only a few accomplish this.

Slava Malamud — Including three Russians this season…

Stanislav Galiev — Yes, beyond myself, Maxim Kitsyn and Roma Berdnikov are also here.

Slava Malamud — Are you thinking about next season? What are your plans?

Stanislav Galiev — After this season is over, I will have a couple of weeks of rest and then it’s back to training. Dima Orlov and I are planning on coming to Washington on June 28 to start preparing for the summer training camp.

Slava Malamud — Another one of our “Washingtonians” — Evgeny Kuznetsov — will spend the next season in the KHL. Does that improve your chances of making the main team?

Stanislav Galiev — Everything depends on me. I feel very energetic.

Slava Malamud — But what if you don’t make it?

Stanislav Galiev — I cannot play in the AHL yet because of my age, so I would have to return to Saint John for another year. That would mean I have a lot to work on. Which is what I intend to do.

Slava Malamud — How did you benefit from the Canadian junior league? How is the game different there?

Stanislav Galiev — It’s difficult to compare, but I really like it here. The main objective for the players is to show themselves to the scouts and hockey is very colorful here. It’s fast and physical at the same time. Moreover, it’s all on smaller rinks, which also helps prepare yourself to the NHL. I played in the USA before, in the USHL, and I really liked the North American style. Then Saint John drafted me and I agreed. It’s easier to make an impression on scouts that way.

Slava Malamud — Did you follow Washington?

Stanislav Galiev — Yes, I was paying a lot of attention. I don’t understand why nothing worked for us against Tampa. Something was missing, but what, I don’t know. These playoffs have been surprising. I did not expect Philadelphia to lose. And Vancouver had to fight hard against Chicago.

Slava Malamud — Are you often in contact with the club?

Stanislav Galiev — Yes, the scouts come to the games all the time. We talk on the phone during the season. It feels like they are paying attention to me. I am happy about that. It seems to me that Washington is a good fit for me. The team plays a fast, attacking hockey, and that is my style.

Slava Malamud — As a kid, did you support any team in the NHL?

Stanislav Galiev — I liked Washington the most.

Slava Malamud — Of course, your childhood wasn’t that long ago.

Stanislav Galiev — Yes, during the era of Ovechkin and Semin.

Slava Malamud — When Pittsburgh drafted Malkin, he said he needed another year or two in Russia to gain muscle for the NHL. Ever since then, many Russians say the same. Have you gotten enough muscles, or not yet?

Stanislav Galiev — I think I have. I gained nine pounds during this season and I will keep going.

Slava Malamud — Did you follow the national teams this year?

Stanislav Galiev — I watched the whole WJC [World Junior Championship] and was very happy for our guys. I didn’t get to watch the adult tournament though.

Slava Malamud — Why do you think you did not make the junior team?

Stanislav Galiev — Probably because the team had a core of players that played together on various tournaments. But I was very happy for my future Washington teammates, who were among the best players of the tournament: Kuznetsov and Orlov. Both are great players with a bright future.

Slava Malamud — Looks like you can’t wait to make the most Russian team of the NHL.

Stanislav Galiev — Of course that would be great. It’s nice that they are so good to our guys in Washington.

—

Now, on to Fedor’s translation of Andrey Osadchenko’s article for Allhockey.ru, which was published during the first week of the Memorial Cup tournament.

Andrey Osadchenko — You have played in the USHL finals before. Can you draw some parallels between the two tournaments?

Stanislav Galiev — I think it’s a different level of hockey [in the Memorial Cup]. And I, myself, have changed. I was 16 then. Now I’m 19. I understand the game better. Few have won this Cup, many have not been able to qualify. Only the four best teams play here and it’s the tournament of the year for each of them.

Andrey Osadchenko — It’s interesting that in both Indiana and Saint John you were the only Russian on the roster and the team colors are similar. How would you compare these two clubs?

Stanislav Galiev — I think it’s more professional in the Quebec league. Everything’s done for the players here. You can say it’s a junior mini-NHL. I like everything here: the style of the game, the coaches who give a lot of advice and the great fans who come to every single game. You feel like a hockey player here.

I liked Indiana, of course, but there are a lot of differences. For example, there’s a huge distance between the towns. We had to spend a lot of time traveling and it just “killed” me. And the hockey is different too. It’s more mature here.

Andrey Osadchenko — I’ve heard you lived with your mother last year. Did that change this year?

Stanislav Galiev — Yes, last year I lived with my mom. This season she moved in December. Our relatives had some problems, so she left to take care of my granny and help her out. So I’ve been living with a guest family now.

Andrey Osadchenko — Did she come for the Memorial Cup?

Stanislav Galiev — No, she couldn’t. She watched the first game on TV. By the way, she didn’t miss a single game of mine this season. She watched them all on the web.

Andrey Osadchenko — In Indiana you lived with the family of the team owner. Who sheltered you in Saint John?

Stanislav Galiev — A great, middle-class family. They have two kids. Great food. So it suits me well.

Andrey Osadchenko — Who do they cheer for?

Stanislav Galiev — The Canucks and they hate the Maple Leafs.

Andrey Osadchenko — Do they struggle with following both you in the Memorial Cup and Canucks in the Stanley Cup?

Stanislav Galiev — They follow the results more. But they attend all of our games. They didn’t miss a single home game this season. Sometimes they even went on the road with us. By the way, they also came to the Memorial Cup.

Andrey Osadchenko — Have any of the players lived there before?

Stanislav Galiev — Many. For example, Chris DiDomenico and last year’s captain, Alex Grant.

Andrey Osadchenko — What can you say about Saint John? There are only 72,000 people, but it looks like many more.

Stanislav Galiev — [Smiles] It’s a quiet town. There are many beautiful places there. For example, downtown. You always have something to do in your free time. We usually go there with the team — to restaurants, shops, the movies.

Andrey Osadchenko – What do you think about Mississauga? The city’s population is 10 times bigger than population of Saint John.

Stanislav Galiev — I think Mississauga is a more interesting town. And the big city, Toronto, is just a stone’s throw away. There’s nothing like this in Saint John.

Andrey Osadchenko — How do you spend your free time during this tournament?

Stanislav Galiev — We went to the shops a couple of times, but mostly we do nothing — we rest. Today, the team’s going to the movies.

Andrey Osadchenko — Your team looks quiet and confident. You look like you know you’ll win the Cup.

Stanislav Galiev — [Laughing] Of course, we have a goal to win it all. Everybody knows it, but nobody’s nervous. Everybody knows what they can do to help and that we have a chance if we just play our game. Everybody just has fun of participating in this tournament. It’s once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Andrey Osadchenko — It’s all different for the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors. The team is “locked” in the hotel, the players’ phones and laptops have been taken away and their coach is yelling all the time.

Stanislav Galiev — No, we haven’t done such a thing here. It’s difficult for me to say anything. It’s their coach and their team policy.

—

Andrey Osadchenko — What is your opinion of the hit Brayden McNabb laid Joey Hishon out with?

Stanislav Galiev — I didn’t notice it at first. But on the replay I took a closer look. I think it was an elbow. I don’t like such dirty hits. There are a lot of those in the NHL. I don’t have respect for such players.

Stan Galiev: rocking the 'hawk

Andrey Osadchenko — It’s rare to see you with a beard and a mustache. Have you grown it for a while now?

Stanislav Galiev — [Smiles] I started right after the end of the regular season. The whole team decided to do so. Some guys, including me, got a mohawk. Our captain, Mike Thomas, had dreads for the first game of the playoffs.

Andrey Osadchenko — Do you shave your mustache a special way?

Stanislav Galiev — [Laughs] No, it grows this way by itself. I’ve had it for two months. I want to shave really bad.

Andrey Osadchenko — So your first action after the end of the tournament will be shaving?

Stanislav Galiev — Yeah, I have a razor in the locker room. But I think I’ll leave the hairstyle.

Andrey Osadchenko — How did the team celebrate the QMJHL championship?

Stanislav Galiev — We stayed pretty quiet. The club president congratulated us, we went to a restaurant and then came home the next day. We didn’t want to celebrate much before the Memorial Cup. I think we still have a lot ahead of us [smiles].