UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE (04/16/00)

UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE

by Ihor Stelmach

Nikolishin gets "A" for leadership role

Last season was a complete disappointment and shock for the Washington Capitals, who missed the playoffs only one year after being in the Stanley Cup finals. So when no end-of-season team party was planned, center Andrei Nikolishin threw one in his home. It was the best get-together of the year, all agreed.

Coach Ron Wilson, for one, was not too surprised. It is exactly the type of team spirit he has come to expect from the 26-year-old Ukrainian checking specialist.

"He's very underrated as a leader," Wilson said. "You put a letter on him and he loves that. He has a lot of experience in that role and he really cares about the team. That's the kind of guy he is - he leads by example."

The leadership skills began to manifest themselves back when he was 19 and was elected captain of his Moscow Dynamo team. He has been wearing an "A" as alternate captain off and on for the Caps since Wilson arrived three seasons ago.

"I was the youngest captain in Russian hockey history," Nikolishin said. "When my teammates made the decision I was surprised because there were a lot of guys older than me."

One who wasn't is current and former teammate Sergei Gonchar. "He's not like Eric Lindros, he's not going to do fancy stuff," Gonchar said. "But he's always there for you and you can always count on him. He's always on the ice in critical, last-minute situations and he always works hard. He has a lot of respect from his teammates."

In Russia, Nikolishin would prod older veterans into giving a little more of an effort and he does the same now when he sees a player who needs a confidence-building chat. His efforts weren't always accepted in the manner they were intended.

"When you are 19 years old and captain of a team, it's pretty tough," Nikolishin said. "But everybody respected me, I think, and they listened to what I said. I think it was a great experience. It helps you grow up quicker and you get smarter and make better decisions. I love to wear the 'A' and in the NHL it's unusual for a European to do that. I try to be a leader on the ice and help people."

Leafs did homework to ensure Khristich fits

Dmitri Khristich was hoping his baggage would get lost on the way to Toronto. The talented, sometimes enigmatic, forward arrived with a reputation as wildly varied as his playoff performances. Despite a scorer's touch - six seasons with 27 or more goals - a willingness to go into the corners and an unappreciated enthusiasm for defense, the 30-year-old has been labeled in some quarters as a disruptive dressing room presence and a soft player who disappears when the games matter most.

"I don't know where it started, I don't know what I did wrong," said the Ukrainian sniper after the Leafs signed him to a three-year contract plus a club option that could pay him $10.35 million over four years.

Before acquiring his rights from the Boston Bruins in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2001, Toronto representatives interviewed former teammates, managers and even trainers to get an appraisal. As final assurance, coach-GM Pat Quinn had a meeting with Khristich in Toronto the day before the deal was consummated.

"There was that question (about Khristich) out there, but it has, in my opinion, been a bad tag rather than an accurate one," Quinn said.

(Quotations thanks to Dave Fay and Paul Hunter, beat writers for the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs, respectively.)

Ukrainian transactions/injuries

ANAHEIM - Gregg Naumenko, GT, recalled from Cincinnati (AHL), returned and later recalled again; Vitaly Vishnevski, D, recalled from Cincinnati (AHL).

BOSTON - Dave Andreychuk, LW, sore left knee, day-to-day; Andreychuk traded to Colorado.

BUFFALO - Alexei Zhitnik, D, broken finger, day-to-day.

CALGARY - Wade Belak, D, subluxed shoulder, indefinite.

CAROLINA - Curtis Leschyshyn, D, groin strain, day-to-day.

CHICAGO - Ed Olczyk, LW, herniated disk, mid-January, bruised right ankle, day-to-day; pulled groin, day-to-day.

DALLAS - Richard Matvichuk, D, right knee injury, late November; Brad Lukowich, D, back spasms, day-to-day; Matvichuk, D, strained knee, mid-March.

DETROIT - Joey Kocur, RW, hernia surgery, December 1; indefinite; late February; indefinite.

NEW YORK RANGERS - Yevgeny Namestnikov, D, traded to Nashville; Namestnikov assigned to Milwaukee (IHL).

PHILADELPHIA - Mike Maneluk, LW, recalled from Philadelphia (AHL) and returned.

PHOENIX - Keith Tkachuk, LW, back/neck spasms, day-to-day; Tkachuk, sprained ankle, late March.

VANCOUVER - Zenith Komarniski, D, separated left shoulder, mid-December; Komarniski assigned to Syracuse (AHL); Komarniski later recalled and returned to Syracuse; Komarniski once again recalled and returned.

WASHINGTON - Glen Metropolit, C, assigned to Portland (AHL); Peter Bondra, RW, knee surgery, late December; Metropolit later recalled and returned; Metropolit again recalled from Portland (AHL).

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