UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE

by Ihor Stelmach

116 minor leaguers active last season

At least 116 known players of Ukrainian descent claimed professional hockey as their primary means of employment in the sport's five minor leagues last season. The pro hockey minor league circuits continued their consolidation in 2001-2002, as still another league, the Western Pro Hockey League, merged into the expanding East Coast Hockey League. This on the heels of the International Hockey League being absorbed by the American Hockey League a year earlier.

Nine of the above mentioned 116 Ukrainian pucksters also skated on National Hockey League rinks this same season. Most were on the cusp of finding permanent jobs with their parent clubs, but still required a bit more seasoning down on the farm. One up and coming prospect, Alexei Ponikarovsky, played the bulk of his year with the AHL's St. John's Maple Leafs, while also getting a quick cup of coffee with Toronto and ably representing Team Ukraine in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

A positional breakdown of the Ukes in the minor leagues shows 11 goaltenders, 36 defensemen and 69 forwards. Along with Toronto's Ponikarovsky, there are about 15 rock solid, for-sure future NHL'ers from among the total 116 minor leaguers. A few may make the big show as emergency call-ups or role players. The vast majority will toil away as career minor leaguers, getting paid good bucks to play a game.

Alex/Alexei is the most popular first name for Ukrainian minor league pros, with six of them. Steve, Greg, Ryan, Peter and Sergei are the second most common names, with three each. Alexei's and Sergei's continue to reflect the influx of European imports migrating to North America to pursue dreams of profitable careers. Notable newcomers in the past campaign included Dmitri Tolkunov, Alex Andreyev, Alex Kholomeyev, Viktor Kubenko, Igor Bondarev and Ruslyn Dolyny.

To conclude the name survey, the letter 'S' was the most common for surnames (18), while the letters 'K' and 'M' were second best with 12.

Top minor league Ukrainian snipers were Greg Pankewicz (39 goals), Jason Duda/Rick Kowalsky (35 each) and Jeff Antonovich (33). Assist leaders included Wayne's little brother Brent Gretzky (55 helpers), Duda/Kowalsky (48 each) and Pankewicz (46). The top overall scoring Uke was Pankewicz (85 points), followed by Duda/Kowalsky (83). The dubious distinction of trips to the sin-bin was won by Ryan Shmyr (344 penalty minutes), a full minute better than Aaron (time to change his last name) Boh (343 minutes) and in third place was Justin Ossachuk (339 PIM's).

There are 93 professional franchises currently active in hockey's minor leagues. From major venues like Providence, Albany, Houston, Cleveland, Chicago and Philadelphia - to off the beaten path locales like Flint, Idaho, Shreveport, Macon, Laredo and Amarillo - the odds of finding a team with a Ukrainian puckster are pretty darned good.

Fan favorites all over. For history buffs, there's a Bayda (Ryan) in Lowell - a true Kozak warrior on skates; the medical profession can rout for Andy Doktorchik (he's a Johnstown Chief); those who are fleet afoot will cheer for Denis Shvidki to make it back to Florida (from San Antonio); lovebirds attending hockey games will pray a certain Aeros goalie (Dieter Kochan) will spin a shutout; feline pet owners will undoubtedly be drawn to Cleveland Lumberjacks netminder Seamus Kotyk.

Ukrainian minor league hockey players ... they're everywhere...

Position Player Team League GP G A PTS PIM
D
F
F
D
F
F
F
F
F

D
D
D

D
D
F
F

F
F
F
F
F
F
D
F
F
F
D

D
F
F
D

F

F
F
D
D
F
F
F
F
D
D
F
F
F

D
D
F

F
F
F

F
F

D
F
D
F
F

D
D
D
D
F
F
F

F
F

F
F
F
F

F
D
D
D
D
F
D
F

F
F

F
F
F

D


F

D
D
D

D
F
F
F
F
D
F
F
D

F
D

F
F
F
F

F		 Alex Alexeev
Nikita Alexeev
Peter Ambroziak
Alex Andreyev
Jeff Antonovich
Yuri Babenko
Jay Banach
Ryan Bayda
Graham Belak

Aaron Boh
Igor Bondarev
Steve Cheredaryk

Peter Chvojka
Sergei Deshevyy
Andy Doktorchik
Ruslyn Dolyny

Brad Domonsky
Jason Duda
Jared Dumba
Jeff Ewasko
Brad Federenko
Todd Fedoruk
Jamie Filipowicz
Ben Gorewich
Brent Gretzky
Stanislav Gron
Garry Gulash

Steve Halko
Jeff Haydar
Darcy Hordichuk
Mike Josefowicz

David Kaczowka

Alex Kholomeyev
Colin Kobza
Zenith Komarniski
Kyle Kos
Rick Kowalsky
Jordan Krestanovich
Viktor Kubenko
Dustin Kuk
Greg Kuznik
Corey Laniuk
Alexei Lazarenko
Yevgeny Lazarev
Andrew Luciuk

Jeff Lukasak
Ross Lupaschuk
Brett Lysak

John Maksymiuk
Don Malko
Denis Martynyuk

Alex Matvichuk
Scott Matzka

Chad Mazurak
Brad Mehalko
Marty Melnychuk
Glen Metropolit
Aaron Miskovich

Rick Mrozik
Jeremy Mylymok
Nick Naumenko
Mike Nikolishen
Chad Onufrechuk
Justin Ossachuk
Robb Palahniuk

Greg Pankewicz
Doug Pirnak

Ryan Pisiak
Jaroslav Polak
Alexei Ponikarovsky
Kelly Popadynetz

Tobin Praznik
Sergei Radchenko
Peter Ratchuk
Gennady Razin
Matt Ruchty
Bogdan Rudenko
Dean Serdachny
Mark Shalawylo

Jason Shmyr
Ryan Shmyr

Denis Shvidki
Christian Skoryna
Rob Skrlac

Sergei Skrobot


Fred Slukynsky

Jamie Sokolsky
Andrei Sryobko
Pat Stachniak

Darren Strilchuk
Damian Surma
Sheldon Szmata
Chris Szysky
Daniel Tkaczuk
Dmitri Tolkunov
Oleg Tsirkounov
Igor Valeev
Rene Vydareny

Trevor Wasyluk
Chad Wilchynski

Brendan Yarema
Dariusz Zabawa
Alexander Zinewich
Steve Zoryk

Jarret Zukiwsky		 Tacoma
Springfield
New Mexico
British Columbia
Rockford
Hershey
New Mexico
Lowell
Bridgeport
Trenton
Colorado
Ft. Wayne
St. John's
New Orleans
Columbus
Kalamazoo
Cincinnati
Milwaukee
Muskeqon
Oklahoma City
Wichita
Oklahoma City
Long Beach
Baton Rouge
Philadelphia
Quebec
Memphis
Ft. Wayne
Albany
St. John's
Adirondack
Worcester
Odessa
Chicago
Cincinnati
Macon
Chicago
Greenville
Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi
Manitoba
Pensacola
Roanoke
Hershey
New Orleans
Peoria
Lowell
Flint
New Haven
Hershey
Manitoba
Muskegon
Muskegon
Wilkes-Barre
Lowell
Florida
Adirondack
Indianapolis
Manitoba
Columbia
Greensboro
Grand Rapids
Atlantic City
Roanoke
Hartford
Missouri
Portland
Hershey
Quad City
St. John's
Idaho
Portland
Colorado
Johnstown
Tulsa
St. John's
Memphis
Pensacola
Oklahoma City
Tulsa
Corpus Christi
Tacoma
St. John's
Springfield
New Haven
Anchorage
New Mexico
Wilkes-Barre
Quebec
Toledo
Jackson
Charlotte
Baton Rouge
Tulsa
Houston
Rochester
Johnstown
Utah
Fresno
Portland
Mississippi
Greensboro
Johnstown
Pensacola
Cleveland
Dayton
Long Beach
Syracuse
Rochester
Lubbock
British Columbia
Lowell
Wichita
Grand Rapids
Worcester
Norfolk
Wichita
Worcester
Manitoba
Columbia
Baton Rouge
Rochester
Toledo
Houston
Wichita
Reading
New Mexico
Tacoma
Baton Rouge
Corpus Christi		 WCL
AHL
CL
UL
UL
AHL
CL
AHL
AHL
ECHL
WCL
UL
AHL
ECHL
ECHL
UL
ECHL
AHL
UL
CL
CL
CL
WCL
ECHL
AHL
AHL
CL
UL
AHL
AHL
UL
AHL
CL
AHL
ECHL
ECHL
AHL
ECHL
CL
CL
AHL
ECHL
ECHL
AHL
ECHL
ECHL
AHL
UL
UL
AHL
AHL
UL
UL
AHL
AHL
ECHL
UL
CL
AHL
ECHL
ECHL
AHL
ECHL
ECHL
AHL
UL
AHL
AHL
UL
AHL
WCL
AHL
WCL
ECHL
CL
AHL
CL
ECHL
CL
CL
CL
WCL
AHL
AHL
UL
WCL
CL
AHL
AHL
ECHL
ECHL
ECHL
ECHL
CL
AHL
AHL
ECHL
AHL
WCL
AHL
ECHL
ECHL
ECHL
ECHL
AHL
ECHL
WCL
AHL
AHL
CL
UL
AHL
CL
AHL
AHL
AHL
CL
AHL
AHL
ECHL
ECHL
AHL
ECHL
AHL
CL
ECHL
CL
WCL
ECHL
UL		 66
35
40
28
74
67
60
3
7
60
69
25
6
67
3
68
37
1
70
53
64
39
63
63
7
63
44
73
76
3
39
43
62
34
61
25
1
32
51
35
77
38
70
68
47
18
58
64
33
50
1
71
48
72
53
16
9
64
15
52
28
4
63
2
41
36
32
3
39
55
52
75
31
49
53
9
57
63
34
7
32
29
72
1
68
53
45
75
75
8
66
55
2
3
74
34
29
8
16
35
29
64
15
11
2
69
67
58
2
64
5
1
54
42
75
51
12
29
61
10
61
6
60
77
48
71
28
24
11
16		 4
5
17
2
33
7
7
1
0
6
16
3
1
2
1
1
7
0
30
9
35
20
8
13
0
0
13
21
13
0
2
3
14
5
9
3
0
1
13
1
5
5
35
12
7
4
3
0
11
11
0
22
3
9
6
2
0
1
1
14
4
1
17
0
6
1
17
0
12
2
8
15
6
9
12
1
9
39
5
2
5
0
21
0
16
22
5
16
2
0
18
2
0
0
3
1
2
2
7
0
1
2
0
0
0
17
14
0
0
4
0
0
18
4
10
1
4
3
3
2
19
0
6
18
13
19
3
4
3
3		 35
9
21
3
43
22
9
1
0
6
31
14
1
12
0
6
6
0
25
16
48
14
24
21
1
7
18
55
15
0
16
5
13
4
13
1
0
1
19
3
20
8
48
22
3
6
8
4
11
11
0
37
4
20
8
7
0
8
2
8
7
0
35
0
11
1
22
0
16
5
33
35
11
17
11
2
18
46
4
1
8
3
27
0
40
19
5
23
7
1
16
1
0
0
3
2
3
4
13
3
3
5
2
1
0
30
40
10
0
26
0
0
33
6
27
18
2
6
11
1
9
0
17
13
23
27
13
7
2
3		 39
14
38
5
76
29
16
2
0
12
47
17
2
14
1
7
13
0
55
25
83
34
32
34
1
7
31
76
28
0
18
8
27
9
22
4
0
2
32
4
25
13
83
34
10
10
11
4
22
22
0
59
7
29
14
9
0
9
2
22
11
1
52
0
17
2
39
0
28
7
41
50
17
26
23
3
27
85
9
3
13
3
48
0
56
41
10
39
9
1
34
3
0
0
6
3
5
6
20
3
4
7
2
1
0
47
54
10
0
30
0
0
51
10
37
19
6
9
14
3
28
0
23
31
36
46
16
11
5
6		 92
16
60
41
86
95
169
0
5
305
343
10
13
218
0
130
20
0
48
225
34
38
259
32
54
107
22
35
34
19
175
15
26
127
32
12
0
182
65
50
153
88
112
18
43
63
40
224
95
56
0
52
44
91
26
14
2
86
0
42
6
2
97
0
72
192
20
0
20
57
176
40
18
22
339
20
102
306
94
5
195
10
74
0
50
10
90
55
14
54
117
100
0
0
169
170
174
2
17
109
161
20
4
2
0
53
67
181
0
135
2
0
81
80
37
20
16
72
15
9
102
2
114
150
10
107
10
18
16
58

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 26, 2003, No. 4, Vol. LXXI

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