Ukrainians abound in junior and minor leagues
Researching rosters in the three major junior and three professional minor leagues reveals some 45 and 52 players of Ukrainian descent, respectively. A further breakdown shows 32 Ukrainian pucksters in the Western League, 15 in the Ontario League and seven in the Quebec League. Professionally speaking, we found 27 Ukrainians in the American Hockey League, 16 in the East Coast League and four in the Southern Pro League. It is safe to say there will be a fair Ukrainian representation in the National Hockey League for many years to come. How many of these hopefuls successfully achieve their ultimate goal will depend on the degree of their development. In junior and minor league hockey it is all about development, though the two levels of play have two distinctly different developmental stages.
In juniors, the age group is 16-20, the first two years concentrating on skills development with the hope of being drafted by an NHL club after the second year. The final two years are about refining and preparing for the pros. While elite prospects may find themselves in the professional ranks at age 18, most draftees turn pro at 19, when they are projected into an organizational role and given a training regimen/long-term plan. From then on, the prospect develops into an NHL-er, a depth guy/call-up or career minor leaguer. Whether it’s a player in junior hockey or pro hockey’s minor leagues, all eventually find themselves playing the waiting game.
Waiting to be drafted: Matthew Tkachuk
Keith Tkachuk was known for his leadership and competitiveness. He had no problem smacking an opponent, sticking up for a teammate or just speaking his mind. He served as an alternate captain or captain in the NHL for 15 of his 18 seasons and a captain or alternate on four occasions while representing the U.S. in international competitions.
His son, Matthew, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound left winger, appears to be a chip off the old block. Tkachuk, a rookie with the OHL’s London Knights this season, is projected to be a top-five first-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. The St. Louis, Mo., native should get selected higher than dad, chosen No. 19 by Winnipeg in the 1990 draft.
Matthew has proven he’ll do whatever it takes. His spirited play and dominating effort in front of the opposing net left a lasting impression on the U.S. National managerial team last summer. An agitator with a strong stick and good hands as a scorer and playmaker, he plays well in traffic and knows how to create offensive opportunities.
Tkachuk had 38 goals (five game winners), 95 points and 119 penalty minutes for the U.S. Under-18 National Development Program in 2014-2015. As a rookie with London this season, he has amassed 22G-64A-86PTS-74PIM in only 45 games (through February 20), good for fifth best in the league.
He savored the chance to represent his country at the 2016 World Junior Championship in Finland, powerfully reinforcing his high draft ranking by tying for team top scoring honors with four goals, seven assists and 11 points in seven games, on the way to a bronze medal.
The youngster takes the puck to the net, plays with an edge, skates well, is easy to play with and knows how to backcheck. Word is he plays like his dad. He’s not the fastest guy on the ice, but because of his hockey sense, he puts himself in good position. That’s probably engrained in his blood from his dad.
Waiting to go pro:
Dmytro Timashov
Maple Leafs prospect Dmytro Timashov is showing last year’s breakout season in North America wasn’t simply a product of his 2014-2015 teammates, leaving Toronto’s management excited about his future. Timashov was the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s rookie of the year after leading the highly-skilled Quebec Remparts in scoring with 90 points in 66 games. Toronto selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL draft.
Many of Quebec’s top players moved on this year after a Memorial Cup push, leaving Timashov to prove what he could do with a lesser talented roster in support. In 2015-2016 the 19-year-old has responded with an even higher point production rate (1.65/game) and was top five in league scoring before leaving to join Sweden at the 2016 World Juniors. (He was traded to the Shawinigan Cataractes on January 6).
Timashov was born in Ukraine, but moved to Sweden in his youth. He has 19 goals and 76 points in 46 games thus far with Quebec/Shawinigan and showed no signs of letting up with stiffer competition at the world juniors. He tallied two goals and five assists for Sweden’s fourth-place squad.
Smallish at five-foot-10, 190 pounds, he has consistently delivered statistically, but there are other attributes that have Toronto’s brass hopeful he’s a player with the potential to one day be a Leaf. His assets include strong skating, impressive stickhandling skills and great vision. He prides himself on his conditioning, has shown leadership abilities and tries to do everything the right way. He lives on his own in Quebec and has been described as mature, in many ways already a pro. All that awaits him now is the formality of a pro contract.
Waiting for the call-up: Hunter Shinkaruk
Hunter Shinkaruk likely wasn’t very high on any lists of candidates to make Vancouver’s 2015-2016 opening day roster. Gritty wingers like Jake Virtanen and Alex Grenier, more hyped and more versatile with their edgy style of play, had an advantage over Shinkaruk’s slick, skill-heavy play. Sven Baertschi’s arrival didn’t help, as the former Flames’ top pick’s game was very similar to the Canucks’ 2013 No.1 selection. Nonetheless, for the third consecutive pre-season, the small Ukrainian forward was a standout among his peers, only to once again be sent down to the AHL affiliate at the start of the new campaign.
In 2013 under coach John Tortorella, it appeared Shinkaruk, along with fellow first-round draftee Bo Horvat, had made the club in his first training camp, only to be returned to junior along with Horvat. Due to injury he played in only 18 games, then showed up to 2014 camp with still another strong pre-season showing, only to see Horvat secure the roster spot while Shinkaruk was dispatched to AHL Utica for his rookie year. His first pro season got off to a slow start, but the winger finished strong, posting a respectable 16G-15A-31PTS in 74 games.
In 2015, Shinkaruk faced an uphill battle to make the Canucks, between a lot of other options and the fact the now 20-year-old profiled as a top-six scorer rather than a third or fourth line grinder. He came to camp and gave a super strong effort, playing a puck-hound style with a grittier edge to his game. For the third straight year Shinkaruk’s efforts were not enough to impress management and he was again sent down to Utica of the AHL. The first half of 2015-2016 saw him named an All-Star based on scoring totals of 18G-16A-34PTS through 39 games.
Despite his tantalizing upside, Vancouver team management does not seem to be enthused by what he brings to the table. It would not be a surprise to see him traded in the immediate future. [Editor’s note: Shinkaruk was traded by Vancouver to the Calgary Flames on February 23. For more on this transaction stay tuned to future Ukrainian Pro Hockey Updates.] There is no question he does possess the necessary drive to succeed at the NHL level. Hopefully he is given the opportunity to show what he’s made of at the highest level of competition.
Ihor Stelmach may be reached at [email protected].