August 23, 2007
WJC.006

SUPER SERIES TEAMS START TO TAKE SHAPE

MOSCOW, Russia – Canada had two spirited workouts on Thursday, as head coach Brent Sutter prepares the team for a grueling eight-game series.

Sutter and assistant coaches Peter DeBoer and Benoit Groulx have set their lines and defensive pairings, although with eight games to play and three extra players available, nothing is set in stone.

To date up front, Kyle Turris (New Westminster, BC/ Burnaby, BCHL) has been centering John Tavares (Oakville, ON/ Oshawa, OHL) and David Perron (Fleurimont, QC/ Lewiston, QMJHL). Another line has returnee Sam Gagner (Oakville, ON/ London, OHL) in the middle between Milan Lucic (Vancouver, BC/ Vancouver, WHL) and Claude Giroux (Hearst, ON/ Gatineau, QMJHL). Brandon Sutter (Red Deer, AB/ Red Deer, WHL) centers another trio with the other returning forward Brad Marchand (Hammonds Plains, NS/ Val d’Or, QMJHL) and Stefan Legein (Oakville, ON/ Mississauga, OH) on the wings. Two Zachs highlight another line, with Zach Hamill (Port Coquitlam, BC/ Everett, WHL) between Zach Boychuk (Airdrie, AB/ Lethbridge, WHL) and Cory Emmerton (St. Thomas, ON/ Kingston, OHL). Colton Gillies (Surrey, BC/ Saskatoon, WHL) and Dana Tyrell (Airdrie, AB/ Prince George, WHL) have been the extra set of wingers.

Back on defence, returning blueliner Karl Alzner (Burnaby, BC/ Calgary, WHL) has been paired with young defenceman Drew Doughty (London, ON/ Guelph, OHL). Thomas Hickey (Calgary, AB/ Everett, WHL) and Luke Schenn (Saskatoon, SK/ Kelowna, WHL) make up a second pair. Keaton Ellerby (Calgary, AB/ Kamloops, WHL) and Josh Godfrey (Kingston, ON/ Sault Ste. Marie, OHL) are together while Ty Wishart (Comox, BC/ Prince George, WHL) and Logan Pyett (Milestone, SK/ Regina, SK) make up a final pairing.

Russia played an exhibition game on Wednesday, trouncing a local club team 7-2 with New York Rangers’ draft pick Artem Anisimov. Vyacheslav Solodukhin also added two for the Russian side. During this game, a few players were not dressed including Kirill Tulupov, who plays with the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Sagueneens, Vyatcheslav Voinov and Maxim Chudinov. The Russians still have some decisions to make on their lineup, and have reportedly added two players back into the mix for the final 26-player roster.

Russian forward lines were as follows for their game on Wednesday.

Anton Glovatskiy - Maxim Mamin – Evgeny Dadonov
Alexander Vasyunov – Artem Anisimov – Alexander Ryabev
Alexey Cherepanov – Maxim Mayorov – Egor Averin
Ilja Kablukov – Vyacheslav Solodukhin – Evgeni Bobrov
Konstantin Kulikov

» 2007 Super Series