Denis Kulyash

Denis Kulyash
On a game KHL SKA-Avangard (Ice Palace, St.Petersburg, Russia, 29.11.2010)
Born May 31, 1983
Omsk, Soviet Union
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 109 kg (240 lb; 17 st 2 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
KHL team
Former teams 		Avangard Omsk
Dynamo Moscow
CSKA Moscow
Ak Bars Kazan
National team  Russia
NHL Draft 243rd overall, 2004
Nashville Predators
Playing career 2003–present

Denis Kulyash (Russian: Денис Куляш; born May 31, 1983) is a professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Kulyash has been a long-time member of Russia's national ice hockey team known for his extremely hard slap shot, which gained him a nickname "Tsar Cannon" (Russian: Царь-пушка). Kulyash currently holds a record of fastest ice hockey shot previously held by Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara with a speed of 110.3 mph (177.6 km/h).[1]

Playing career

After failing to make it into the senior team of Avangard Omsk, Denis Kulyash made his Russian Super League debut with HC CSKA, enjoying significant success with the club and as a result getting drafted by the Nashville Predators late in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. The young defenceman then signed with HC Dynamo Moscow in a hotly contested transfer and struggled to play at the same level. His career got back on track when he delivered a productive 2007-08 season after returning to HC CSKA in 2007. In February 2009, Kulyash scored his 50th career goal and thus became a member of the "Fetisov Club".[2]

In January 2010, Kulyash was controversially traded to his home-town club Avangard Omsk in return for two other defencemen, Filipp Metlyuk and Evgeny Kurbatov. He went public with his discontent blaming HC CSKA's General Manager Sergei Nemchinov for the trade.[3] However, Kulyash was quick to retreat expressing his delight at joining his native team.[4] The defenceman managed to score against Metallurg Novokuznetsk, his second game in Avangard's jersey, but was injured in the next game and failed to make an impact throughout the rest of the disappointing season for the club.

In February 2011, Kulyash set the new world record for hardest shot during the KHL All-Star Superskills Competition. His result is 110.3 mph (177.6 km/h).[5]

On May 3, 2011, Kulyash was announced as the new player of the KHL's Ak Bars Kazan.[6] In May 2013 he signed a new two-year contract with Avangard Omsk.

KHL statistics

Season Team League   Regular season   Playoffs
GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2008–09 CSKA Moscow KHL 56 16 10 26 62 8 2 1 3 20
2009–10 CSKA Moscow KHL 35 11 10 21 34 — — — — —
2009–10 Avangard Omsk KHL 6 1 1 2 6 3 0 0 0 4
2010–11 Avangard Omsk KHL 48 11 15 26 45 14 3 3 6 12
2011–12 Ak Bars Kazan KHL 44 6 12 18 40 12 0 1 1 37
2012–13 Ak Bars Kazan KHL 44 4 9 13 66 18 2 5 7 6
2013–14 Avangard Omsk KHL 51 11 11 22 57 — — — — —
2014–15 Avangard Omsk KHL 58 10 17 27 58 11 2 0 2 0
KHL totals 342 70 85 155 368 66 9 10 19 79

International statistics

Year Team Event Place   GP G A Pts PIM
2006 Russia WC 5th 7 3 1 4 6

Records

Denis Kulyash set the new world record for shot power, 110.3 mph (177.6 km/h) during the KHL All Star Superskills Competition on 3rd Kontinental Hockey League All-Star Game.

References

  1. ↑ RussianProspects.com Denis Kulyash Profile
  2. ↑ http://www.russian-hockey.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8577&Itemid=98
  3. ↑ "Denis Kulyash: "Nemchinov told me that he needed youngsters"" (in Russian). sport-express.ru. 2010-01-12.
  4. ↑ "Denis Kulyash: "Delighted to be back home"" (in Russian). sports.ru. 2010-01-13.
  5. ↑ "KHL says hardest shot record broken". ESPN. 2011-02-05.
  6. ↑ "Ak Bars sign Denis Kulyash and Lauris Darzins | Sports.ru in English".

External links