Kirill Kabanov

Kirill Kabanov
Born July 16, 1992
Moscow, Russia
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shoots Right
SHL team
Former teams 		Skellefteå AIK
HC Spartak Moscow
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Modo Hockey
NHL Draft 65th overall, 2010
New York Islanders
Playing career 2008–present

Kirill Kabanov (born July 16, 1992) is a Russian professional ice hockey forward, currently under contract to Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He played ten games with HC Spartak Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) before moving to North America. Kabanov also played for the Russian junior team at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships where he won a silver medal. Kabanov was selected 65th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

In 2007, 15-year-old Kabanov was signed to a five-year contract with HC Spartak Moscow, a deal negotiated by his father and included an escape clause that would allow him to leave the contract to play in the National Hockey League (NHL).[1] When the Russian Super League was disbanded in favour of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in 2008, he signed a new four-year contract to replace the original deal that also had an NHL escape clause.[1] He joined Spartak in 2008–09 as the youngest player in the KHL and appeared in ten regular season and playoff games.[2] During the season, the KHL unilaterally revoked his NHL escape clause. His playing rights were sold to Salavat Yulaev Ufa, which required a new contract be signed under KHL rules. Ufa refused to grant him another escape clause, and Kabanov refused to sign a new contract.[1] In the meantime, he was selected by the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the seventh overall selection in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.[3]

Faced with an ultimatum by Ufa to sign a contract or risk being disqualified from playing hockey in Russia for three years, Kabanov instead flew to Moncton and petitioned the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to allow him to play in Canada.[1] He expressed a strong desire to play junior hockey, stating that it didn't matter how much money he was offered in the KHL.[4] He missed the first ten games of the 2009–10 QMJHL season while the Moncton and Ufa battled over his rights before the IIHF ruled in favour of the Wildcats, allowing Kabanov to join his new team.[5] At one point considered a potential first overall selection for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft,[4] Eventually Kabanov would be selected 65th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.[6]

Internationally, Kabanov played with the Russian junior team at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships. He finished eighth in tournament scoring with eleven points,[7] and helped the Russians win a silver medal.[8] He was unable to participate in the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships due to a wrist injury.[9] The injury required surgery, leaving Kabanov out of the Moncton lineup until February 2010.[10] Late in the season, Kabanov would become a regular healthy scratch and fall out of favor with the Wildcats. Being a scratch for the entire first round of the playoffs, Moncton released Kabanov of his obligations, allowing him to play in the 2010 U18 tournament. There, he would become the center of controversy after being rejected by the Russian squad for disciplinary reasons. "I removed him from the team because [although] we thought [he] would help us, but he brought only confusion to the team," Vasiliev told Sovietsky Sport. "Kabanov came and thought 'Here I am, a star from Canada, who will save all.' But it's the team that wins rather than an individual player."[11]

On June 6, 2010 agent JP Barry parted ways with Kabanov, stating "it just wasn't a fit."[12] Ilya Moliver, one of the previous Kabanov's agents, says that the main problem with Kabanov is his father, who is "hard to find common language with." [13] On October 28, 2010 Kabanov was traded from the Wildcats to the Lewiston Maineiacs.

On July 1, 2011 Kabanov signed a three-year entry level contract with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) and participated in the team's training camp. However, he was soon assigned to Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) affiliate Blainville-Boisbriand Armada before the start of the season.[14] Having played no games with the Islanders nor Armada, Kabanov was loaned to the Swedish Elitserien (SEL) team Färjestads BK early in the season, on October 13, 2011.[15] However, a day later he was traded to the Shawinigan Cataractes, and on October 15 it was confirmed that he would stay in North America for the 2011–12 season.[16][17]

After a successful 2011–12 campaign in which he scored 21 goals and notched 34 assists (both personal records), Kabanov made the jump up to the professional American Hockey League (AHL) for the 2012–13 season. with Islanders affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. In his second year of his entry level deal, unable to solidify a position within the Sound Tigers, he was reassigned to ECHL affiliate, the Stockton Thunder. He was then loaned to Modo Hockey in the Swedish Hockey League for the remainder of the season.

On July 15, 2014, Kabanov was placed on conditional waviers in order to mutually terminate the final year of his contract with the Islanders.[18] On July 30, 2014, Kabanov opted to continue his career in the SHL, declining Modo interest to sign with League champions Skellefteå AIK on a one-year contract.[19]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2007–08 Spartak-2 Moscow RUS-3 19 0 1 1 10 — — — — —
2008–09 Spartak Moscow KHL 6 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 0 0
2009–10 Moncton Wildcats QMJHL 22 10 13 23 34 1 0 0 0 2
2010–11 Moncton Wildcats QMJHL 2 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0
2010–11 Lewiston Maineiacs QMJHL 37 11 17 28 38 15 8 12 20 18
2011–12 Shawinigan Cataractes QMJHL 50 21 34 55 42 11 4 9 13 12
2012–13 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 32 2 7 9 27 — — — — —
2013–14 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 16 3 0 3 12 — — — — —
2013–14 Stockton Thunder ECHL 9 4 4 8 11 — — — — —
2013–14 Modo Hockey SHL 12 6 2 8 2 2 0 1 1 4
KHL totals 6 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 0 0
AHL totals 48 5 7 12 39 — — — — —
Medal record
Competitor for Russia Russia
Ice hockey
IIHF World U18 Championship
Silver 2009 Russia

International

Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2008 Russia WHC17 5th 5 2 9 11 28
2009 Russia WJC18 2nd 7 4 7 11 18
Junior totals 12 6 16 22 46

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 LeBrun, Pierre (2009-11-16). "The story on a young, brave Russian kid". ESPN. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
  2. ↑ Westhead, Rick (2008-12-16). "North America or bust for top Russian player". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
  3. ↑ "Kirill Kabanov player profile". Moncton Wildcats Hockey Club. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Hodge, Neil (2009-07-08). "Wildcats try to land Russian star". Moncton Times & Transcript. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
  5. ↑ Hodge, Neil (2009-10-10). "Russian forward cleared to play". Saint John Telegraph-Journal. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
  6. ↑ http://islanders.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8475737
  7. ↑ "Scoring leaders – 2009 IIHF World U18 Championship" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
  8. ↑ "Final ranking – 2009 IIHF World U20 World Championship" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
  9. ↑ Sekeres, Matthew (2009-12-28). "Russia facing tall order in group B". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
  10. ↑ Kimelman, Adam (2010-01-12). "Connolly, Kabanov out of Top Prospects Game". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2010-01-20.
  11. ↑ "RUSSIAN PROSPECT KABANOV AT THE CENTRE OF CONTROVERSY". Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  12. ↑ Agent J.P. Barry parts ways with prospect Kirill Kabanov as client at www.thehockeynews.com
  13. ↑ Agent Ilya Moliver: "Kabanov's problem is his father" at www.russianhockeyfans.com
  14. ↑ "Islanders Announce 23-man Roster for 2011-12 season". New York Islanders, islanders.nhl.com. 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
  15. ↑ Jörgen Kalitzki (2011-10-14). "Kabanov spelar nästa vecka" (in Swedish). Färjestads BK. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
  16. ↑ Audrey Besner (2011-10-14). "Transaction between the Cataractes and the Armada". Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
  17. ↑ Johan Hedlund (2011-10-15). "Bekräftat: Kabanov stannar i Nordamerika" (in Swedish). Värmlands Folkblad. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
  18. ↑ "july transactions". New York Islanders. 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  19. ↑ "Kirill Kabanov connects with AIK" (in Swedish). Skellefteå AIK. 2014-07-30. Retrieved 2014-07-30.

External links