Hounds ink Russian defender
Kirill Kudryavtsev has officially signed with the Soo Greyhounds after the Ontario Hockey League team took the 2004 birth year defenseman in the first round, sixth overall, at the 2021 Canadian Hockey League import draft.
A native of Yaroslavl, Russia, he spent the 2020-2021 season with Loko Yaroslavl in Russia’s top junior hockey league and produced two goals, five assists, seven points in 20 games.
Greyhound general manager referred to Kudryavtsev as an impact player.
“As with all elite players, they have plenty of options for where they want to go to progress their hockey career and that is why we are thrilled that Kirill has chosen to commit to our program,” relayed Raftis. “He is a player who has an impact on all areas of the ice, whether defending or creating offense, and his decision making and skating ability allows him to make a difference on each shift.”
Most recently, Kudryavtsev was selected to represent Russia at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he netted one goal, one assist, two points in five games en route to being part of a gold medal championship team.
“He is a big game player and he has shown this time and again with the Russian national team,” Raftis said. “We are really looking forward to having Kirill join our group and bolster our talented defensive core even further this season.”
The 6-foot, 185 pound defender also previously represented Russia during the 2020 Youth Olympics, where he recorded four assists through four games played.
“I am very excited to sign with the Soo Greyhounds. I look forward to meeting everyone at training camp and helping our team compete for an OHL championship,” Kudryavtsev said.