September 3, 2000

Stepan Mokhov the next NHL Bobby Orr?!

I think there is no need to introduce to real hockey fans the legendary Canadian hockey player, born in Parry Sound, Ontario in March 20, 1948.

This is Orr Robert Gordon or simply Bobby Orr. He has been playing for Boston Bruins 1966-76 and has been working as Blackhawks coach in 1976-77.   He is two time Stanley Cup owner with Boston Bruins. Orr is also a holder of numerous NHL awards and has been constantly making first All Star team from 1968 till 1975. He is 1976 Canada Cup owner where he scored 4 goals in 7 games played. What a player! And what a result for defenseman! He has set defense records for goals (46), assists (102), and points (139).

What has made him a prominent player among the dozens of that time? It has been an inaugurated rushing style for defensemen.

Those who have already seen Chicago's draftee Stepan Mokhov in action might think that young Bobby Orr is on the ice. It's not a great surprise that this guy have already managed to change at least three club teams, Omsk Avangard, Severstal Cherepovets and Metallurg Novokuznetsk, in his yet relatively young age.

Every coach needs a skillful reliable defenseman especially when the things concern the guy who is player of the junior national team. At the age of 17 he has already been called-up for a try-out in the Russian Under-18 team.

He has been representing Russia at the first WJC for under-18 teams where he has played in one defensive pair with Buffalo's draftee Denis Denisov from HC CSKA. Unfortunately the team was not a success that time, only the sixth place. But one must note that defensive Stepan Mokhov and Denis Denisov has looked rather solid.

 Stepan Mokhov has been also a candidate for the 2000 JWC Russian Under-20 team, headed by Peter Vorobyov. In September 1-5, 2000 he has   played at the Five Nations Tournament where Team Russia allowed no goals at all. That means that Stepan Mokhov and Denis Denisov have made a great deal of work in defense like any of their teammates. On the final day of the tournament Stepan even scored a nice goal against team Sweden.

Unfortunately when it the time of the 2000 JWC has approached, December-January, it has turned out that the roster of Russian team is overcrowded with more experienced defencemen such as 1999 Junior World Champions and NHL draftees Alexander Ryazantsev, Kiril Safronov and Artem Maryams. Stepan has had to miss JWC in Sweden. Moreover at the beginning of the 1999/2000 season he has been acquired by Metallurg Novokuznetsk from Severstal Cherepovets and has planned to make his debut in the senior level hockey but something has worked wrong and Metallurg couldn't not make officially this young player a full member of the team in appropriate time. Possibly that's another reason why he hasn't made finally 2000 JWC Russian Under-20 team. Game experience is a necessary thing for every young player. I think everybody knows that our life consists of black and white stripes. That has been a black one for Stepan which couldn't be an endless. White stripe followed soon.

He made his pro debut at the senior level hockey in the game against AkBars Kazan and then at the play-offs he has become a regular team player.

In the quarterfinals he has demonstrated all his skills scoring a goal of beauty in the manner of the legendary Bobby Orr. It has been the game against Torpedo Yaroslavl. Stepan has  easily doodled half of the rival's team and very effectively outplayed  goaltender Boris Tortunov.

Yuri Novikov, the head coach of Metallurg Novokuznetsk, has been amazed by this goal of wonder and later has commented on the potential of this player, "He is a great prospect. In some years he promises to become a world-class or NHL star defenceman. The only thing he has to do is still to work a lot."

That's exactly what he does at the moment with a great hopes to join 2001 JWC Russian Under-20 team to please the home crowd by his brilliant play in Moscow and then in some years to don Chicago Black Hawks jersey. Why not to come up to the expectations of the numerous experts who are comparing him with a legendary Bobby Orr and maybe even to make an attempt to surpass his great achievements in the contemporary NHL? It's well known that a good beginning makes a good ending!