Russian defenceman fits right in
Defenceman should make smooth transition after living in Detroit
There are a lot of things the Saskatoon Blades like about new Russian defenceman Mark Rubinchik.
“I like the fact that he speaks English — that’s most important,” first-year Blades head coach Dean Brockman quipped. Of course, there’s a lot more. … “Just the fact that he brings another presence to the back end,” Brockman added. “You can see his structure and his compete level.
“When you watched him at the Ivan Hlinka, you were glued on him. but certainly he’s got the compete factor that we need.”
Rubinchik, 17, helped Russia to a bronze medal at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup under-18 tournament this summer.
“It was a good, fun tournament for the whole team,” Rubinchik said Tuesday morning when he was introduced to Saskatoon media. “I really want to get going to improve and get more good results.
“I’ll say I’m more offensive, but the play in the defensive zone is a big priority for me and I do that well.
“And then I play very physical, too. I like to hit a lot. That’s how you take the puck away from the forwards the easiest way.”
The Blades took Rubinchik in the 2016 CHL Import Draft. He arrived a few days early to prepare for training camp, which officially begins Wednesday with registration and Thursday with on-ice sessions.
“There are lots of elements, I think, we should all be excited about,” Blades general manager Colin Priestner said. “We’ll have to temper our expectations because he’s a European coming over to Canada and the transition is never smooth for a lot of guys.
“But I think he’s one of those guys who’s going to make a smooth transition because the language is there — he speaks fluent English. Living in Detroit as a kid helped him acclimatize to the smaller rink and it also help him acclimatize to the language and just the culture.
“This guys seems to be the type to fit in right away.”
SEEING SASKATOON FOR THE FIRST TIME
Rubinchik, who arrived in Saskatoon late Sunday, says he is anxious to play.
“The WHL is a good place for me to develop and I’m really happy to be here in Saskatoon,” said Rubinchik, who fine-tuned his English while playing for the Little Caesars midget hockey program in Detroit.
“As any player in Russia, the only things you know are junior league in Canada and that’s where you get prepared for the draft. That’s how it is in Russia.”
Rubinchik served as an assistant captain for Russia in the Hlinka tournament. His step-father coaches the Russian national under-18 team.
“It’s really tough because he always wants more from me,” Rubinchik admitted. “A lot of people would say I’m not there because of my skill, that I’m just there because I’m his son.
“I have to really prove myself that I’m a really good player.”
Rubinchik hails from Moscow, where he has younger brothers, ages nine and one.
“That’s a really big city in comparison to Saskatoon, of course,” points out Rubinchik, who admits he hasn’t had much of a chance to do much Saskatoon sight-seeing.
A ‘NASTY’ STREAK
Priestner describes Rubinchik as being “nasty” and “hard to play against.”
Roughly 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, Rubinchik hits above his playing weight.
“I read a few scouting reports that said ‘Scott Stevens-type of player’ and, after watching him at the Ivan Hlinka, I think he’s got a lot of that in him,” the general manager said.
“At Ivan Hlinka, in his first game, he threw a pretty vicious elbow early and it was kind of a borderline call.
“He popped out of the penalty box and levelled the guy, coming out of the box, who he had elbowed with a vicious hit.
“He’s the kind of guy was maybe was not understood for what type of player he is in Russia because it’s not your typical kind of Russian defenceman.”