'Why not sign two years?:' Vancouver Canucks winger Kuzmenko happy with extension
It's little wonder Andrei Kuzmenko captured the hearts of Vancouver Canucks fans so quickly.
In a season marked by loss and frustration, the Russian forward with the dimpled grin, gravity defying hair and enthusiastic goal celebrations has been a rare bright spot both on and off the ice.
And after signing a two-year extension, that bright spot is sticking around.
“I am happy in Vancouver. Why not sign to two years? I think is a good deal for two sides,” Kuzmenko said Friday.
The deal carries an average-annual value of US$5.5 million.
The 26-year-old left-winger said he left all negotiations up to his agent, Dan Millstein.
“Yesterday, my agent calls me. 'Andrei, let's go.' I say 'OK, no problem. I trust you. Is not my work, is your work. I am just hockey player,'” Kuzmenko said, flashing his wide smile.
The five-foot-11, 194-pound forward has been a standout for the Canucks (19-26-3) this season, his first in the NHL, finding chemistry on a line with star centre Elias Pettersson. In 47 games, Kuzmenko has registered 21 goals and 22 assists.
He was tied with defenceman Quinn Hughes for third on the team in scoring heading into a Friday night matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“He's very offensively talented, he's got a lot of skill, he makes plays,” Pettersson said. “And obviously we thrive off each other.”
A native of Yakutsk, Russia, Kuzmenko spent his first eight professional seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with CSKA Moscow and SKA St. Petersburg, registering 200 points (85-115-200) in 315 regular season games. He set career-highs in goals (20), assists (33), and points (53) last season, ranking second in the league in scoring.
It was evident in training camp that the new addition had a lot to offer the Canucks, said captain Bo Horvat.
“You could tell right from the beginning that he had a lot of skill,” Horvat said. “Whether it translated to the NHL or not, it was going to be up to him. And he obviously handled it the right way.
“Him and Petey have really good chemistry and have played really well together. And they need to continue that for the rest of the season, for sure.”
Kuzmenko leads all first-year NHLers in almost every offensive category, including goals, assists, points, points per game (0.91), power-play goals, and power-play points.
He has also produced 14 multi-point games so far this season (second-most on the Canucks), highlighted by his first NHL hat-trick and season-high four-point game against Anaheim on Nov. 3.
While he's impressed on the scoresheet there's room for Kuzmenko's game to grow, said Vancouver's newly minted head coach Rick Tocchet.
“He's a very skilled guy; he can score. We're excited that we have him,” said Tocchet, noting that coaches will continue to work with the Russian forward on his habits and defensive game.
“There's work to do with him to be a complete player but the one thing is he can score. And we're excited about that.”
At least one teammate believes Kuzmenko has room for improvement off the ice, too. Asked what he thinks of the Russian's long, wild hair, Horvat was blunt.
“It's terrible,” he said. “I've seen a lot of comments saying now he can afford a haircut. He's got to do something with it because it's getting out of hand.”
The critique is nothing new to Kuzmenko.
“A lot of people say `Please change haircut.' I know, I know,” he said. “Maybe after season. Why not?”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.