Giroux Voted a Starter in KHL All-Star Game

Ray Giroux, shown here with New Jersey, has enjoyed a standout career in the Russian Hockey League.

Former Yale standout Ray Giroux was recently voted a starter for the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) All-Star Game. Giroux, who plays for SKA St. Petersburg, will play for Team Jagr, led by former Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr and comprised of players from outside Russia. Their opponent in the Jan. 10 game is Team Yashin, led by former Islanders captain Alexei Yashin and made up of Russian-born players.

A North Bay, Ontario, native, Giroux was voted to one of the two starting defense positions by the KHL fans. In 38 games this season, Giroux has scored one goal and assisted on nine tallies. He has amassed 28 minutes in penalties.

Media who cover the Kontintental Hockey League (KHL) selected six players for each of the two teams competing in the inaugural KHL All-Star Game, which will be conducted in Red Square in Moscow.

Selected to Team Jagr by the KHL media polling are goaltender Ray Emery (Atlant Mytishchi), defenders Karel Rachunek (Dynamo Moscow), and Magnus Johansson (Atlant Mytishchi), and forwards Jaroslav Kudrna (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Esa Pirnes (Atlant Mytishchi) and Branko Radivoevich (Spartak Moscow).

Media selections for Team Yashin are goalie Konstantin Barulin (CSKA Moscow), defenders Alexei Zhitnik (Dynamo Moscow) and Konstantin Korneev (CSKA Moscow), forwards Alexander Radulov (Salavat Yulaev), Alexei Tereshchenko (Salavat Yulaev) and Sergei Mozyakin (Atlant Mytishchi).

The final rosters of each team will be comprised of two goalies, six defenders and nine forwards. Previous members of Team Yashin, representing players of Russian descent, and Team Jagr, representing international players in the KHL, were selected by fan voting, with the exception of the captains and their assistants, who were designated by the KHL. Remaining players for each team, and any injury substitutions, will be selected by the League.

The current rosters for the 2009 KHL All-Star Game:

TEAM YASHIN

Goaltenders
Alexander Eremenko (Salavat Yulaev Ufa)*
Konstantin Barulin (CSKA Moscow)

Defensemen
Ilya Nikulin (Ak Bars Kazan)*
Vitaly Proshkin (Salavat Yulaev Ufa)*
Konstantin Korneev (CSKA Moscow)
Alexei Zhitnik (Dynamo Moscow)

Forwards
Alexei Yashin (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl) - C
Andrei Nikolishin (Traktor Chelyabinsk) - A
Alexei Kudashov (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl) - A
Alexei Morozov (Ak Bars Kazan)*
Danis Zaripov (Ak Bars Kazan)*
Maksim Sushinsky (SKA St Petersburg)*
Alexander Radulov (Salavat Yulaev Ufa)
Sergei Mozyakin (Atlant Mytishchi)
Alexei Tereschenko (Salavat Yulaev Ufa)

TEAM JAGR

Goaltenders
Robert Esche (SKA St Petersburg)*
Ray Emery (Atlant Mytishchi.)

Defensemen
Ray Giroux (SKA St Petersburg)*
Kevin Dallman (Barys Astana)*
Karel Rachunek (Dynamo Moscow)
Magnus Johansson (Atlant Mytishchi)

Forwards
Jaromir Jagr (Avangard Omsk) - C
Marcel Hossa (Dynamo Riga) - A
Jakub Klepis (Avangard Omsk) - A
Pavel Brendl (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod)*
Tony Martensson (Ak Bars Kazan)*
Jan Marek (Metallurg Magnitogorsk)*
Jaroslav Kudma (Metallurg Magnitogorsk)
Esa Pimes (Atlant Mytishchi)
Branko Radivoevich (Spartak Moscow)


C = Captain; A = Assistant Captain; * = voted to start by fans