Skip to content

Border Bruins to lose Kalashnikov brothers to BCHL

Belarusian brothers Yan and Artsiom Kalashnikov were second and third in team scoring last year, but won't be playing in Grand Forks this coming season.
95973grandforkskalashnikovbros1
Yan Kalashnikov

The Grand Forks Border Bruins will not have the services of the Kalashnikov brothers for this upcoming season.

Belarusian brothers Yan and Artsiom (Artie) were second and third in team scoring last year (45 and 35 points respectively) and will be skating with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) this coming season.

“It feels great,” said Artie when asked about joining the Bulldogs.

“It’s a (higher) level of hockey and we’re looking forward to next season.”

While the move from the Junior B level of the Border Bruins to the Junior A Bulldogs represents a step up, Artie said that the one year at the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) helped his brother and he adapt to the North American style of play.

“It was our first year of junior hockey last year, so playing against bigger guys, getting used to the speed and the whole structure of Canadian hockey, it helped us to mature and be better players and people,” he said.

Kalashnikov also said that their stint with the Border Bruins helped the brothers become responsible in their own (defensive) end of the rink.

“When we came into the league, we didn’t back check but by the end of the year, we were. We’d see the other guys working hard (in the defensive zone) and you’d just want to do the same thing,” he said.

“It took us a while to realize that we have to play complete in all three zones, not just from the red line to the offensive zone.”

While the Border Bruins will certainly miss the brothers’ offensive and improved defensive play, Tom Frith, director of hockey operations said it was also a good thing.

“It’s awesome, as much as the Border Bruins are sad to see that kind of offence leave our lineup, our ultimate mission is to move players to the next level and this only bodes well for our program” Frith explained.

“We want to be more competitive, as everybody does, and we’re working on that. But still, by coming to a team that hasn’t had the highest rankings, (players) still get the ice time, which is very important.”

Frith said that sometimes players that go to a “super power” Junior B team will only have a chance to play with the third or fourth lines but in the case of the Kalashnikovs, both had the opportunity to get more ice time and their play, especially in the defensive zone, improved markedly. Frith said that the Bulldogs discovered the Kalashnikovs almost by accident.

The Border Bruins’ Director of Hockey Operations said that he received a call from Alberni Valley Head Coach Paul Esdale asking about the brothers and Frith asked him how Artie and Yan got on the team’s radar.

“The Spokane Braves were in town for a game last year and the Port Alberni scout, who was working the region at the time, came to Grand Forks, undercover, and was there to look at a couple of Spokane kids,” Frith said.

“He ended up focusing all his attention on the Kalashnikovs – it was by chance.”



Karl Yu

About the Author: Karl Yu

After interning at Vancouver Metro free daily newspaper, I joined Black Press in 2010.
Read more