A hat-trick, plus one

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Prospect Interview - Evgeny Grachev

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A hat-trick, plus one

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For the second Sunday running eighteen year-old New York Rangers prospect Evgeny Grachev captured the coveted first star leading his team to victory through a four goal outburst.

Grachev’s team, the Ontario Hockey Leagues Brampton Battalion tied a team record with there fourteenth consecutive win while laying out (4-2) the visiting Ottawa 67's and head coach Brain Kilrea on Coach Killers final visit to Brampton as head coach of his beloved 67's.

Following a thirty year career behind the bench of one of Ontario’s finest junior hockey outfits, the Ottawa 67's Brian Kilrea will vacate the coaching bench in favour of the general managers office. Today in Brampton was an early curtain call for winingest coach in Canadian major junior hockey history. A man who has stated that he will step a side to allow young, (fresh) blood to flow through the 67's organization.

So, how fitting that Killers curtain call would be cut short by a 6'3" 212lbs 18 year-old left-winger who on this day was simply poetry in motion. Grachev, the Battalion’s first round choice, 40th overall in the 2008 CHL Import draft was also selected in third round of the 2008 NHL entry draft by the New York Rangers and subsequently signed a three-year entry level contract with the club on September 22, 2008.

Following a stint with the big club during training camp Grachev was returned to the Battalion to make his on-ice debut against Owen Sound on October 3, 2008. Grachev scored his first goal for Brampton on October 17th just three games into the Battalions current fourteen game wining sequence and has been a stalwart since joining the club with 21 points, 12 goals and 9 assists in just 19 games.

Born in Khabarovsk, Russia, Evgeny calls Yaroslavi home but a few more dominate performances like the four goals he scored Sunday against Ottawa and one suspects that the young Mr. Grachev might just find himself looking for a place on Fifth Avenue.

Z.B.