From Russia with candy – Blazers’ import Cherepanov making sweet first impression

“He’s immersed himself in the culture and the game in North America and I think that will help him,” Blazers’ head coach Shaun Clouston said, noting Cherepanov is entering his third season on the continent.

The Blazers picked the 6-foot-1, 189-pound rearguard in Round 1 of the CHL Import Draft on June 30, the selection spurred by suggestion from the Dallas Stars.

Dallas – which shares an owner with Kamloops, Tom Gaglardi – nabbed Cherepanov in Round 7 of the NHL Draft on June 27.

“He looks good,” Clouston said. “Time will tell. It’s a big jump from where he was to our league. But we do believe he has potential. We trust that the Dallas Stars believe he has potential.”

Clouston has had little time to evaluate Cherepanov in person, the Russian only a few days removed from arriving in Kamloops.

The club will learn much more about what they have during training camp, with on-ice sessions scheduled to begin on Friday [Aug. 28].

First impressions have been good, both on and off the ice – and not just because of the Russian sweets.

He was spotted joking with teammates and kids at the Blazers’ annual hockey school on Wednesday [Aug. 26] at Sandman Centre.

“He’s got some energy, some confidence and a little bit of swagger,” Clouston said. “You sense that when you talk to him.”

Cherepanov has a leg up on many imports on the communication front. He studied English during his stint playing 16-and-under AAA hockey in Chicago in the 2024-2025 season.

Language skills improved last season, along with his play on the ice for the New Hampshire Mountain Kings of the North American Hockey League, a junior circuit that sits a tier below the U.S. Hockey League.

“The challenging part was all the guys are pretty old and they play hard, physical,” Cherepanov said. “It helped me to get stronger and make decisions faster. Everybody is trying to hit you and you have to make decisions faster.”

The left-shot defenceman – who is committed to play NCAA Division One hockey with Lake Superior State University in 2027-2028 – said he is adept offensively and plays hard in the defensive zone.

“I like to hit,” he said.

No Russian has toiled for the Blazers since Roman Teslyuk, who played for Kamloops from 2003 to 2006.

Yegor Kravchenko is expected to be the first Kazakhstani to play for Kamloops, but his arrival has been delayed.

“We’re probably looking at two or three weeks before we see him,” Clouston said. “He’s excited about coming. His VISA and passport have been a little bit of a process. Hopefully, he’s here in time to get some skates in and get himself ready for the start of the season.”

The Blazers picked 5-foot-11 forward Kravchenko of Temirtau, Kazakhstan, with the 100th overall pick in Round 2 of the import draft in June.

Returning import Vit Zahejsky of Czechia is playing for his country this week, but is expected to return to Kamloops on Sept. 2.

by Marty Hastings

From Russia with candy – Blazers’ import Cherepanov making sweet first impression

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