- Denis Kulyash
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Denis Kulyash 
On a game KHL SKA-Avangard (Ice Palace, St.Petersburg, Russia, 29.11.2010)Born May 31, 1983
Omsk, Soviet UnionHeight 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Weight 238 lb (108 kg; 17 st 0 lb) Position Defence Shoots Left KHL team
Former teamsAk Bars Kazan
HC Dynamo Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow
Avangard OmskNational team 
RussiaNHL Draft 243rd overall, 2004
Nashville PredatorsPlaying career 2003–present Denis Kulyash (Russian: Денис Куляш; born May 31, 1983) is a professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Kulyash has been a long-time member of Russia's national ice hockey team known for his extremely hard slap shot, which gained him a nickname "Tsar Cannon" (Russian: Царь-пушка). Kulyash currently holds a record of fastest ice hockey shot previously held by Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara with a speed of 110.3 mph (177.6 km/h).[1]
Contents
Playing career
After failing to make it into the senior team of Avangard Omsk, Denis Kulyash made his Russian Super League debut with HC CSKA, enjoying significant success with the club and as a result getting drafted by the Nashville Predators late in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. The young defenceman then signed with HC Dynamo Moscow in a hotly-contested transfer and struggled to play at the same level. His career got back on track when he delivered a productive 2007-08 season after returning to HC CSKA in 2007. In February 2009, Kulyash scored his 50th career goal and thus became a member of the "Fetisov Club".[2]
In January 2010, Kulyash was controversially traded to his home-town club Avangard Omsk in return for two other defencemen, Filipp Metlyuk and Evgeny Kurbatov. He went public with his discontent blaming HC CSKA's General Manager Sergei Nemchinov for the trade.[3] However, Kulyash was quick to retreat expressing his delight at joining his native team.[4] The defenceman managed to score against Metallurg Novokuznetsk, his second game in Avangard's jersey, but was injured in the next game and failed to make an impact throughout the rest of the disappointing season for the club.
In February 2011, Kulyash set the new world record for hardest shot during the KHL All-Star Superskills Competition. His result is 110.3 mph (177.6 km/h).[5]
On May 3, 2011, Kulyash was announced as the new player of the KHL's Ak Bars Kazan.[6]
KHL statistics
Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2008–09 HC CSKA Moscow KHL 56 16 10 26 62 8 2 1 3 20 2009–10 HC CSKA Moscow KHL 35 11 10 21 34 - - - - - 2009–10 Avangard Omsk KHL 6 1 1 2 6 3 0 0 0 4 2010–11 Avangard Omsk KHL 48 11 15 26 45 14 3 3 6 12 KHL totals 145 39 36 75 147 25 5 4 9 36 International statistics
Year Team Event Place GP G A Pts PIM 2006 Russia WC 5th 7 3 1 4 6 Records
Denis Kulyash set the new world record for shot power, 110.3 mph (177.6 km|hr) during the KHL All Star Superskills Competition on 3rd Kontinental Hockey League All-Star Game.
References
- ^ RussianProspects.com Denis Kulyash Profile
- ^ http://www.russian-hockey.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8577&Itemid=98
- ^ "Denis Kulyash: "Nemchinov told me that he needed youngsters"" (in Russian). sport-express.ru. 2010-01-12. http://hockey.sport-express.ru/reviews/3319/.
- ^ "Denis Kulyash: "Delighted to be back home"" (in Russian). sports.ru. 2010-01-13. http://www.sports.ru/hockey/64113895.html.
- ^ "KHL says hardest shot record broken". ESPN. 2011-02-05. http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=6093452.
- ^ "Ak Bars sign Denis Kulyash and Lauris Darzins | Sports.ru in English".
External links
- Denis Kulyash's career stats at Eliteprospects.com
- RussianProspects.com Denis Kulyash Profile
- Denis Kulyash's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
- Denis Kulyash – player profile and career stats at European Hockey.Net
- Denis Kulyash's NHL player profile
- Denis Kulyash's KHL player profile
Categories:- 1983 births
- Living people
- Avangard Omsk players
- HC CSKA Moscow players
- HC Dynamo Moscow players
- Nashville Predators draft picks
- Russian ice hockey defencemen
- Russian ice hockey defenceman stubs
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