Development camp is a rare chance for the Maple Leafs to view their Russian prospects on ice, though no one expected to see them drive a golf cart onto the greens.
In the first team bonding exercise for the prospects last week, goalies Vyacheslav Peska and Artur Akhtyamov got a little lost on the links.
“The Russians, they never cease to amaze us with their entertainment,” said Leaf assistant GM Hayley Wickenheiser. “They managed to find the cart on the green and had a lot of fun golfing in unfamiliar territory.”
It was thought the newcomers were in good hands in a foursome with skills coach and interpreter Nik Antropov.
“We left it up to Nik which was clearly a bad idea,” Wickenheiser laughed. “He told me never to pair him with the Russians again.”
But Wickenheiser and her staff were delighted to see the goalies and injured forward Nikita Grebenkin up close. Akhtyamov just arrived in Toronto the past couple of weeks after paper work for the 2020 draft pick was cleared and hopes to stay, while Peska had a head start in the ECHL last season.
“Despite the language barrier, they’re great kids. They have to overcome a lot to come here and I know it’s a tough situation. We enjoy working with them.”
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