Leafs 1st round pick Rodion Amirov named best forward in Karjala Cup tournament
Though the selection of Rodion Amirov with the 15th pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft struck some as odd, Amirov's performance during the recent Karjala Cup in Helsinki is definitely silencing critics and turning some heads, especially among Maple Leafs fans.
Amirov and his U20 Russian squad posted a 3-0 record en route to a tournament championship, with the skilled winger notching a goal in each of his 3 games, making the 19-year-old the first Russian player in hockey history to score in each of his first three games during international play. His performance this past weekend has also earned him the honour of being named the best forward in the tournament.
The news is very encouraging for the Leafs scouting staff and GM Kyle Dubas, who left some quality names on the board to nab Amirov at 15th overall. His play in the tournament, coupled with his contributions in the KHL (3 goals and 3 assists in 19 games with limited ice time) have a lot of Leafs fans hyped for his arrival in North America as early as the 2021-22 season.
What is most impressive about the win in the Karjala Cup tournament is that the Russians were the only U20 team to play in the men's event, something that is not lost on Amirov ahead of the upcoming World Junior Championships, which will occur in Edmonton later this year.
“The most important thing is that we won,” Amirov said in an interview for the International Ice Hockey Federation's official website. “Playing against men was an interesting experience, that's really valuable as part of our preparation for the world juniors.”
Amirov has no doubt benefitted from the ability to see continuous play throughout the pandemic, unlike many prospects in North America who have not been loaned out to European teams during the ongoing NA hockey hiatus. It should bode well for his development moving forward.
| G | A | PTS | ||
| David Pastrnak | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| Jake Sanderson | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Drake Batherson | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Sam Reinhart | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Tim Stutzle | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Matt Roy | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Kevin Fiala | 2 | - | 2 | |
| J.T. Miller | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Josh Morrissey | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Evan Bouchard | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Sidney Crosby | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Phillip Danault | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Matthew Knies | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mitch Marner | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Cole Perfetti | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dylan Samberg | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brady Tkachuk | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Carter Verhaeghe | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Tom Wilson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Pavel Zacha | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 54 | 37 | 14 | 3 | 77 | |
Capitals | 52 | 34 | 11 | 7 | 75 | |
Oilers | 52 | 32 | 16 | 4 | 68 | |
Golden Knights | 52 | 31 | 15 | 6 | 68 | |
Hurricanes | 53 | 32 | 17 | 4 | 68 | |
Stars | 51 | 33 | 17 | 1 | 67 | |
Wild | 53 | 31 | 18 | 4 | 66 | |
Panthers | 53 | 31 | 19 | 3 | 65 | |
Maple Leafs | 52 | 31 | 19 | 2 | 64 | |
Devils | 53 | 29 | 18 | 6 | 64 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||