FRISCO -- On Friday afternoon, two preseason games into his return to the NHL, Valeri Nichushkin sat at his locker stall to speak to a reporter. The Stars dressing room was otherwise empty -- save for a couple cameos from fellow Russian forward Alexander Radulov.
For Nichushkin, Radulov may be the closest and best example of what he's currently experiencing. Nichushkin, 23, is returning to Dallas after spending the last two seasons playing in the KHL. Radulov, 32, is in his third season back in the NHL after he spent eight seasons in Russia.
So when Nichushkin needs a quick translation from Russian to English, he asks Radulov for help.