When you’re a young prospect on any professional hockey team, you almost always have to earn your stripes and earn every second of ice time you’re given. The Vancouver Canucks‘ most recent first-round pick, Vasily Podkolzin, found that out yesterday in his first game this season with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.
When Podkolzin was drafted back in June, it was widely believed that teams were wary of drafting him too high due to the fact that the young Russian made it clear that he intended on finishing the remaining two years on his KHL contract with St.