Gusev, Nikita

The European regular season will begin tomorrow, 9/1 with matches from the Russian junior league, the MHL, before the big boys start on Tuesday when Dynamo Moscow and Avangard Omsk square off in the KHL. For the Lightning's Russian prospects, their clubs' schedules for the next week are as follows:

MHL
9-1-12, Omsk Jr. vs. CSKA Jr. (Gusev)

9-4-12, Orenburg vs. Ufa Jr. (Vasilevski)

9-5-12, Orenburg vs. Ufa Jr. (Vasilevski)
9-5-12, Chelyabinsk Jr. (Nesterov) vs. Novokuznetsk Jr.
9-5-12, Stupino vs. CSKA Jr. (Gusev)

9-6-12, Chelyabinsk Jr. (Nesterov) vs. Novokuznetsk Jr.
9-6-12, Stupino vs. CSKA Jr. (Gusev)

KHL
9-6-12, Novosibirsk vs. Yaroslavl (Janus?)
9-6-12, Kazan vs. Cherepovets (Koshechkin)

Note that, as of right now, Nikita Gusev (pictured), Andrei Vasilevski, and Nikita Nesterov are currently listed on their respective clubs' MHL rosters, but are subject to potential call-up to the KHL throughout the year. Vasilevski looks to be locked into the MHL though, with Ufa's top club currently boasting veteran goaltender and former Canadiens draft pick Vadim Tarasov and ex-Syracuse Crunch netminder Iiro Tarkki.

Meanwhile, Yaroslavl may be the landing spot for goaltender Jaroslav Janus, according to reports out of Slovakia. Janus has been playing for KHL newcomer Bratislava during the preseason, but it appears he has been compelled to leave the Slovakian club by Yaroslavl, which holds his KHL draft rights, because the team is thin in net between inexperienced Nikita Lozkhin and their struggles to get Curtis Sanford in their lineup. So, Janus may even find himself playing on an emotional opening night for a Yaroslavl club he hasn't even played a preseason game behind. Recall a year ago that Yaroslavl's team perished in a tragic plane crash that led to the team pulling out of participating in the KHL last year.