Ilya Samsonov

Ilya Samsonov records first career AHL shutout against Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Saturday night against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Capitals goaltending prospect Ilya Samsonov recorded his first career AHL shutout.

In front of a sellout crowd at PPL Center, Samsonov stopped all 18 shots he faced. The Bears’ victory ended a nine-game winning streak for the Phantoms against the Bears at the arena, dating back to April 5, 2017.

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Alex Ovechkin rings in New Year by singing ‘We Are The Champions’

Alex Ovechkin and the rest of the Russian language-speaking Caps, including Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, Russian-born Czech Dmitrij Jaskin, and prospect goaltender Ilya Samsonov, rang in the new year at Mari Vanna in Washington.

There was food, there was merriment, and of course, there was music.

Ovechkin’s wife Nastya even filmed her husband scream-singing We Are The Champions at the end of the night.

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By Ian Oland On January 1, 2019 1 Comment

Pheonix Copley will start his fourth consecutive game in Montreal, TJ Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov are still out

With all the injuries the Capitals have racked up the last few days, their lineup is once again scrambled for their bout Monday night in Montreal.

Thanks to the inimitable Isabelle Khurshudyan from the Washington Post, we know that Pheonix Copley starts his fourth straight game and that TJ Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov are still out. They’re also unlikely to start on Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks

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By Julia Karron On November 19, 2018 0 Comment

Ilya Samsonov called up to the Capitals with Braden Holtby out injured

Goaltending prospect Ilya Samsonov has received his first official call up to the Washington Capitals. It was reported Thursday night that Samsonov was asked to make his way to Denver due to an injury to Braden Holtby.

Defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler will be sent down to Hershey after playing Wednesday against Winnipeg Jets.

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By Julia Karron On November 16, 2018 1 Comment

Evgeny Kuznetsov, TJ Oshie, and Braden Holtby are out of tonight’s lineup against the Colorado Avalanche

Wednesday’s bout in Winnipeg left the Caps battered.

TJ Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Braden Holtby won’t play against the Colorado Avalanche due to upper-body injuries.

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By Julia Karron On November 16, 2018 1 Comment

Report: Ilya Samsonov joining Capitals in Denver ahead of Colorado Avalanche game

According to the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan, 2015 first-round pick Ilya Samsonov has been summoned from Hershey and will join the Capitals in Denver. The Capitals face off against the Colorado Avalanche Friday at Pepsi Center – their third game in four nights.

A third goaltender is needed due to a surprise upper-body injury Braden Holtby suffered Wednesday in Winnipeg. Holtby’s inability to play or even back up forced the Capitals to sign emergency goaltender Gavin McHale for the evening.

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By Ian Oland On November 16, 2018 1 Comment

Ilya Samsonov and Sergei Shumakov visited New York City together on their off day

Fellow Russian Caps prospects Ilya Samsonov and Sergei Shumakov took advantage of the Bears being off this week until Saturday by taking a quick jaunt to New York City.

The two are housemates in Hershey and Samsonov recently spoke with The Athletic’s Chris Kuc about some of the learning the pair have had to do off the ice, including cooking for themselves and washing clothes. With Shumakov sidelined for several weeks with an injury to his hand, that has left most of the cooking duties to Samsonov, who admitted the pair have been mostly surviving off store-bought Russian dumplings.

Luckily, the Russian teammates feasted on something better than Samsonov’s dumplings in NYC. The pair posted several highlights from their trip on their respective Instagram feeds.

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By Graham Dumas On November 6, 2018 0 Comment

Ilya Samsonov records first AHL victory in Hershey Bears’ 4-3 shootout win over Baby Pens

On the same night Pheonix Copley recorded his first NHL win, Ilya Samsonov recorded his first AHL victory down on the farm in the Bears’ comeback 4-3 win against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

The Capitals 2015 first-round pick made 19 saves to improve his early season record to 1-3.

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By Ian Oland On October 27, 2018 0 Comment

Ilya Samsonov has a lower-body injury, is considered day-to-day

The injury bug has bit the Hershey Bears bad. After beginning their season with the worst record in the Bears 81-year history, the Bears now have eight injured players.

Ilya Samsonov, who was sharing starting goaltender duties with Vitek Vanecek, sustained an injury this morning. He is considered day-to-day and will be re-evaluated before the team leaves on a trip to Charlotte tomorrow.

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By Cara Bahniuk On October 17, 2018 1 Comment

Hershey Bears players impressed by Ilya Samsonov’s confidence, compare his style to Carey Price

HERSHEY, PA — 21-year-old Ilya Samsonov made his North American debut last Saturday at Giant Center, making 28 saves in the Hershey Bears’ 3-2 season-opening loss to the Syracuse Crunch. But this night, like with many other NHL-drafted Russian players, was anything but guaranteed.

For the two seasons since he was selected 22nd overall, Samsonov was considered one of the best goaltenders not playing in North America. Samsonov won a KHL championship as Metallurg Magnitogorsk’s 19-year-old backup. He also was named to Team Russia’s under-20 World Junior Championship team twice. During the 2017 World Junior Championship, Samsonov led his team to the bronze medal, making acrobatic saves on national television. He was comfortable and happy in Russia, rapidly becoming a star.

Last December, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan took the extraordinary step of traveling to Russia to meet personally with his 2015 first-round pick, dining with the prospect in his hometown. The meeting was fruitful; according to insider Bob McKenzie, the two reportedly came to a verbal agreement that Samsonov would come stateside on an entry-level contract during the 2018-19 season.

These moments would serve as the context for Samsonov as his career landed in a small, quiet Eastern Pennsylvania town known more for chocolate than hockey. The Russian netminder earned Hershey’s season-opening start over incumbent Vitek Vanecek. After receiving a modest cheer from Bears fans at Giant Center during pregame introductions, Samsonov skated his way onto the ice in front of 10,000-plus people. Samsonov, standing at this team’s blue line, looked unrattled during the moment but later admitted he had nerves.

“For the first ten minutes I was anxious,” Samsonov said in Russian as translated by RMNB’s Graham Dumas.

His teammates sure didn’t notice.

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By Ian Oland On October 15, 2018 3 Comments

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