What’s got into Bogatyrev?

[Bojovnik 487]

 

There’s been a lot of talk about the uptick in form of Seattle Bears forward Yaroslav Bogatyrev in S88. The big bodied Russian forward has almost doubled his season high totals in goals, assists, and points, moving up from 44 in S87 to 76 through 71 games.

 

However, one major area that Bogatyrev has appeared to improve is his physicality. In S87, “Big Boga” only registered 98 hits. In S88, the Nizhnii Tagil native has racked up 204. At 6’6’’, many expected Bogatyrev’s game to become more physical, but little was shown of that throughout his junior career.

 

“The last two seasons have been a real struggle, and I’ve always been told that if you’re not having your name on the scoresheet, at least start doing something else. For me, that’s been getting more physical, laying the body. I’m starting to enjoy playing more a heavier game as it’s clear that it pays dividends down the line. I’ve added this to my game, and it’s something that I want to continue doing throughout the rest of my career,” Bogatyrev stated.