Boga in the doldrums

[Bojovnik 487]

Yaroslav Bogatyrev arrived back in Russia on Tuesday following the conclusion of the Seattle Bears’ season. The Bears were dumped out of the playoffs in six games in a surprise victory for the New York Americans. The Bears had the best regular season record in the North American Conference, but shoddy defensive play and poor goaltending saw the Americans get the better of the Pacific Northwest side.

 

Bogatyrev, who had six points in six games for the Bears, is now reportedly on the trade block. He has returned to Russia to rest and recuperate before beginning a vigorous pre-season training regimen, as he has done in every offseason to date. There are reports that Bogatyrev could be traded by the VHL Entry Draft, although it remains to be seen if the Bears will be able to pull off the deal, given the fact that Bogatyrev has a no-trade clause for S90.

 

For now, it’s another period of reflection – assessing where it once again went wrong for Bogatyrev and the Bears. Despite having one of the strongest rosters in the league, the Bears have struck out in three straight postseasons. Veterans like Hulk Hogan 2 and Tavish Degroot are leaving the team, meaning that management will have a lot of work to do to make the Bears a contender next season.