Friends, the National Hockey League’s pre-season can be a lot of fun. The games aren’t really high stakes. You get to see top prospects (and obscure try-out players) dip their toes into the NHL game a bit. And the NHL’s official roster sheets feature everybody on an NHL team’s training camp roster and reserve list, resulting in comedically-long lists of scratched players.

However, this year, the lists of scratches are a little bit shorter, as it appears that the NHL has finally removed long-retired Russian players from their databases (and, by extension, the clubs’ reserve lists). In the case of the Calgary Flames, this means that seven long-gone Russian prospects aren’t listed as pre-season scratches anymore.

A second-rounder in 2002 out of the CSKA Moskva system – he played his draft year in the Russian third division – Bobrov was a left shot forward. He never came to North America, spending time in the second and third division before spending 10 seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League (with five different teams). He last played pro hockey in 2018-19 with Khimik Voskresensk, after which he retired.

A second-rounder in 2001, this Spartak Moskva netminder played exclusively in Russia and became pretty notorious in the 2000s for his, uh, lack of conditioning. At least one Calgary Herald columnist referred to him as “the roly-poly goalie” and he was listed at various points at over 250 pounds. He hung up his skates following a 2004-05 season that saw him win just one game in 21 appearances in the old Russian superleague.

A 1994 second-rounder from Dynamo Moskva, Riabykin was a right shot defender. He played in the Russian superleague with occasional stops in the second and third divisions before landing in the KHL. Aside from Dynamo Moskva, he suited up for Avangard Omsk, SKA St. Petersburg, Traktor Chelyabinsk and Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. He last played in 2014-15.

A 2001 fourth-rounder out of Avangard Omsk, Shastin was a left shot forward who never came over to North America. He played primarily in Russia, but also suited up in Switzerland and Kazakhstan, too. He last played in 2016-17, a season he spent split between three different clubs in Kazakhstan.

A 2001 second-rounder, Taratukhin was selected out of Avangard Omsk’s system and was a left shot forward. He’s unique in this list in that he actually signed an entry-level deal with the Flames and came over for a season. He played for the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights for 2006-07 and promptly peaced out, signing with Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the Russian superleague despite having a year left on his NHL deal. He played in Russia, Germany and Romania subsequently, last playing in 2021-22 with SC Csíkszereda.

A 2001 fifth-rounder from SKA St. Petersburg, Trubachev was a left shot forward. He played primarily in the Russian superleague and KHL with Severstal Cherepovets – playing 16 seasons with them across the two competitions – but also played for a few other KHL clubs, too. He last played in 2020-21.

This Flames legend was originally a 2000 second-rounder by Tampa Bay, selected from Ak Bars Kazan. His rights were traded to Phoenix in March 2001, then traded to Atlanta in March 2002, and then finally go the Flames in November 2002 in exchange for Marc Savard. He played zero games in North America, playing exclusively in the various rungs of Russian pro hockey, last appearing in 2015-16 with THK Tver in the second-tier VHL.

While these seven former Russian pros have disappeared from the roster list, two others remain: 2013 seventh-rounder Rushan Rafikov, currently with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL, and 2015 fifth-rounder Pavel Karnaukhov, now with CSKA Moskva of the KHL. Due to the lack of a transfer agreement between Russia and the NHL, the Flames their North American rights in perpetuity – presuming until they no longer play pro hockey.