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News & Notes Wednesday, October 17, 2007 One member of the Dallas Stars organization gets a jump start on the season this week. Defenseman prospect Ivan Vishnevskiy will suit up for Russia as the Canada/Russia Super Series kicks off Monday in Ufa, Russia. The eight-game series (the first four in Russia and the final four in Canada) features the top junior-age players from the two countries. Vishnevskiy, the 2006 first round pick who just signed an entry-level deal with Dallas, is the lone Stars' prospect playing the tournament. One of the Vishnevskiy's teammates will be Alexei Cherepanov, the highly touted 2007 draft pick of the New York Rangers. "He is a good friend of mine," Vishnevskiy said of Cherepanov in a recent interview with McKeen's. "He is a good player and he can score great goals." Vishnevskiy didn't get a chance to play with Cherepanov and his fellow Russians at the 2007 World Junior Championship in Sweden. Vishnevskiy said part of the problem was his decision to play junior hockey in North America as he pursues his dream of an NHL career. "When they talked to me they said that if I wanted to be part of their team I must play for a Russian team, but my dream is to play pro [in North America]," Vishnevskiy told McKeen's. "It was quite disappointing for me not to go but I cannot be at two places at the same time. I chose this road and I will follow it." Russia won a silver medal in Sweden, falling to Canada in the championship game. The Canadian Super Series team will have a different look. Among the big names on the Canadian side will be Kyle Turris, the 3rd overall pick in the 2007 draft by Phoenix, and 16-year-old John Tavares, another young player who is being hailed as a possible "Next One." Canada's roster features 22 NHL draft picks, while the Russian team features ten NHL draft picks. Sergei Korostin, the Stars 3rd round pick (64th overall) in 2007, was originally on the Russian roster but was taken off it due to injury. The eight-game series between the Canadian and Russian junior players commemorates the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the USSR, which Canada won with a 4-3-1 record. Super Series Schedule All games of the series are being broadcast in Canada and they are also being carried via broadband by the Canadian networks.
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