Dmitry Voronkov, a forward for the Russian contingent on the Columbus Blue Jackets, engaged in a gritty exchange with Arber Dzhekaj of the Montreal Canadiens and contributed an assist in his NHL debut. The clash unfolded at the Bell Centre in Montreal, finishing 4-3 in favor of the home team after overtime. Montreal got goals from Nick Suzuki, Mike Matheson, Sean Monahan and Cole Caufield, while Columbus countered with markers from Jack Roslovic and a pair from Emil Bemström.
Early in the first period, Voronkov drove hard against Dzhekaj, triggering a spirited response that ended with a dust-up. The Russian winger followed with an assist in the second period as the game progressed.
Voronkov had been recalled from the American Hockey League on October 24, a move prompted by an injury to Columbus captain Patrik Laine. He spent time with Cleveland, Columbus’s farm team, skating in four AHL games and tallying a single assist.
The forward was chosen by Columbus in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. Before reaching the NHL, he spent several seasons with Ak Bars in the Kontinental Hockey League from 2018 through 2023, and he helped Russia secure a silver medal at the Beijing Winter Games.
Earlier in the season, Kazakh-born star Evgeni Malkin stood on the list of the league’s top scorers, underscoring the magnetism of international talent in the league and the ongoing evolution of the game into a global showcase.