Kirill Kabanov Kirill Kabanov ( born July 16 , 1992 ) is a Russian junior ice hockey forward for the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League ( QMJHL ) . He played ten games with HC Spartak Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) before moving to North America . He was ranked as the 31st highest prospect for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the NHL ' s Central Scouting Bureau . Kabanov played for the Russia n junior team at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships where he won a silver medal . He was chosen 65th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft . Playing career . In 2007 , 15 - year - old Kabanov was signed to a five - year contract with HC Spartak Moscow , a deal negotiated by his father and included an escape clause that would allow him to leave the contract to play in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . When the Russian Super League was disbanded in favour of the Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) in 2008 , he signed a new four - year contract to replace the original deal that also had an NHL escape clause . He joined Spartak in 2008 – 09 as the youngest player in the KHL and appeared in ten regular season and playoff games . During the season , the KHL unilaterally revoked his NHL escape clause . His playing rights were sold to Salavat Yulaev Ufa , which required a new contract be signed under KHL rules . Ufa refused to grant him another escape clause , and Kabanov refused to sign a new contract . In the meantime , he was selected by the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League ( QMJHL ) with the seventh overall selection in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft . Faced with an ultimatum by Ufa to sign a contract or risk being disqualified from playing hockey in Russia for three years , Kabanov instead flew to Moncton and petitioned the International Ice Hockey Federation ( IIHF ) to allow him to play in Canada . He expressed a strong desire to play junior hockey , stating that it didn ' t matter how much money he was offered in the KHL . He missed the first ten games of the 2009 – 10 QMJHL season while the Moncton and Ufa battled over his rights before the IIHF ruled in favour of the Wildcats , allowing Kabanov to join his new team . At one point considered a potential first overall selection for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft , Kabanov is now ranked 15th overall by NHL Central Scouting . He is ranked eighth by International Scouting Services . Internationally , Kabanov played with the Russia n junior team at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships . He finished eighth in tournament scoring with eleven points , and helped the Russians win a silver medal . He was unable to participate in the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships due to a wrist injury . The injury required surgery , leaving Kabanov out of the Moncton lineup until February 2010 . Late in the season , Kabanov would become a regular healthy scratch and fall out of favor with the Wildcats . Being a scratch for the entire first round of the playoffs , Moncton released Kabanov of his obligations to play in the 2010 U18 tournament . There , he would become the center of controversy after being rejected by the Russian squad for disciplinary reasons . " I removed him from the team because we thought Kabanov would help us , but he brought only confusion to the team , " Vasiliev told Sovietsky Sport . " Kabanov came and thought ' Here I am , a star from Canada , who will save all . ' But it ' s the team that wins rather than an individual player . "