Ranger Prospects: Get an early look at 2009 draft pick Mikhail Pashnin

New York Rangers fans will have their first opportunity to see 2009 seventh round draft pick Mikhail Pashnin in action -- and whet their appetites for the upcoming season with some live hockey -- this weekend when his KHL team, CSKA Moscow, takes part in the Red Bulls Salute 2009 ice hockey tournament in Salzburg, Austria.

The tournament features six of the top teams in Europe and kicks off tomorrow, Thursday, August 27th.  CSKA play their first game at 2:30pm EDT on Friday, against Swiss club ZSC Lions, and meet the hosts, EC Red Bulls Salzburg, on Saturday at 2:30pm EDT.  A final round of games will be played on Sunday to determine tournament rankings and crown a champion.  See the Red Bulls Salute 2009 web site for more information, including the full schedule and live stream.

Pashnin's first ever KHL training camp got off to a late start this summer after negotiations over his transfer fee between CSKA and his previous club, Mechel Chelyabinsk, hit a snag.  Since joining the team two weeks after the start of camp, on August 5th, the 20-year old defenseman has been scoreless in two preseason games.

The KHL regular season gets underway on Thursday, September 10th. Pashnin and CSKA see their first action on Friday, September 11th, when they face local rivals Dynamo Moscow and fellow Ranger prospect Pavel Valentenko.