• Playing his second season with HC Sibir Novosibirsk in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League, Tarasenko was second on the team in scoring with 10 goals and 17 points in 28 games, while playing just 11:47 per game as an 18-year-old in the league.

• At the 2010 World Junior Championships, he tied for the team lead in goals (4) and finished third overall in points (5) -- Russia finished sixth.

• He also represented his country at the 2009 Under-18 World Championships, winning a silver medal. He finished second overall in scoring with 15 points (8-7--15) and was named to the tournament all-star team.

• Tarasenko's father, Andrei, also the coach for HC Sibir, was a forward for 21 seasons in Russia. He led the Russian Hockey League in scoring with 60 points in 46 games in 1996-97, and represented Russia at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, scoring two goals in eight games.