While Russian officials want to create new ban laws to prevent young hockey players from leaving the country (at least at a young age), there are also examples of players whose careers were saved thanks to a timely change of situation.
Of course, there is someone like Kirill Kaprizov, who has already moved to North America as a superstar and Olympic champion. But at the same time we must not forget about Pavel Mintyukov, who is currently destroying the NHL, nor about the new rising star of the league champion Colorado 2022, Ivan Prosvetov.
Today we want to present to you the story of another Russian who, in pursuit of his dream, had to move to North America at an early age. A guy who became a superstar, won two Stanley Cups at the age of 25 and is now the best Russian defenseman in the world.
Men who prove that the most important thing is the people you meet along the way and the pursuit of your dreams, and also make you think again: will the new prohibition laws really become protection for all our young athletes, or will it amount to be shot for some?in the leg?
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Mikhail Sergachev had just turned 17 when he made the biggest decision of his life: leaving his native Russia to play in a major junior hockey league in Canada.
The defenseman was determined to make it to the NHL, even if it meant leaving his close-knit family and starting over in a foreign country. Although he had earned a promising reputation in his home country playing in youth leagues, Mikhail knew that the exposure he would gain in North America by adapting his game to a smaller court and faster pace would give him a better opportunity.
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Now 25 years old, Sergachev is one of the NHL’s elite defensemen. He is the present and the future of Tampa’s defense, and his eight-year contract runs through the 2030-31 season. He’s already won two Stanley Cups and could add a Norris Trophy to his collection in the near future.
But before achieving that status, he single-mindedly pursued greatness in Windsor, Ontario.
“I don’t think I would be here now if I had stayed in Russia,” Sergachev told the Tampa Bay Times. – This could happen, and it should happen, but I feel like it is. [ранний переезд] It gave me a lot of confidence in my abilities.”
Warm welcome to Canada
Sergachev moved to Canada in 2015 to play with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. He didn’t know anyone and didn’t speak English. Michelle and Brian Reed, who welcomed him into his home, welcomed him as part of the family. The Spitfires introduced Sergachev to an English teacher who taught him two hours a week.
He quickly developed a lot of routine, something unusual for a teenager, but he immediately showed his determination to those around him. He arrived at the court early in the morning to train one-on-one, and then with his trainers he studied videos made for him, which showed the play of the best defensemen in the world, such as Erik Karlsson and Drew Doughty. .
“At 17 years old I had all the ice at my disposal,” Sergachev said. “I mean, it’s better than sitting at home and playing video games.”
Mikhail Sergachev
Photo: nhl.com
After that, he usually went to Tim Horton’s for a coffee and a sandwich, sometimes took a half-hour nap on the sand before his schoolmates arrived, and then returned to practice.
“From the day he got here, you could tell how dedicated he was, how dedicated he was to his craft in terms of wanting to do anything for his career,” said Jerrod Smith, then Spitfires assistant coach and now head coach of the team.
“There are certain guys that come in and just want to be on the ice all the time, that want to work on specific skills related to their role, on their own, with the coaching staff, after practice, before practice. You can really tell how dedicated he is to becoming a hockey player,” Jerrod concluded.
At first, Sergachev avoided speaking because he was afraid of saying something wrong in English. When he and another Russian player who lived in the Reeds’ house spoke Russian together, Michelle insisted that they speak English at home.
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“Make mistakes at home, because here we will correct them,” he told her. “This is how you will learn.”
Sergachev learned the names of some vegetables on his shopping trips and, over time, learned to order from restaurants himself.
“It was very hands-on,” Michelle said. “And things like that were more important than the idea of her becoming a superstar.” But I remember when Brian went to one of the first practices and came back and said, “This guy is a good skater.”
Dream and success
Sergachev also had a rocket shot that immediately impressed his coaches at Windsor. Once he gained confidence in his new language (Mikhail began conducting media interviews in English three months after moving), he began communicating with his teammates, who did their part to help him overcome the barrier. from language. Soon, players began gathering at Reed’s house to watch hockey and poker games.
“Once his English went from nothing to where it is now, all of a sudden the kids started getting along with him,” Michelle said. “They could laugh together and that helped him both on and off the ice. And then the whole team fell in love with him. He started making friends and things became a little easier.”
The Reeds would throw chocolate bars on Sergachev’s bed when he returned home from games in which he scored a point. There was a joke on the team about the player’s sudden fascination with a popular US juice: Blue Raspberry Kool-Aid Jammers.
Mikhail Sergachev
Photo: nhl.com
Despite all the fun, Sergachev remained focused on the main reason for his move to Canada: to get into the NHL.
“He’s been telling us this pretty much since day one,” Brian Reed said. “We were both outside by the fire, and he said, ‘I’ll leave next year.’ I looked down and replied, “But this is your first year here.” He said, “I’ll make it to the NHL next year.” “He was honest and planned to do it.”
However, Sergachev was homesick (he was 8,000 kilometers from home) and this immediately manifested itself on the ice. The Spitfires allowed his family to visit him in Windsor. A successful game followed and Mikhail soon established himself as one of the draft’s top prospects.
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“When you played against him for the first time, you knew he was going to be special,” said Tampa center Anthony Cirelli, who played against Sergachev in the OHL for two seasons. -How big and strong he was, how he skated, how he played, what opportunities he created at a distance of 60 m… Mikhail at first was very good in attack, but it was also very difficult to play against him. He continued to improve.”
her or his promise
Playing on large courts in Russia, Sergachev considered himself a good player, but he spent too much time staring at the court, a habit he says still consumes him. But in Canada players shot more often and skated faster, so he learned to play faster and handle the stick correctly. The coaches saw that this sharpened his game.
Sergachev became the OHL’s best defenseman, scoring 17 goals and 57 points during the season. When Mikhail gave his acceptance speech at the Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony in Toronto, he did so in English and thanked his family.
That summer, the Montreal Canadiens selected Sergachev ninth overall. Before returning to the Spitfires, Sergachev fulfilled his promise to Brian Reed by being included in the team for the opening match of the season. When Mikhail worked on his personal improvement, his motivation was in his homeland, Russia: his parents Alexander and Lyudmila.
“Deep down in my soul I always thought about them, about what they gave me,” Sergachev said. “They gave half their salary to raise me.” Hockey is expensive and they made a lot of money, but at the same time they gave away half the salary… imagine! This is crazy. This is crazy. “So I felt like I needed to improve.”
Mikhail Sergachev
Photo: nhl.com
Sergachev was one of three first-round picks to play for Windsor, with Logan Stanley and Logan Brown also among the top 18 players selected in 2016. The Spitfires had 12 players in double figures in goals, including Sergachev (10) and current Tampa Bay defenseman Sean Day (12).
“When we played together, it was fun because we both love running forward,” said Day, who now plays for Syracuse, Tampa’s AHL affiliate. “It seemed like there were five forwards on the ice.”
Windsor was eliminated in the first round of the OHL playoffs, but received an automatic berth to the Memorial Cup (the junior championship trophy awarded to the winner of the Canadian Hockey League). Note “Championship”) as a home team. The Spitfire’s early departure meant the players would have a six-week break, but they ended up winning the tournament, beating an Erie team that included future Lightning teammates Cirelli, Erik Cernak and Darren Reddish.
Sergachev was the first player to take home the Memorial Cup and he slept with it in his bed that night. This ended up being his last game in Windsor. 18 days later he was traded to the Lightning, a deal that sent Jonathan Drouin to Montreal.
Home away from home
It’s been more than six years since Sergachev left Windsor for good, but for him that match remains special. The hockey player said this is one of three places he considers home, along with his native Nizhnekamsk and the countryside he visited with his family during summers in Russia as a child. He remains close with the Reed family, who attend nearby guest gatherings and visit him in Tampa at least twice a year.
“There aren’t many people in the world who care; They don’t just care about me. They care, they really don’t care,” Sergachev said. “They take care of everyone around them and that’s wonderful.”
At first they were very strict… but now, looking back, I understand that it held me back and disciplined me. It was mainly thanks to them that I didn’t take a single wrong turn along the way because they were so enthusiastic and gave me everything I needed. These are loving and caring people. And I love them.”
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The Reeds’ last trip took place in November, when they saw Sergachev’s seven-month-old son Fyodor, the first child of Mikhail and his wife Lisa.
“He’s great,” Brian said of Sergachev. -He Now he is a man, with a wife and son. He’s just amazing what he does. And he is very sincere.”
In August, Sergachev returned to Windsor to participate in a charity event that raised $200,000 for research into ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a terrible, incurable disease that disrupts the body’s functioning). Note “Championship”). She stayed in her old room in the Reed house. After the game, Mikhail was the last player to leave the ice, making sure that every kid who wanted his autograph did so.
“I’ve had a good career so far,” Sergachev said. “I was getting a place on the team and winning trophies, and it was all great. And a big part of it is Windsor. I spent two years there growing up. I was very lucky to be there. And whenever I can, I always go back there.”
For Sergachev, his home is not just Russia. Yes, now Canada is also his home. But he never forgets Russia, his love for his native country. In Nizhnekamsk, during Neftekhimik matches, there is a special sector that Mikhail bought so that those who cannot afford such pleasure for money can go to hockey for free.
No family, no official, no team stopped him, and now our country has a true superstar in a problematic position. Thanks to the determination, tireless work and improvement of the player himself. Thanks to the right people who were nearby, those who believed in Mikhail, supported him and loved him. It helped him move towards his dream. Not with prohibitions, but with support and love, the belief that he will succeed.
Maybe it doesn’t matter where and when a player moves if he strives to achieve his dream? Even the United States, even Canada, even Europe, even Asia, even Russia, what difference does it make? After all, the most important thing is the fulfillment of your own good dream, which does not harm anyone. And not an attempt to please those who don’t care about you at all.
THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS