A year ago, Alex Ovechkin and Stan Galiev were on the ice in Arlington, Va., for some informal preseason workouts when they heard the news.
As the NHL and its players association trade proposals and barbs back and forth in the process of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement, John Carlson skates. The Washington Capitals defenseman is doing what hockey players often do best: Thinking about hockey.
Stan Galiev was 16 when he chose to leave Russia and become adjusted to hockey in North America with the dream of playing in the NHL. He has no doubt he made the right decision.
When hot-shot prospect Nail Yakupov came to North America to play in the Canadian Hockey League, he didn't know English well enough to get around. He leaned on an American friend who knew Russian, teammate Alex Galchenyuk, for translation as long as he could.
Before stepping onto the ice for an informal preseason workout Wednesday, Alex Ovechkin learned the awful news: A plane carrying Russian team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League had crashed, killing at least 43 of the 45 people on board.
Stan Galiev isn't much different of a hockey player this week than last. He's still a 19-year-old wing with speed and a lot of potential.
It was almost four years ago when, playing for the Dynamo Moscow junior team, Stan Galiev went to the Nike Bauer tournament in Chicago and it changed the course of his hockey career.
