SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Hockey
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
COLUMNS
NHL
The Teams
Full Schedule
Monthly Schedule
Standings
Statistics
Rosters
Injury list
Movement
Trades
Hits Gallery
INTERACTIVE
JUNIOR
MORE HOCKEY
ALSO ON SLAM!
Tuesday, September 21, 1999
Doin' dad proud
Oleg's living HIS father's NHL dream
Only now, it lives on in son Oleg.
The younger Saprykin phoned his dad in Russia from Montreal -- as a member of the NHL's Calgary Flames.
For the elder Saprykin, who ended his career as the back-up to Vladislav Tretiak on the Soviet National and Red Army team in Montreal in 1989, it was a call he never thought possible.
The breakdown of the Soviet empire and the resulting influx of Europeans into the NHL has created a hockey world unlike that Dmitri ever played in.
"He is very proud of what I am doing," says Oleg.
"He would like if I could play in the NHL this year but I don't know ... I told him what it is like to be here, to be in the NHL.
"It is very special for me, too."
At just 18 years old, Oleg has shown flashes of NHL stardom in just his first NHL training camp.
Still, it's probably not enough to earn him a job on a team that may opt to limit its new youth in the lineup to Daniel Tkaczuk, Rico Fata and perhaps Steve Begin.
But the success of Saprykin extends beyond the ice surface.
Leaving his home at the age of 17 to join the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, Saprykin left family and an entire life, to one day hopefully play in the NHL.
That's the day Dmitri Saprykin has so much trouble believing is finally here.
"I always dreamed about it, but I wasn't sure it was ever going to happen," he said of having his son drafted into the NHL as Calgary's first round pick (11th overall) this past summer.
It's also a dream come true for Oleg.
"My dad played against NHL teams but I just learned about the NHL from watching the games on television when I was 13 or 14 and since then I've wanted to play there," he said.
It wasn't easy.
Teammate Val Bure was faced with the same leap in hockey and culture when he left with brother Pavel in defecting to join the NHL.
Bure has taken Saprykin under his wing, rooming with the youngster and introducing him to the lifestyle and game he'll be part of sooner, rather than later.
"Its pretty tough and a big move for anyone," said Bure. "You leave your friends and family to come over here and the toughest part is you don't speak the language. The first year is the toughest. You can't have any friends because you can't communicate. Then there's the big steps for the hockey and the lifestyle.
"He seems like he has really adjusted quickly. If you push him, he speaks great English. It looks like he has adjusted to the style of hockey as well. He's made the jump pretty good."
And Bure is a tough teacher. Enlisted as the interpreter for this interview with Saprykin, Bure instead walked away from the youngster as the questions began, forcing the youngster to use his English, to adapt to yet another challenge.
"You'll be OK," Bure said to Saprykin.
"You're on your own now."
Indeed, Saprykin is on his own, both on and off the ice.
But in realizing his dad's dream, Oleg is proving even as a young man that he is up to the challenge, both on and off the ice.
ONE LINERS: Flames still have 28 players in camp ... Goaltender Andrei Trefilov was sent to the Chicago Wolves of the IHL ... Forward Rene Corbet has been cleared to resume playing after suffering a slight concussion in an earlier pre-season game against Montreal ... Expect goaltender Tyler Moss to get the start in goal tonight.
 Bert's back on blades Blue Jays boot game Bombers drop Peterson Felicien rebuilds race | Visit our Polls Archive |