When you think of star hockey players, Kazakhstan is likely not one of the first nationalities that come to mind. In fact, it is probably one of the last places you would think about when thinking about a star professional hockey player. With that being said, we have a rare case on our hands here with one of the top goaltending prospects in the upcoming SMJHL Entry Draft hailing from Kazakhstan. Artom Zhumbayev, represented by one of the more successful agencies in recent memory is the man we are referring to. His agency has represented two SHL hall of famers in the form of John McBride and Carter O'Callahan but has also represented a recent draft bust in the form of Blake Battle. In time, we will see which way Zhumbayev's career goes but one thing is for sure, he is paving a path back home in Kazakhstan for others taking the rare path to professional hockey. If he finds success, others will follow in his footsteps and try their luck in the sport of hockey. There is currently no Kazakhstan team on the international level so it is likely that Zhumbayev will be suiting up for a different country. What country that is, remains to be seen.
How many hockey players are born in Japan?
How many of those hockey players are dark skinned? And of those few, how many of them are named Sterling Slaughter? There could only be one. Hello I am Sterling Slaughter, a big bodied winger from Japan, and the most unique player in this whole draft. I was born in on an American Military Base is Japan so technically I'm an American but I have the right to transfer and play for whichever IIHF team. Growing up in a foreign country was tough considering I was head and shoulders bigger than all the neighboring children. But once my parents passed away in a tragic tsunami and I moved to America, I knew hockey was my calling when I watched a SMJHL hockey game between the Firebirds and the Whalers. Being in such a weird situation I was in at such a young age definatley fueled the fire that turned into the tenacious player I am today. With the background I have with a military family and the size I have, I think I have more than enough tools to be successful in all levels of play.
The_Mazais Registered
S29, S32 Challenge Cup Champion and Superstar
Posts:1,905 Threads: 71 Joined: Feb 2014 Reputation:0
Pronouns: Undisclosed
Everyone knows Latvian players around SHL. My story starts when I was little and watched how Lauris Prikulis lead Winnipeg Jets to Challange cup. Since then I knew that I want to come to SHL and do the same. Right now beeing just 17 years old and patiently waiting for SMJHL entry draft Intars Barsou is hasn't talked with a lot of teams. Just two to be exact. And he is sure that one of them will be his next home for next 3-4 seasons. This far ride hasn't been easy. Going away from home in Latvia, Latgale to be exact, and having language skills that only McZ could understand nothing came easy for young Latvian. Young Latvian has big shoes to fill. Lauris Prikulis, Voldemorts Karlensons Matthew Lewis-Flood, Intars wants to be next in this list. He is sure that nothing will come easy, but he is ready to work to reach the hights of goalkeepers I mentioned before.
As a brand new player coming into the SMJHL, one of the biggest things that's shaped your life so far is where you're from. Tell us about that - are you paving new paths for people back home? Taking a well-worn path many have before? Do you have aspirations to play for your country?
Hello everybody, my name is Jay Beagle Jr. and yes before you ask, Jay Beagle of the Washington Capitals is my father. While even though we are related, we do not play a similiar style. My NHL comparison would probably be Ryan O'reilly because i'm more of a high paced scoring fwd who backchecks hard, has good stick on puck and is as positionally sound as it comes in the defensive zone, i'm not much of a physical player but when it comes to the hits department, but i have no problem going to the dirty areas of the ice and taking a hit to make a play. Anyway, enough about my game, I am from St. Louis Missouri and am extremely proud at the strides hockey has took in the heartland of america over the past 15-20 years. STL has had numerous NHL players including Paul Stastny, Ben Bishop, Pat Maroon, Chris Butler, Scott Mayfield and Cam Janssen(a few more too). The 2016 draft saw five STL kids taken in the 1st round and six total. It was something completely unheard of from a mid sized baseball 1st town in the middle of america. Those names are Clayton Keller, Matthew Tkachuk, Luke Kunin, Logan Brown and Trent Frederic. The other was Joseph Woll in the 3rd round. Outside of the NHL draft, STL has been producing numerous USHL, OHL and NCAA players as well. I think everyone in the hockey community can confidently agree that St. Louis has become on of americas top cities for producing high quality hockey players.
St. Louis is stockful of NHL alumni that coach in the area from names like Basil McCrae, Jeff Brown and Rick zombo all the way to HOF'ers Chris Pronger, Al Macinnis and Keith Tkachuk(future) as well as many many more. I wouldn't say I had the same path as most players, but i don't believe i am a trail blazer.
I have a very big aspirations to play for my country, almost as much as i want to win an SHL cup. Dawning the USA sweater would be an unbelievable honor, with grandparents who defended this country in WW2 and the korean war, it would be a proud moment for my family to watch me represent our great country and go to war on the ice.
A local spot light had been thrusted on me since the age of nine from the Infamous Tamagachi goal of 04. Life seem to change after that..I no longer had to pay for my powdered jelly donuts at Tim Hortons.. teachers where now sending me home game day tapes as home work assignments and a Mike Izzy would walk into a new clubhouse and be expected to lead.
While this newfound attention seemed strange and overwhelming at times my pops would tell me stories about the great local Whitby stars of yesteryear who I now follow in their foot steps. Players like 'Fat' Rob Chaimowitz who's 13 year stint in professional over seas hockey started out with free Jelly Donuts from Timmys as well... and stories about the great Blukey Harris, a defenseman from Anderson avenue which is no further then 6 blocks from my home and a Hall of fame esk career in the southern side of syberia.
From an early age I realized that this is simply life as a whitby youth hockey star. It's saturated into the fabric of our community and it's my responsibility to accept this honour.
Through high school and into my collegiates I accepted my role as youth hockey ambassador by appearing in as many functions as I was asked...from signing autographs at the Salvation Army food drives on Brock street to taking pictures with new customers at the money mart on Thickson avenue.. this was life as Mike Izzy.
As a matter of fact I saved the flyer from one of my more enjoyable meet and greets below...
The bottom line is You either except your role or you eat the roll (with butter please) .... And I Mike Izzy accept my role as Whitbys embasadore of the SHL and I will go with wherever that leads.. which includes Canadian Olympic hockey if I am so fortunate to be asked.
Being from Penza means hardship. It means difficulty.
Not difficulty in the sense of coming over a goal. It is difficulty in the sense of the world being against you. Being pushed back to the ground, when you were already lying flat there already.
And yet, my heart is pulled by strings from back home. From family.
I will go back eventually. That is the plan. I'll go back with enough money to support me for life.
Maybe after a successful career in the smjhl, then the shl, then the iihf, I'll be able to go home to a nice cottage in the countryside and live the rest of my life in silence.
It would be nice to return home a hero of sorts. Not a whole lot of those from Penza.
It would be nice to be one of the first.
FourFour Registered
S20, S21, S51, S53 Challenge Cup Champion
Posts:9,675 Threads: 381 Joined: Mar 2013 Reputation:11
Pronouns: He/Him
Coming from Chicago is quite easy entering the SMJHL, the city has grown some great talent in the NHL and various other leagues, however, coming into the SMJHL as a former Hall of Famer’s son, well that’s another story. It going to be hard to live up to the early expectations my dad had set for me, thank goodness, he was not a really good player in the SMJHL, he always played behind great teams leading him to Four Star Cups, but I don’t want to follow in my dad’s footsteps. I want to be another name in the hall of fame, and I want to be looked at in this league as an entity separate from Jordin FourFour. My dad only played a season for his hometown country before committing to Team Sweden in the long haul. I aspire to represent the red, white, and blue in the IIHF and hopefully bring a gold around my neck, something my dad never did.
Gord Mckenzie was born in Oxford, England but his parents and siblings moved to rural Canada when Gord was 1 year old. He grew up in a small Canadian town and as all young children growing up in Canada; hockey became life. While a proud Canadian, Gord was intrigued by his English heritage and on occasion would visit his grandparents who still lived across the pond. Gord was fascinated and inspired by his grandparents who fought for England in World War 2. His Grandfather was in the Air Force and his Grandmother was a battlefield doctor. He researched their endeavors and would listen to their stories, experiences and lessons for hours on end. Over time he developed a deep sense of pride and passion for his birth country and decided that if he was so lucky he would fight for his country on the ice. He hopes that his on-ice pedigree and his passion for the UK will lead to a spot when the time comes.
The Steel City is a huge sports town, so I was raised as such since birth. Football, baseball and hockey are big 3 and I decided to play the least popular of the three at age 5. I decided because my dad took me to a pre olympics friendly between the USA and Canada and got my first taste of what it is to be an American hockey player. The grit, and intangibles that I saw that day compared to the skill and speed and talent that the Canadians showed was amazing. From then on I knew that I would need to represent the ole U S of A in both a professional and international environment. I have since then been apart of a few U-17 international teams and played and won tournaments. After each game I make sure I go out and meet the young kids out in the crowd and inspire them to follow their dreams of playing hockey.
fever95![[Image: 099C997C-E6D6-4E0B-A5C6-F005EC977836_zpstfrvmsxx.jpg]](http://s1375.photobucket.com/user/f2i/media/099C997C-E6D6-4E0B-A5C6-F005EC977836_zpstfrvmsxx.jpg.html)
![[Image: OnGNB1G.gif]](https://i.imgur.com/OnGNB1G.gif)
![[Image: cgv4vCv.png]](http://i.imgur.com/cgv4vCv.png)
|![[Image: 95lCCDx.png]](http://i.imgur.com/95lCCDx.png)
|![[Image: KgwtJeY.png]](https://i.imgur.com/KgwtJeY.png)
|
|
![[Image: izzy.PNG]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/567556059145961482/960756080902832138/izzy.PNG)
</div>
![[Image: fever95.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/fever95.gif)
![[Image: LpkqUbe.gif]](https://i.imgur.com/LpkqUbe.gif)
![[Image: ZLoVQGU.png]](https://i.imgur.com/ZLoVQGU.png)
![[Image: M02LOrx.png]](https://i.imgur.com/M02LOrx.png)
