As Igor Volkov was playing for the Russian national team, his talent quickly went noticed by the elite North American teams wanting to draft more players. Although his English was less than ideal, Igor decided he'd take a shot at the North American league. He was drafted by the Vancouver Whalers and later offered a spot in the Minnesota Chiefs, one of the few teams willing to draft him. His experience in the SMJHL was initially not ideal, but in the end, he came to dominate over the others and helped win his team the S48 Four Star Cup over Anaheim, one of his best memories from those days. Igor didn't have too many friends in Vancouver, mostly staying close to some well-trusted teammates and his coaches. Having achieved peak SMJHL glory, Igor decided somewhat last minute to immediately transfer up to Minnesota despite the scandal that was ongoing at the time.