Answering for the player prompt:

Vaseline Podcalzone's hockey origins start in his hometown of Vladivostok, Russia (yes, he was born in Moscow, but he and his family moved to Vladivostok when he was a young boy), where he would skate on the frozen ponds and rivers during those cold and harsh winters. He was skating by age three, and at age five, he was given a hand me down hockey stick and taught how to handle and shoot the puck.

The learning curve was tough for Podz. Hockey isn't an easy sport to pick up for anyone, and Podz really had to dedicate himself to putting in his best effort to make it count. Playing youth hockey, Podz was never the strongest kid, nor was he the fastest or most talented kid. What he lacked in size, speed, or skill, he made up for solely from effort alone. The SHL was an afterthought to Podz, but he took it one game at a time, and now he's found himself in the show.