By Andrew Heliotis
At 16 years-old, Daniil Zharkov, left the Russian metropolis of St Petersburg. Like most Russian hockey players, Zharkov traveled across the world to pursue his dream of playing professional hockey.
Technically still a child, he boarded a plane and set off for Kearney, Nebraska. The population there was quite different from the five million inhabitants Zharkov was used to while living in a large city back home.
“I was shocked because I’m from a really big beautiful town, and I came to a really small town. It didn’t really smell very well,” he said.
After only a year, Zharkov was sent further north to a small city in eastern Ontario to play in the Ontario Hockey League. His impression’s here were a little more positive.
“My first impression of Belleville was: it had the biggest ice in the league. Especially being a European player, I enjoy being here; it’s a great organization to be with,” he said.
Cogeco TV’s, OHL Tonight play-by-play announcer, David Foote has seen the 6 foot 4 inch sniper progress well during his time with the Belleville Bulls.
“He’s a guy who can move the puck well. He has good speed through the middle of the ice, great on the power play and he will get himself open and find good shooting spots. So when he is open and they find him, he usually can put the puck in the back of the net,” he said.
Putting the puck in the back of the net is something the coaches from back home noticed. Team Russia approached Zharkov to play for the junior national team at this year’s World Championships in Sochi.
“Things that he has learned away from the puck have certainly helped him out. Whether it’s getting in position to receive a pass or dish it off,” Foote said.
“Whatever he was taught by the team Russia staff, has certainly translated to his game over here,” he added.
Zharkov agreed playing for Russia on the world stage has helped him immensely.
“I think I just got more confident in myself because I played in the world juniors, against the best players in the world. That was really important in my hockey career,” he said.
Zharkov is currently sitting just under a point per game in his OHL career. Luckily, Bulls fans will see him for years to come. The Edmonton Oilers liked the kid who has grown up in rural North America enough to draft him 91st overall in last year’s NHL entry draft.