Claimed:Aleksei Federov's Biography

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Aleksei Federov Biography

 

It's likely safe to say that Aleksei Federov didn't have the up bringing that a majority of other hockey youth and players past have had. From being spoon fed everything during their youth, gifted lives in which others are unable to achieve simply because they don't have the funds, this was not the case for Aleksei and his family. Sharing a small, worn and beaten down home in Novosibirsk, Russia with his 3 siblings, mother and father, there were numerous occasions where his family struggled to put food on the table, heat in their homes and happiness in their hearts. His father worked at the local steel mill and his mother, a nurse at one of the hospitals. While both were enough to maintain a below average life in Novosibirsk, they were unable to gift their children with the lives they truly wished to give them. Due to this, watching them grow up without some of the things they wanted put a large strain on the household. At the age of 3, his fathers steel mill closed down and his mother was forced to work double the time in order to help put food on the table. As the years passed, his father bounced from job to job, however, his health started to diminish and was unable to keep up and was forced to become bed ridden. It wasn't more than 5 years later, Aleksei being 8, that his father had passed away from a terminal illness. 

 

That year, his mother bought him his first pair of skates. A later start then most children, however, she seen how much happiness in brought the young boy every night when he laid firmly in the living room, listening to the KHL games on the radio. Winter came and he played his first youth season of hockey and just like any new comer to the game, had a lot to learn. Stopping was a huge issue and many times did you catch young aleskei slamming into the boards, hear a laugh and watch him zip back down the ice the opposite direction. A spark was in his eyes and determination, even at such a young age, was something he did not lack. Over the next 4 years, he continued to play at the same level of hockey, while attending hockey schools during the Spring and Fall months. 

 

At the age of 15, his mother met a man named Ilya, who was a lawyer from Moscow and had plenty of money. Ilya seen the potential in his partners young son and decided to buy him some real gear, throw him in competitive training and signed him up for try outs with the Moscow "Triple A" junior team. Months had passed and Aleksei spent 5 days a week at a hockey school for the youth gifted players in Russia. Try outs eventually approached and he was the 4th player to be selected to the young team. Over the course of the 32 game season, his team managed to go 18-10-4, to make the playoffs and place 3rd in the league. During this stint, Aleksei managed to put up 6 goals, 15 assists for 21 points in 32 games played, however, it wasn't his offensive capabilities that stood out. His defensive game excelled above the rest of the blue liners and it managed to get him noticed by someone in the Russian Junior Hockey League, the St. Petersburg Pirates. 

 

The following season, he laced the skates up for the Pirates, one of the most elite teams in Russian junior hockey. During a meeting with scouts and team management, they said there was no pressure to perform during his first season as he was new, but Aleksei had different intentions. The season was long and it was going to take a lot of work, but he knew if he wanted to follow his dream of becoming a professional hockey player, he'd push himself hard enough to overcome the challenges. It was midway through the season, games 36 to be exact and Aleksei was away form home when he got a phone call. His mother too, had fallen sick. He rushed home to be by her side in the hospital, however, had received horrible news that she only had a short while to live. His mother knew that hockey was her dream and did not wish to be selfish. She encouraged Aleksei to go out and play as it made her happy to watch it on the television. After taking 2 weeks off to be with his mother, he returned to the ice and managed to play in 27 of the remaining 29 regular season games. In that final stretch, he managed 2 goals and 14 assists. 

 

 

Playoff time rolled around and his team somehow pulled off a nail biter to move onto the finals where they'd play the Moscow Bombers. Just prior to game 3, the coach received a call and called Aleksei off the ice. His mother had passed away earlier in the day and said it was okay if he wanted to go, take off his stuff and fly home. Aleksei went, took off his equipment and sat in the stands for the remainder of the 1st period. As the 2nd period went on, something came over him. He remembered his dream and what his mother would want him to do. He strapped everything back up and on and was ready for the 3rd period. Then it happened. 3 minutes to go, time running out and the game is 2-1 for Moscow. The play is circulating in the offensive zone, the winger takes and snap and it bounces right to Aleksei.. he slammed his stick down and fired it.. and he scored to tie the game. Immediately he kissed his glove, pointed to the sky and let out the tears. Emotion had overcome him. The team went on to lose the series in game 7, but Aleksei was awarded with the MVP of the playoffs trophy. Through 12 games, he got 11 points, 3 goals, 21 hits and was a +9. His heart and dedication to the game, his team and family was everything that the game was about. 

 

The next season, he once again played for the Pirates, but this time he took no time out of the season. After the passing of his mother, he really started focusing on hockey and nothing but. This, essentially paid off. Through the 72 games, he managed to get 66 points, 28 of those points being goals. He led dmen in goals scored, hits and was 2nd on the list for points accumulated. Playoffs then began and his spectacular play only continued. The team steam rolled through the first two rounds, sweeping both teams in quick fashion and made their way to the finals where they once again played the Moscow Bombers. Yes, you guessed right. Game 7 finish. How cliche but how very rewarding for young Aleksei. The Pirates hoisted the cup and right after the captain lifted it up, passed it off to Federov to skate around the ice and lift above his shoulders to show both his parents watching down on him.

 

 

He played 2 more seasons with St. Peterburg and through the 144 games, he managed 39 goals (20, 19) and 81 assists for 120 points. He lifted the championship once more in his final season and also got his hands on a few individual awards like the top dman of the year award. Now, he leaves mother Russia to live the dream out that both his parents pushed so hard for him to have. The goal of doing what he loved most; playing hockey. Aleksei is now heading over to the VHLM and rumor has it, will be signing with the Bratislava Watchmen any day now. If both parents were able to say anything to him, it's that they believed in him and knew that he was going to become something extra special. We'd have a feeling with them saying that, they'd be right.

 

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Claimed