Maxim Anisimov - Biography of Ukraine Wayne

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Early Years

Maxim Anisimov was born and raised in the small Ukrainian settlement of Zhurivka by his mother. Maxim never knew his father, but it was rumored by multiple sources in North America that his father was in fact Wayne Gretzky. Regardless whether these rumors were true or not, it meant little to young Maxim who struggled to help make ends meet in his family, where he either spent a large portion of his childhood working in factories, farms, or working at his towns local shops and various business schemes. Anything that could help keep the lights on, Maxim would find himself more times than not getting himself into.

 

As Maxim grew into his teenage years, the winters in the Kyiv Oblast were harder and longer than he remembered as a child. Despite this, Maxim took advantage of the cold, frozen lakes & rivers and decided to lace up the skates for the first time at the age of 13. He was a natural. It took Maxim no time at all to grab a stick from a shop selling old wooden hockey sticks and a ball from his old toybox at home and start playing the game he'd eventually fall in love with. Around this time, people in the settlement started to notice Maxim's skill as well, and it got him on the radar of a few youth teams in the region that were looking for players that could be game changers to their programs. Maxim, however, could not afford to join any of these programs as he was still barely able to contribute enough to help his mother keep a roof over both of their heads. 

 

Maxim's Moment

Now at the age of 17, Maxim was still playing on frozen lakes with his friends where he was truly refining the skill he'd be known for in the pros. His heads up play and ability to find open sticks to pass to made him quite the quarterback and playmaker for whichever team he got placed in when doing miniature fantasy drafts. Maxim always found himself being drafted 1st overall in them, of course, but he never let it go to his head. His upbringing made him humble to be appreciated, and he hoped one day he could make his family some money doing something he felt he truly excelled at.

 

He got his chance as word had gotten to Kyiv and the Ukrainian National Team President Gennadiy Zubko. He was amazed at Anisimov's playmaking ability, and was stunned that it took him so long to be discovered. Despite his financial problems plaguing opportunity in the past for Anisimov, Gennadiy Zubko offered to front all costs of moving him and his mother to Kyiv and allowing him to play in an actual arena. Maxim was honored, and after a very brief conversation with his mother, it was decided they'd immediately accepted Gennadiy's offer, and Maxim would join the U18 Ukrainian Men's National Team.

 

International Play & VHLM

It was everything he could ever dream of. Lights, cameras, custom pads that weren't duct taped onto his body, carbon fiber instead of his old rundown wooden stick. It was truly all surreal to him. One would understandably assume that being immediately thrust onto the world stage would hamper Anisimov's game. If not for good, at least at first, right? Not for Maxim. His playmaking ability was on another level, one the Ukrainian hockey program frankly had never seen before. Ukraine isn't one of those places on Earth that produces a number of remarkable hockey players frequently, so Maxim's presence on the team was immediately felt, and he became an integral part of an otherwise fledging competitor on the world stage. Being on this level of play, and in this environment, it only elevated his status as one of eastern Europe's next up and coming potential superstars. This is when the nickname "Ukraine Wayne" was being floated around by the media, due to the rumors of his father potentially being Wayne Gretzky, which would explain Maxim's remarkable playmaking ability. Call it genetics, call it luck, call it what you will, whether he was related to the Great One or not, he had the ability to be a real competitor should one of the major International leagues like the VHL or it's subsidiaries in the VHLM or VHLE pick up his services.

 

As Maxim became more immersed into the hockey world, he realized that he had a long way to go before he was up to par with the likes of the Canadian and American super factories that were constantly pumping out incredible and generational talent. At the age of 18, Maxim had been doing his best to keep an otherwise deflated team afloat in international competition, and found he enjoyed being in the developmental program more than competing for medals, floating offers from Europe and North America to join real franchises and truly kickstart his career. That's when he was offered $1.5 million from the Las Vegas Aces to play the last few games of the S88 regular season in the VHLM. Maxim was dumbfounded. He never thought he'd see THAT much money in his entire life. He was grateful, and graciously accepted the offer. Flying himself and his mother out to Las Vegas, Nevada, the heat and desert atmosphere was a stark contrast to the frozen tundra of eastern Europe. With a new team and a new purpose, Maxim finally stepped onto the ice with his new team against the Mexico City Kings, and the story has been history ever since.

 

Scouting Report

Maxim is a playmaker through and through. Hands made of silk and an ability to read the play before it develops, Anisimov is a powerplay specialist that thrives with a dedicated Sniper on his line. While his professional career at the moment of writing this biography is only two games old, he's one of the few S90 draft eligible prospect's who have already made immediate impacts in the professional scene. Should he maintain this progression and development of his game, scouts can see him becoming a top pick in the VHLE and VHL drafts, and an immediate impact player in any role he's thrown into.

 

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