Career Reflection: Four Down, Five to Go

[Bojovnik 487]

Season five has just got underway for Yaroslav Bogatyrev. After being drafted second overall by the Seattle Bears in the S86 VHL Entry Draft, some were surprised that the Russian forward was one of just two players to jump straight into the VHL in his draft + 1 season.

 

Season 86
16+15-31 | -15 | 53 Hits

It was a challenging season both for the Seattle Bears and Yaroslav Bogatyrev. Few were expecting the 6’6’’ forward to challenge for top line minutes, but Bogatyrev really struggled to do anything of note in his rookie year. Far from competing for a Stoltzy, Boga was almost out of the league. The Bears also struggled, getting dumped out at the Wild Card stage

 

Season 87
21+23-44 | -23 | 98 Hits

If Boga’s rookie season was disappointing, it’s fair to say that his sophomore season was even more frustrating. Bogatyrev struggled to score consistently, and his defensive work was heavily under question as Seattle’s second unit struggled to contain stronger teams. There were shoots of positivity in the playoffs, as Boga had 13 points in 16 games, but no cup, and calls for a trade.

 

Season 88
26+51-77 | +18 | 207 Hits

After two terrible seasons, Bogatyrev finally started to show why he was drafted second overall. Boga added playmaking to his game, and tightened up his defensive play, both with the body and with his stick. Bogatyrev cemented himself as a top line player in this season, and ended up finishing second in votes for the Dustin Funk award. However, the playoffs saw Boga regress to his old form. The Bears might have got within one win of the Continental Cup, but Boga managed just 9 points in 19 games.

 

Season 89
34+48-82 | +22 | 236 Hits

This was perhaps Boga’s most complete season to date, as he turned into a consistent performer that shone at both ends of the ice. New career highs in goals, +/- and hits are testament of a player starting to enter their prime. Despite that, the Bears failed to get past the New York Americans in the Conference Semi-Finals in a massive shock.

 

What’s next?

Boga was named captain of the Seattle Bears ahead of the S90 season. The Bears lost their first two games of the season in embarrassing fashion, although the Russian forward has all three of the team’s goals through two games. More than ever, it’s time for Boga to become a leader. Does he have the minerals?