Slava Kovalenko Biography

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On a warm and beautiful May 12th, Greg and Anya Kovalenko welcomed their third child, another son. Little did they suspect that the boy they held in their arms would grow up to become another hopeful for the VHL. But as that boy grew, so did his love of hockey. 

 

Stanislav Gregorovitch Kovalenko, quickly dubbed Slava by his family was a quiet child, often times preferring to read a book or do a puzzle rather than roughhouse like his older brother Sergei. Even though Slava loved his brother, older sister Irina and younger sister Katya, he was different from them almost from day one. His family accepted Slava, however, and they were proud of how smart he was and how kind-hearted he was with everyone around him.

 

Always getting good grades in school, Slava had considered becoming a pilot or else an accountant. He had always been good at math in school, but life had other plans for him. His grandparents were diehard VHL fans and from the time he was a tiny tot, Slava would watch hockey with his dido (grandfather) and baba (grandmother). He was entranced, watching the skaters flashing up and down the ice and he badly wanted to play himself.

 

So, his Dido Artem got little Slava his first pair of skates. There was no shortage of places to go skate in St. Albert and it quickly became clear to everyone in the Kovalenko family that not only was this something that got quiet little Slava excited, but he was also just plain good at it. He had a natural feel for the ice and while he and his brother Sergei were also talented motocross bike riders, hockey was Slava's true passion, the thing that really got him going.

 

Pooling their resources together, the family were able to get Slava real hockey equipment and he committed himself to becoming the best player that he could. As a youth player, Slava played for the St. Albert Flyers. While playing youth hockey, Slava experienced a 6-inch growth spurt which left him towering over many people. Having to get used to his new body and what he could do with it, Slava continued to work hard, wanting to make sure that his family hadn't sacrificed time and money on him for nothing. He wasn't just playing for himself. He had a dream: to get the VHL so that his dido and baba could watch their grandson take to the same ice that so many other legends had.

 

But so many seemed to pass Slava by. Opportunities to play beyond youth hockey fell through and just when Slava was losing hope and thinking that he might end up just becoming a pilot like he had supposed or else going into finance, a coach from the University of Alaska happened to catch his last game playing for the Fort McMurray Oil Barons and recruited Slava for the men's team there, the Nanooks.

 

Committing to Alaska, Slava was pleased to find that with his grades, he was afforded a scholarship which made attending college less of a financial burden on the family and he would even get to play hockey too.

 

Still hitting the books hard even while he chased his on ice dreams, Slava was given the captaincy of the Nanooks during his junior year at the University of Alaska and while scouts had come to see him, there were no offers or any hints as to his future would be once he was finished with school and Slava knew that time was running out for him where hockey was concerned. He had seen other people be signed, his friend River Harrington among them and it was hard for Slava to watch, even as glad as he was that other people were getting a good look for the VHL.

 

 

Then came the day that changed everything. An offer was extended to him from the Ottawa Lynx in the VHLM and Slava knew that this was the only chance he was going to get, and he would need to take it with both hands. Accepting with a grateful heart, Slava signed his contract, leaving behind not only his family in St. Albert but also all of his friends that he had made at the University of Alaska. Still, he was going to get a chance and not only that, but he would also be reunited with River, and he hoped to be able to prove that not only could he be a decent player, one day he could be a great one.

 

With his contract signed, Slava made arrangements with U of A to finish his degree online during his season with the Lynx. He didn't want to leave that undone, not after he was so close to finishing, and he knew that his parents and grandparents would want him to finish as well.

 

 

Having arranged everything to his satisfaction as much as he was able, Slava Kovalenko left Fairbanks in a whirlwind as a former college student and was on his way to join up with Lynx as an official hockey defenseman in the VHLM. Whatever happened from here was up to him but at least he was finally getting a chance to prove himself.