Nikita Flipachyev - Humble Beginnings [2/2]

[Arayvenn 14]

Early Life
Born in Moscow on January 1st, 2000, Nikita Flipachyev arrived determined to make an impact on the new millennia. As the son of a poor factory worker and stay at home mom he did not have much opportunity to play hockey. He got onto the streets for a game of ball hockey when he could, but outside of the occasional pond hockey game Nikita did not often lace them up. He watched Dynamo Minsk and any KHL game he could catch at the time religiously, and followed the NHL on weekend nights, pining for the chance to get on the ice and play. He frequently watched old hockey clips on Youtube, becoming a fan of the 90s Vancouver Canucks. Nikita would dawn a 'Nucks jersey and sit himself in front of the TV for every Vancouver game he could reasonably catch. When he wasn't able to stay up so late he would make an effort to watch former Canucks playing in the KHL, becoming a big fan of Pavol Demitra leading up to the Yaroslavl disaster. Alas, he could still not afford to join a local competitive hockey team. In the meantime, Nikita found other ways to scratch his athletic itch, performing as a top track and soccer athlete for his age group.

At age 10 the Flipachyev's moved to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in pursuit of a higher quality of life. Nikita's father, Andrey, grew tired of working long hours in the steel factory and had begun taking night classes to become a software engineer. After years of classes and self-training, Andrey was finally able to secure a job at Shopify through the referral of a family friend. The Flipachyev's lives were about to take a drastic turn for the better.

One of his father's first major purchases was a set of hockey equipment and enrollment in a Canadian squirt league. Working less hours, Andrey and his wife, Natasha, had more free time and were able to attend each and every one of Nikita's games. Nikita was determined to not let his parents' efforts go to waste, he had seen the hours his father had spent learning a difficult craft so that he might have a chance to chase his dreams. It quickly became clear to Nikita's coaches that he was too much of a force for squirt and so Nikita began his Canadian hockey career a year up in peewee, playing for Ottawa's Kanata Blazers. He would go on to set all-time team records in goals and points before moving onto midget and eventually Junior. Nikita adjusted well to life in Canada. He took English classes in Moscow and spoke fluent English before the move so he had no difficulties making friends and assimilating. He was also a fiery, passionate, hockey fan and clung to other die-hard fans at school quickly, still repping the Vancouver Canucks. Inspired by his father's work ethic and discipine, Nikita worked hard himself and was able to maintain straight As throughout high school. He showed interest in pursuing an undergraduate degree and eventual PhD in neuroscience at Carleton University, but ultimately decided to hit the road and join a major junior squad to better his chances at turning pro. He is open to the possibility of returning to academia should his pro career not workout, but he has little doubt that it will. Nikita was kept on an intense workout routine and strict diet by his junior coaches.

Major Junior
Selected in the 2nd round of the OHL priority draft, Nikita has spent his entire junior career with his new 'hometown' Ottawa 67s. Desperate for some talent along the boards, Nikita quickly rose through the ranks and was given an opportunity to play on the first line within his first 20 games in the league, a post he has held since. His parents still attend every home game and make the trip out to Oshawa and London when it's convenient, cheering their son on and eagerly anticipating the day he turns pro. Though the 67s have not been good during his tenure, Nikita has made a name for himself and has managed to put up respectable numbers. He attempts to emulate his favourite player of all-time, the Russian Rocket, Pavel Bure and has drawn comparison's to the Winnipeg Jets' Patrik Laine. With a shot as hard as he is fast, Nikita has taken the OHL by storm scoring nightly. As a result of his late start with the sport his hockey sense can use some work, but he has a powerful first step and soft hands allowing him to make space for himself on the ice where his positioning may otherwise fall flat. A disciplined and fast winger who loves to score, Nikita is hoping to make an immediate impact after turning pro. The more physical, gritty areas of his game are lacking, but the Russian forward doesn't shy away from the play along the boards and is eager to learn how to play the body better. 

Nikita has announced his eligibility for the 62nd VHL draft in lieu of a position in the NHL and is expected to be drafted this upcoming season. When asked if he has a preference on where he lands he said he would be grateful to play for any team in the league, but couldn't help but admit that the prospect of staying at home and playing with the Lynx where he started his new life was "more than appealing".

Word count: 950-ish. It was 1100+ but there was so much fluff I wasn't happy with it. If this doesn't count for TPE, don't worry about it.

Edited August 6, 2018 by Arayvenn

[DaftRaincloud 62]

Review - Always great to read a rags to riches story. It's the classic, right? Would have been awesome to have you here in Ottawa with us, but the cards fall how they fall. The word count may have ended up falling a little short, but you're not lacking for content. Every sentence is important and continues the narrative of Flipachyev's life. I really enjoyed reading this bio.

[Cornflakers 73]

Review - content is great, was a nice read. Are you from Ottawa? I'm living in Ottawa myself :). Would love to see an image or something of where you're from in Russia in this haha. And maybe a snap of that old nucks jersery. I think our players may have crossed paths at some point ;). If you write media spots in the future, graphics always help to spruce things up.