tbf he didn't stick with Florida either. Not surprising; not a fast or remotely gritty player but very skilled. Tailor made for the KHL.
His rights were traded to Florida
after he signed with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. He didn't want to remain in the AHL on another two-way contract, especially having sacrificed two years when he could have been making decent money in his home country.
When the team offered him a two-way qualifying offer, he rejected it and decided to move on with his career. Throughout his tenure with the Moose, he had been making tremendous improvements to his game; in fact, he set a new team record for longest point streak just prior to being recalled for the Avalanche game featured above. His coaches in Manitoba praised him for improving his defensive game, his work ethic, and his determination to become better with each game.
In that first game of that season with the Canucks, he played very well, had several chances, and scored his first goal. He continued to play well in the first half of his second game with the team, then was subsequently benched. He could tell he would not be given a fair chance with this team no matter what, and when they decided to keep his rights, he knew he was better off financially returning to Russia.
In an interview conducted last June, he said he would be open to the idea of returning to the NHL one day if the Panthers are interested in making an offer. Here are excerpts from a translation of it:
http://canucksarmy.com/2012/7/7/sergei-shirokov-fondly-recalls-his-north-american-hockey-experience-and-crazy-canucks-fans
Vyacheslav Sambur: You came back to Russia and were called up to play for Team Russia, despite the fact you spent last two seasons in the AHL. What did you learn there?
Sergei Shirokov: I learned a lot as a person. I learned another language, I met new people, got a glimpse into their mentality… It’s a completely different atmosphere, and I was getting familiarized with it. It was tough during the first few months – and then my girlfriend came over. The one I just married. She helped me a lot.
As for the hockey, in all honesty, it’s a very good level. The game is fast-paced and physical. Most of the guys are young. They try to go to the NHL while AHL is just a temporary stage for them. Having spent two years in Canada I’ve gained more than I lost.
I talked to Alex Burmistrov about the Jets, turns out a lot of folks I knew from the Manitoba Moose are still there. They’re all real pros and they helped me quite a bit. We had a good team – we had a Swedish goalie, a lot of European skaters, even a Danish one! The rink was also fantastic. It had a capacity of 15,000, and we averaged about 10 thousand at our games.
VS: Physically, did you get bigger during your time in Canada?
Shirokov: I did. I had to get used to aggressive hockey. I worked out a lot and now I’m always ready for a physical game. Over there nobody is going to skate by you – they’re all going to bump into you. And not only Canadians do that, but Russians and other Europeans too. If you try to just skate by an opponent a few times, your coaches aren't going to dress you for the next game.
VS: Do you have any cheerful stories?
Shirokov: My first game ever for the Canucks on home ice felt incredible. During the national anthem the guy stopped singing but everybody in the building continued to. I got goosebumps all over. There were 18,000 people were singing… That was unbelievable.
I think they’ve sold out about 300 games in row in Vancouver. These guys really know their hockey. They appreciate not only the scorers, but guys who block shots and delivers hits. It is very pleasant to play in Canada.
VS: You’ve put up some decent numbers in the AHL. There are players who get 100 points down there and still can’t make it to the NHL. Why?
Shirokov: Every team assigns its players to different roles. If you score 100 points in the AHL that's great, but you probably can’t kill penalties or play on the 4th line in the NHL where you're playing like 5-7 minutes a game.
You have to put a guy like this on your first two lines and you need him to score. If someone’s place in the NHL becomes available, you get a chance. However, even then it usually goes like this: somebody from a second line gets hurt – they replace him with a third-liner, and they replace him with a guy from the AHL. It’s like a chain.
VS: What can you buy with a good AHL player’s salary?
Shirokov: I wasn’t making a lot of money but I can't complain. I rented an apartment and a car. It depends on how you spend the money. If you waste your money on nothing, no salary is ever going to cover it. I think young AHL players are pretty satisfied with how much they make.
VS: Are you going to try your luck in the NHL a second time?
Shirokov: We’ll see. Florida owns my rights and I’m willing to see what they’ve got to offer!
He talks a bit about his experiences in Winnipeg and his coaches as well.
VS: Continue this sentence: playing on a team with Mike Keane is…
Shirokov: Very cool! It’s an honor for any hockey player. He’s a 3-time Stanley Cup champion, he’s achieved a lot! He was 40 but he'd still block shots in AHL games. Guys like this should only be treated with respect. He helped me a lot.
VS: Do you remember how you met him?
Shirokov: I was at the airport in Winnipeg, the GM picked me up, drove me to hotel and said: ‘Keane is going to pick you up tomorrow.’ I heard about him but didn’t exactly know who he was. Mike came the next morning, brought me a cup of coffee, told me about the team. He’s an incredibly positive man and he lives hockey. We hung out quite a bit at his place. He’s got a cabinet, which is like a mini-museum where he displays his trophies. There’s a lot of stuff to see.
VS: Was he strict with young players?
Shirokov: It happened. He never covered his emotions but he was never rude about it either. He would look you in the eye and say like: ‘Hey kid! Pull yourself together, we’re a team and you’re not doing so well tonight.’
He had a good attitude and wanted to learn. He was determined to improve, and had already made several strides in the development of his game. The Canucks simply did not give him the chance, and when it was time for them to re-sign him, he had lost confidence in the Canucks as an organization.
On the main boards, several users were discussing Pavel Datsyuk when he first joined the league. He was weak, shied away from contact, and often tried to do too much on the ice. It took time for him to develop into a physically-strong, two-way player. The team had patience and had faith in him, and he repaid their trust in him with his tremendous determination to improve and learn. They found a place for him and Zetterberg despite having a roster full of stars. The Canucks, on the other hand, mismanaged their prospects and did not give them the opportunity to grow with the main club.
Vigneault has no idea how to manage prospects.
