News

Rizvan Mansurov exits the Stouffville Spirit dressing room, a toque with a Canadian maple leaf on his head.

But he’s also proudly Russian, a teenager travelling between two countries to chase his dream.

Mansurov, who turns 18 Sunday, was acquired by the Spirit from the Aurora Tigers last summer.

The slick-skating, 5-foot-9 forward is a native of Kazan, a riverside city of 1.169 million people in southwest Russia. He promotes his home city like he’s the chamber of commerce.

Mansurov was recruited by the Don Mill Flyers bantams in Toronto four years ago. Since then, he’s spent his winters playing hockey in Ontario and summers back home in Kazan.

He’s not the first from his family to try North American hockey. Brother Ruslan, 25, played junior in Odessa and Brookings of the North American league in 2012-13, before injuries derailed his career.

It’s also a family of education, something not lost on Rizvan. His mother is a doctor. Dad’s a lawyer. And Ruslan has two university degrees.

He hopes to earn an NCAA scholarship. At least one college is interested.

School-wise, Rizvan is a year ahead of Canadian teenagers. After graduating high school with a 94-per-cent average, he is studying computer science part time at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, while living in a home his family rents in Vaughan. Family members visit often.

He requested the trade to Stouffville to be closer to school and has no regrets, in spite of the Spirit’s tough season.

“Great team,” said Mansurov, who had a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win in Pickering Sunday. “I’m happy with everybody here. Everyone talks to each other. Everyone is being funny. No problems here.”

Mansurov took up the game at age 7, learning to skate pushing a chair on the outdoor rinks of Kazan.

“Youth hockey is a lot better here than there,” he said. “You do a lot of physical activity there, working out every single day. I don’t think it‘s good to start. You have to start skating.  You have to love hockey, not just work for it.”

CHALLENGING: Assistant captain Kosta Manikis will represent the Spirit at the 2018 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge in Trenton next week. He’s one of five players ranked for the 2019 NHL draft taking part in the 21-game tournament. Twelve Jr. A all-star teams from the five leagues across Eastern Canada are competing.

THE SKED: The 19 days between Spirit home games ended Thursday with a 4-1 loss to the Aurora Tigers. The Spirit is in Aurora Friday night and Newmarket Sunday afternoon. Next home game is Nov. 24 against the Lindsay Muskies.

DONUT DELIVERY: Rookie netminder Damon Beaver’s first junior victory was a shutout, with a dose of familiarity. The Brooklin resident blanked the Pickering Panthers 3-0 Sunday in Pickering. He played much of his minor hockey career with the Ajax-Pickering Raiders AAA organization.

HELLO, GOOD-BYE: The Spirit waived forward Josh Weber Tuesday then acquired Matteo DiBlasio from the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Thursday. DiBlasio, a Queensville resident, played three games with the Spirit last season as an affiliate from the Jr. C Georgina Ice.

OLD HOME WEEK: Wally Crowder, the second GM in Spirit history, was back at the Stouffville Arena Thursday. Now living in Collingwood, the Stouffville native was watching a grandson play prior to the Spirit facing Aurora.

Spirit This Week is a weekly feature sponsored by Farmer Jack’s in Stouffville and Sharon.

Photo by Spencer Smye / OJHL Images.