September 30, 2000

Drozdetsky's Hockey Dynasty

Name: Alexander Drozdetsky
Team: SKA St. Petersburg
Birthdate: 10.11.81
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 73 kg

Regular hockey fans of St. Petersburg and admirers of the Soviet Team of the early 80s still remember the brilliant play of Nickolay Drozdetsky. This crafty forward has been a prolific goal scorer at the end of the 70s in his primary team was SKA Leningrad, now known as SKA St. Petersburg.

Due to his great hockey skills he has become the member of the legendary CSKA Moscow in 1979 and the "Red Machine" respectively. It's next to impossible to enumerate all his hockey achievements. He is twice World champion (1981,1982). Bronze medallist of the 1985 WSC. Three European champion (1981,1982, 1985). The winner of the 1984 Olympic games. He is also the owner of the 1981 Canada Cup where he scored twice in seven games played.

On his account there is 21 goal scored in 33 games at the WSC, ESC and Winter Olympic Games. In the USSR Championships he has  252 goals scored in 503 games played. He is six time champion of the USSR.

Unfortunately he has passed away four years ago at the age of 39. Great loss for the Russian hockey! We mourn for the man who glorified Soviet/Russian hockey. Nevertheless we are happy to know that his son has followed his fathers footsteps and already gives the indication of becoming another great of Drozdetsky's dynasty.

His name is Alexander Drozdetsky. Like his father he has been coached by the merited Russian coach, Vladimir Plutsinsky, who works now at the hockey school for children founded by the father of Alexander. The club which represents his school has been named after its founder HC Drozdetsky, Hockey Club of Drozdetsky. Nickolay has been the patron of it. That time he has been still the current player of the Sweden Hockey League. He has had a nice chance to buy different hockey equipment at his own expense. That's what his father has been doing. Many people say that the proverb "like father like son" ideally matches if somebody wants to describe Alexander Drozdetsky. The same manner of play and gentleness off the ice in everyday life.

When Alexander has grown older he has been admitted to the hockey school of SKA-2. At the second stage of the 1998/99 season he has made a great progress in his hockey education. Alexander has been among the best scorers on his team. At the age of 17 he made his debut on the Junior Team Russia. Soon after he has been called up for a try-out in the senior club team SKA St. Petersburg.
Though Alexander has been too young for the senior level hockey the head coach of SKA St. Petersburg, Rafail Ishmatov, has put him in the line-up for the 1999/00 season. He has made his pro debut in the home game against Dynamo Moscow where he line-mated with the veteran of SKA Viktor Belyakov and Sergey Shalamay.

Alexander Drozdetsky scored his first goal at the presence of his home crowd in the game against HC Lipetsk when only four minutes has been left till the end of the game. The captain of SKA Alexei Koznev has been penalized and Alexander has been sent for him to serve the penalty. Just stepping onto the ice after the serve Drozdetsky has gotten a nice feed and rushed ahead with a puck and produced a nice accurate shot which has hit the net. As a result 5:2 in favour of SKA. Though he ended the season only with two goals in 36 games the year has become an invaluable experience for him in the senior level hockey.

Unfortunately he has been a little bit older to make the 2000 JWC Russian Under-18 team and too young for the 2000 JWC Russian Under-20 team. So he has had just to be contented by participation at the international tournaments of the second national teams. One of them has been held at the time when Russian Under-18 team has been competing for the medals in Switzerland. It has been traditional international tournament for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The Under-20 teams of Sweden, Finland, Czech Republick, Russia and St. Petersburg has been fighting for the Grand Prix.

Just at this international event Alexander Drozdetsky garnered the attention of NHL scouts. He produced some goals which may be considered the things of beauty while playing for his native team of St. Petersburg. In the game against team Czech Republic Drozdetsky has skated in front of the net in the manner of his father with two defensemen hooking Alexander in vain try to stop him and nearly falling onto the ice he has managed to level (to dug up) the puck over the lying goaltender. It has been an equalizer and the game has ended in a friendly tie 1:1. In the game against Team Finland he has scored the big goal within 9 seconds left till the end of it. Final score 2:1.

Soon after he has become the Philadelphia Flyers' 94th overall selection at the 2000 Entry Draft. Let's wish him a great start to the 2000/01 season with SKA St. Petersburg. Long live Russian hockey till the time there are hockey genes of the USSR hockey greats in their sons!