Ivan Provorov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ivan Provorov
Provorov with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2020
Born	(1997-01-13) 13 January 1997 (age 28) Yaroslavl, Russia
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	201 lb (91 kg; 14 st 5 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Columbus Blue Jackets Philadelphia Flyers
National team	Russia
NHL Draft	7th overall, 2015 Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	2016–present

Ivan Provorov (born January 13, 1997) is a professional ice hockey player from Russia. He plays as a defence player for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League (NHL). Before joining the Blue Jackets, he played for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Ivan was born in Yaroslavl, Russia. He started playing hockey with a youth team there. When he was 13, he moved to Pennsylvania, USA, to play junior hockey. He later played for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League. In 2016, he was named the best defence player in that league. Ivan has also played for Russia in several international tournaments.

The Philadelphia Flyers chose Ivan as the seventh overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. He joined the team in 2016. Ivan was known for playing many games in a row without missing any. He holds the second-longest "iron man streak" for the Flyers. He has also won the Barry Ashbee Trophy four times, which is given to the Flyers' best defence player. He was the youngest player ever to win this award.

Ivan's Early Life and Hockey Start

Ivan Provorov was born in Yaroslavl, Russia, on January 13, 1997. He was the oldest of three children. He started learning to ice skate when he was five years old. He grew up playing hockey with friends. One of his friends, Nikita Pavlychev, said that Ivan always stood out from other kids because of his talent.

After playing for the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv youth team, Ivan decided to move to North America. His big goal was to play in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Moving to the United States

In 2011, when he was 13, Ivan moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He joined the junior Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights team. He lived with a host family, which is common for young athletes. He learned English by going to a private school and watching movies and TV shows like Gladiator. His coach, Alex Vasko, helped him by translating when he first arrived.

In his first season with the Knights, Ivan scored 61 points in 27 games. His team also won a national championship. The next season, he moved up to the Knights' older youth team. He scored 97 points in 51 games, showing how skilled he was.

Ivan's Hockey Journey

Playing in Junior Leagues

At 16, Ivan was chosen by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the 2013 USHL draft. He played 56 games with them in the 2013-14 season, scoring 6 goals and 13 assists.

After that season, two other teams drafted him. The Brandon Wheat Kings from the Western Hockey League (WHL) chose him in 2014. He had planned to play college hockey, but he decided to join the Wheat Kings after talking with their coach.

In 2015, Ivan was invited to a special game for top young players. He played alongside Travis Konecny, who would later become his teammate on the Flyers. Ivan was the top-scoring rookie defence player in the WHL during the 2014–15 season. He had 15 goals and 61 points in 60 games.

The next season (2015–16), Ivan continued to play for the Wheat Kings. His team won the Ed Chynoweth Cup. He finished the season with 21 goals and 73 points in 62 games. He was named the WHL Defenceman of the Year and the CHL Defenceman of the Year.

Joining the NHL: Philadelphia Flyers

Before the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, experts ranked Ivan as one of the top players. The Philadelphia Flyers picked him seventh overall. He signed a contract with them soon after.

Ivan impressed the Flyers during training camp. He made the team's main roster for the 2016–17 season. He played his first NHL game on October 14, 2016, and got his first point with an assist. He scored his first NHL goal the next month. In his first season, he had 30 points (6 goals, 24 assists) in 82 games. In April 2017, he won the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers' best defence player. He was the youngest player in Flyers history to win it.

Provorov in a game against San Jose in 2016

In the 2017–18 season, Ivan continued to play well. He scored 41 points (17 goals) in 82 games. The Flyers made it to the playoffs that year. After the playoffs, Ivan shared that he had played with a shoulder injury.

Ivan signed a new six-year contract with the Flyers in September 2019. He continued to be a key player for the team. When the NHL season was paused in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ivan had 13 goals and 36 points. When the playoffs resumed, he scored an important winning goal in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. He won the Barry Ashbee Trophy again in 2020.

In January 2021, Ivan was named an alternate captain for the Flyers' home games. He also set a new record for the most consecutive games played by a defence player for the same team from the start of their career. He passed a record that had stood for a long time. Ivan's streak of playing in every game was the second-longest in Flyers history. He won the Barry Ashbee Trophy for the third time in five seasons. He led the Flyers' defence players with 26 points in the 2020–21 season.

Ivan's amazing streak of 403 consecutive games ended on January 4, 2022. He had to miss a game because of health protocols.

Moving to the Columbus Blue Jackets

Provorov (right) and Brandon Tanev of the Seattle Kraken in a game in 2024.

On June 6, 2023, the Flyers traded Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets. This trade also involved the Los Angeles Kings.

Ivan's Playing Style

Experts who watch hockey players say that Ivan Provorov is a great skater and has excellent control of the puck. They describe him as an "excellent, all-around defenseman." He is known for his smooth skating and how well he moves on the ice. He also has a good understanding of how to play both with and without the puck.

Ivan is famous for his "iron man streak," which means playing many games in a row without missing any. He holds the record for the most consecutive games played for the same team from the start of a career. He didn't miss an NHL game from his debut until January 4, 2022. Before that, he hadn't missed a hockey game since he was 10 years old! He works hard in the summer to stay in shape. He says he is proud to be on the ice every game and help his team.

Playing for Russia

Provorov (second from left) with Russia at the 2017 IIHF World Championship

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Russia
World Championships
Bronze	2017 Germany/France
World Junior Championships
Silver	2015 Canada
Silver	2016 Finland

Ivan Provorov first played for Russia in 2014 at the 2014 IIHF World U18 Championships.

He then played for the Russian junior team at the 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (WJC). Russia won a silver medal at this tournament.

Ivan returned to the Russian team for the 2016 WJC. He scored a goal in the final minutes of the gold medal game against Finland, which tied the game. However, Finland scored in overtime, and Russia won another silver medal.

The next year, Ivan played in the IIHF World Championship. Russia won a bronze medal in that tournament.

In 2021, Ivan played for the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team at the 2021 IIHF World Championship. This was due to rules about Russian athletes at the time. He helped his team reach the playoffs. The Russian team finished fifth overall after losing to Canada in overtime.

Ivan's Personal Life

Ivan Provorov has a pet Golden Retriever named "Drake the Pup Star." Drake is very popular online and has over a million followers on Instagram and TikTok!

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2014	Russia	WJC18	5th		5	0	0	0	0
2015	Russia	WJC			7	0	1	1	0
2016	Russia	WJC			7	0	8	8	2
2017	Russia	WC			10	0	3	3	6
2021	ROC	WC	5th		8	0	2	2	0
Junior totals					19	0	9	9	2
Senior totals					18	0	5	5	6

Awards and Honors