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 Vladimirovich Provorov (Russian: Иван Владимирович Проворов; born 13 January 1997) is a professional ice hockey defenceman from Russia. He plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League (NHL). Before joining the Blue Jackets, he played for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Provorov was born in Yaroslavl, Russia. He started playing youth hockey there with the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv team. At age 13, he moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to play junior hockey. He played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights and later the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. In 2014, the Brandon Wheat Kings picked him in the CHL Import Draft. In 2016, he won the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the best defenceman in his league. Ivan has also played for Russia in several international tournaments.

The Philadelphia Flyers chose Provorov seventh overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He signed a contract with them that same year. From 2016 to 2022, Provorov played in every game for the Flyers. He holds the team's second-longest streak for playing consecutive games. He has won the Barry Ashbee Trophy four times as the Flyers' best defenceman. He is also the youngest player ever to win this award.

Ivan Provorov's Early Life and Hockey Start

Ivan Provorov was born in Yaroslavl, Russia, on 13 January 1997. He is the oldest of three children. He started learning to ice skate when he was five years old. Ivan grew up playing hockey with friends. One friend, Nikita Pavlychev, said Ivan always stood out from other kids. After playing for the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv youth team, Ivan decided to move to North America. His big goal was to join the National Hockey League (NHL).

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 and learned English by watching movies and TV. An assistant coach, Alex Vasko, helped Ivan when he first arrived. In his first year 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 team. There, he scored 97 points in 51 games.

Ivan Provorov's Playing Journey

Amateur Hockey Career

At 16, Ivan was drafted by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. This team plays in the United States Hockey League (USHL). He was the fifth player chosen in the 2013 USHL draft. In the 2013-14 season, he played 56 games for the RoughRiders. He scored six goals and made 13 assists. After this season, two other teams drafted him. The Brandon Wheat Kings from the Western Hockey League (WHL) picked him in 2014. His old team, Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, also drafted him in the 2014 KHL Junior Draft. Ivan first planned to play college hockey, but he decided to join the Wheat Kings instead.

In January 2015, Ivan played in the CHL Top Prospects Game. He played with Travis Konecny, who later became his teammate on the Philadelphia Flyers. Ivan was the top-scoring rookie defenceman in the WHL during the 2014–15 season. He had 15 goals and 61 points in 60 games. The next season, 2015–16, he helped the Wheat Kings win the Ed Chynoweth Cup. He finished that season with 21 goals and 73 points in 62 games. He was named both the WHL Defenceman of the Year and the CHL Defenceman of the Year.

Professional Hockey Career

Philadelphia Flyers (2016–2023)

Before the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, experts ranked Ivan Provorov as a top prospect. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau placed him seventh overall. He was the second-best defenceman available. The Philadelphia Flyers chose him seventh in the draft. He signed his first NHL contract soon after.

Ivan impressed the Flyers during training camp. He made the team's roster on 10 October 2016. He played alongside experienced defenceman Mark Streit. Ivan played his first NHL game on 14 October 2016. He got his first point with an assist in that game. He scored his first NHL goal on 23 November. Ivan finished his first season with 30 points (six goals, 24 assists) in 82 games. In April 2017, he won the Barry Ashbee Trophy. This award goes to the Flyers' best defenceman. He was the youngest player in Flyers history to win it.

Provorov in a game against San Jose in 2016

Ivan started the 2017–18 season playing with Andrew MacDonald. When MacDonald got injured, Ivan played with Robert Hägg and Shayne Gostisbehere. He improved his scoring, getting 41 points (17 goals) in 82 games. That year, the Flyers made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs. They lost in the first round. After the playoffs, Ivan shared that he had a separated shoulder before the last game. He took painkillers to play. The injury did not need surgery but took eight weeks to heal.

Ivan had a tough start to the 2018–19 season. People wondered if his shoulder was fully healed. In December, Travis Sanheim became his new defensive partner. This change seemed to help his play. Ivan played the most minutes of any Flyer that season. He averaged over 25 minutes per game. The Flyers' defence struggled that season. Ivan scored seven goals and 26 points in 82 games.

On 12 September 2019, the Flyers signed Ivan to a new six-year contract. He started the 2019–20 season on the top defensive pair with Matt Niskanen. The NHL season stopped on 12 March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, Ivan had 13 goals and 36 points in 69 games. He kept practicing during the break. When the NHL playoffs started in Toronto, Ivan was one of 31 Flyers chosen to play. He scored the winning goal in a playoff game against the New York Islanders. This forced a Game 7 in the series. Ivan won the Barry Ashbee Trophy again in 2020.

On 12 January 2021, the Flyers named Ivan an alternate captain for home games. Matt Niskanen retired, so Ivan needed a new defensive partner. Coach Alain Vigneault tried different pairings to find the best fit. On 18 February 2021, Ivan passed Claude Giroux's streak of 328 consecutive games. Ivan's streak became the second-longest in Flyers history. Only Rod Brind'Amour had a longer streak. The next week, Ivan set an NHL record. He played 331 consecutive games for the same team from the start of his career. This passed former Ranger Dan Girardi's record. At the end of the 2020–21 season, Ivan won the Barry Ashbee Trophy for the third time. He led Flyers defencemen with 26 points in 55 games.

After playing 403 NHL games in a row, Ivan missed a game on 4 January 2022. He had to follow COVID-19 rules. This ended his impressive streak. After the 2021–22 season, Ivan spoke about his performance. He felt the media in Philadelphia was too critical.

Columbus Blue Jackets (2023–present)

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

On 6 June 2023, the Flyers traded Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets. This was a trade involving three teams. The Los Angeles Kings were also part of the deal.

Ivan Provorov's Playing Style

Scouts often talk about Ivan Provorov's great skating and control. TSN Hockey called him an "excellent, all-around defenseman." They praised his "tremendous mobility on the ice." Cory Pronman from ESPN said he is a "smooth, quiet player." He also noted Ivan can show "high-end offensive moments." Tony MacDonald, a scouting head, said Ivan has a "great feel for the game." He understands how to play with and without the puck.

Ivan is also famous for his "iron man streak." This means playing many games in a row without missing one. He holds the record for most consecutive games played for the same team from the start of a career. He is second only to Rod Brind'Amour for the longest streak in Flyers history. Ivan did not miss an NHL game until 4 January 2022. Before that, he had not missed a hockey game since he was 10. He trains hard in the summer to stay in shape. He told The Philadelphia Inquirer he is proud to play every game. He wants to help his team as much as possible.

Ivan Provorov in International Play

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 international hockey at the 2014 IIHF World U18 Championships. He played for Russia. Next, he played for the Russian junior team at the 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (WJC). Russia won a silver medal at this tournament. They lost to Canada in the finals.

Ivan returned to the Russian team for the 2016 WJC. He scored a goal in the final minutes of the gold medal game. This tied the game against Finland. But Finland scored in overtime, and Russia won another silver medal. Ivan then played in the IIHF World Championship the next year. Russia won a bronze medal against Finland.

Because of rules against Russian sports, Ivan played for the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in 2021. This was at the 2021 IIHF World Championship. He helped the ROC team get into the playoffs. The Russian team lost to Canada in overtime. They finished fifth overall.

Ivan Provorov's Personal Life

Ivan Provorov has a pet Golden Retriever named "Drake the Pup Star." Drake is very popular online. He has over 1 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