Oleg Tverdovsky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oleg Tverdovsky |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 18 May 1976 Donetsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 211 lb (96 kg; 15 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Krylya Sovetov Moscow Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Winnipeg Jets Phoenix Coyotes New Jersey Devils Avangard Omsk Carolina Hurricanes Los Angeles Kings Salavat Yulaev Ufa Metallurg Magnitogorsk |
||
| National team |  Russia |
||
| NHL Draft | 2nd overall, 1994 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
||
| Playing career | 1992–2013 | ||
Oleg Fedorovych Tverdovsky (Russian: Олег Фёдорович Твердовский; born 18 May 1976) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a defenceman, which means he helped protect his team's goal. Oleg played hockey professionally from 1994 to 2013.
He was picked second overall by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1994 NHL Draft. He played 713 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). His NHL teams included the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, and Los Angeles Kings. Oleg won the famous Stanley Cup two times! He won with the Devils in 2003 and with the Hurricanes in 2006.
He also played in Russian hockey leagues like the Russian Superleague (RSL) and Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He played for teams such as Avangard Omsk, Salavat Yulayev Ufa, and Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He won two RSL Championships and a Gagarin Cup in Russia.
Contents
Oleg Tverdovsky: Hockey Star
Oleg Tverdovsky started his amazing hockey journey in Russia. He played for a team called Krylya Sovetov Moscow. His talent quickly caught the eye of scouts from the National Hockey League (NHL) in North America.
Starting His NHL Journey
Oleg was chosen very early in the 1994 NHL Draft. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim picked him second overall. This meant they thought he was one of the best young players available.
Because of a player strike in the NHL in 1994-95, Oleg first played a few games for the Brandon Wheat Kings in a junior league. When he finally joined the Mighty Ducks, he made history. He became the youngest player ever to play for the team at just 18 years old.
Moving Between Teams
Even though he was a key young player for the Ducks, Oleg was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in 1996. This trade involved some big names, including star player Teemu Selänne. Oleg's time in Winnipeg was short. The Jets team moved to Phoenix, Arizona and became the Phoenix Coyotes.
In 1997, Oleg was chosen to play in the NHL All-Star Game while playing for the Coyotes. This showed he was one of the top players in the league. He played defense for the Coyotes for a few years. Then, in 1999, he was traded back to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
Winning the Stanley Cup
In 2002, Oleg was traded again, this time to the New Jersey Devils. He joined the Devils with his teammate Jeff Friesen. Just a year later, the Devils faced the Mighty Ducks in the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals. Oleg helped his new team win the Stanley Cup!
After winning his first Stanley Cup, Oleg went back to Russia. He played for Avangard Omsk in the Russian Superleague. He won a league championship there too. In 2005, he returned to the NHL, signing with the Carolina Hurricanes. He won his second Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006.
In 2006, Oleg was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. He played part of a season there before making a big decision.
Playing in Russia Again
Oleg decided to return to Russia to play hockey in 2007. He joined Salavat Yulaev Ufa and played there for five seasons. At that time, there wasn't an official agreement between the NHL and the Russian Hockey Federation for players to move easily between the leagues.
He was also chosen as a backup player for the Russian team in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Later, he played for Metallurg Magnitogorsk before he retired from hockey in 2013.
Life Off the Ice
After his long and successful hockey career, Oleg Tverdovsky now lives in the United States. He lives with his second wife, Mia, and they are raising five children together.
Awards and Achievements
Oleg Tverdovsky won many awards and championships during his career:
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 1997 | |
| Stanley Cup (New Jersey Devils) | 2003 | |
| Stanley Cup (Carolina Hurricanes) | 2006 | |
| RSL | ||
| Champion (Avangard Omsk) | 2004 | |
| MVP | 2004 | |
| Champion (Salavat Yulaev Ufa) | 2008 | |
| KHL | ||
| Gagarin Cup (Salavat Yulaev Ufa) | 2011 | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Russia |
||
| Ice hockey | ||
| Winter Olympics | ||
| Bronze | 2002 Salt Lake City | |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2009 Switzerland | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Bronze | 1994 Ostrava | |
