Nikita Kashirsky has enjoyed a tremendous professional hockey career to date, primarily spanning over the ECHL, with stints in the American Hockey League (AHL), Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), and the United Kingdom’s Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) where he has won two ECHL Kelly Cup Championships, in addition to the Gardiner Cup in the EIHL. More recently, he has spent this past season as a player-coach for the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL. The 30-year old Moscow native has an intense passion for the game, not only as a player, but through his involvement in coaching. He is an intelligent, well-versed and educated man who possesses exceptional people skills, and aspires to make an impact on the game.

Kashirsky was born in Moscow, Russia during the Soviet Union era, and explains the Russian hockey system at the time. “Growing up in Russia was very positive. The hockey system was traditional and different than that played in North America. I played since I was six years old. There, by the time you are 15 or 16, you have to either move on in hockey to become a professional or stay in school. It is incredibly difficult to manage both at the same time, while in the North American junior system, there is an emphasis on education while playing hockey. My coaches in Russia were a part of my professional growth and I am thankful for growing up and competing there.”

In terms of idols and influences in hockey, Kashirsky always strived to model his game after some of his favourite players. “I was a big fan of Alexander Mogilny, Joe Sakic, and Maxim Afinogenov. I remember meeting Maxim when he was 16 or 17 and I was about 10 years old. We both played for the same club team in the Dinamo System.  He was in an older age group within the system. He was very dominant, smart, and an incredibly fast hockey player. He is one of the players that I wanted to be like one day.  I also always loved the way Igor Larionov played. He was called ”the professor” on the ice for his play making abilities.  The way he was able to pass the puck and create chances and space for his teammates, that is the way I always wanted to play too.”

Many people don’t understand life in the former USSR, and Kashirsky notes that even for him, it is hard to comprehend at times. “Parents usually protect their kids from knowing things that go on. For example my parents didn’t want me to know about the coupons that you had to bring to grocery stores in order to get food. I always felt like everything was great. In Russia, it was tough when I was just starting to play hockey. It was difficult to get any kind of proper equipment like hockey pants, helmets etc.  We’d be playing with ripped gloves or other worn out gear and sometimes there would not be any ice facilities available.”

Kashirsky’s parents got him involved with hockey and enrolled him into the Dinamo Moscow hockey club at the age of six. They took him to early morning practises and there were times where he would be late for school as a result. It was also Kashirsky’s parents who were influential in persuading him to go to North America to pursue an education while playing hockey. With no college hockey options in Russia, it was critical for Kashirsky and his family to find the balance between hockey and a good education.

“I wanted to attend school in the US so I could play hockey while perusing an education at the same time. During my time in high school, I also played on the Washington Junior Capitals of the Atlantic Junior Hockey League.  Adjusting to the North American physical style of play was the challenge. I never played such a style and it was hard to transition at first. In order to succeed, I used my strong play making abilities and quick hands to my advantage. I was a little quicker and played a smart game. I was pretty successful, especially in my second year of junior. I led the league in goals and our team actually won the Cup in the playoffs.”

During that season, Kashirsky was selected to play for the All-Star team comprising of the best players from the entire State of Maryland. “Our team went to a tournament in Chicago called the Chicago Showcase. At that tournament there were many coaches from the United States Hockey League (USHL), Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) which is now called United States Premiere Hockey League (USPHL), and the North American Hockey League (NAHL). All of them were scouting players.  The Head Coach of the Walpole Stars, Jack Sweeney, of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) saw me out there and recruited me for the Stars the following season.”

Kashirsky went on to play in the NCAA for Norwich University while working towards a degree in accounting. “When I first came to college, I didn’t know what to expect in terms of lifestyle, course load, and hockey.  I think I was able to adjust pretty quickly because the class sizes were smaller and my professors knew who I was. I was always able to get personal one-on-one advising from them when I needed some extra help understanding class material. In terms of hockey, the college game was different from junior. It was more physical and structured. We also had very strict rules about missing classes or getting bad grades. We weren’t even allowed to grow beards or moustaches. The rules changed a little bit after I left, but still you cannot have long hair.  These rules are in place because the school is half-military and half-civilian, but I found this type of discipline was very helpful in making me a more mature person.”

In 2009, before Kashirsky had completed his final year of college, he was signed to a professional contract with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. His professors were very accommodating and understanding in his passion of pursuing professional hockey and allowed him to submit his remaining assignments via email, allowing him to finish his degree while playing at the pro level.

Kashirsky recalls his first game at the pro level. “My first game was nerve-wracking but it was my teammates who helped me the most. They were very positive and helped me stay calm and adjust to the system. Our coach, Jared Bednar was also very positive and told me to play my game, execute the systems and go out there and have fun.”

Kashirsky describes the difference between ECHL hockey and NCAA college hockey, highlighting the elevated level of speed and hockey IQ of players. “Overall, the hockey was different. The ECHL was a lot faster and had a lot more systems than at the college level. Everyone knew where each person was supposed to be on the ice. That first game went to a shoot-out and my coach put me out first and I scored. All the guys were excited for me.  Ultimately, my transition to professional hockey was smooth, and we ended up winning the Kelly Cup.  That season was very special for me.  Receiving a contract fresh out of a division-three school and going to the ECHL is a hard feat and a challenging transition that I accomplished. From there, playing and winning the championship in my first few months of pro hockey was an incredible feeling. I was extremely satisfied and happy with how things started in my pro career. On top of that, I also finished my college degree.”

Kashirsky recalls his first impression of playing in the AHL for the Springfield Falcons. “It was different than the ECHL. I had to make quicker decisions and be faster at that level. When I came to Springfield, the first game was very difficult. It took some time to adjust.  It didn’t help that we lost that first game. The second game went much better and I scored my first AHL goal. It was on a power-play and I snuck behind the opposing team’s defense. My teammate, Taylor Chorney saw me and threw a high saucer pass and I batted it down with my stick. Then, I went on a break away from the right side. The goalie thought I might go across the crease and he tried to poke check me. I went to my back hand and elevated the puck past his pads and scored.”

That same season, Kashirsky would spend time with another AHL team, the Manitoba Moose, where he praised the team environment by likening it to an NHL organization. “It was a great organization. Every player there was treated unbelievably well. It was like playing on an NHL team. It was coached by Scott Arniel (currently an Assistant Coach for the New York Rangers). Also, playing with NHLers such as Mike Keane, Mathieu Schneider, Matt Pettinger, Michael Grabner and Cory Schneider was a great learning experience. I was able to see how hard these guys work to play and be successful at the NHL level. Mike Keane was a major influence for me. Being around him and seeing how hard he worked on the ice was inspiring. I learned what it takes to win, including sacrificing your body, time, and energy for the success of the team.”

Following the 2010-11 season, Kashirsky was signed by the Hershey Bears of the AHL after making an impression at their NHL-affiliate Washington Capitals rookie camp. “I was invited to the Rookie and Main Camp for the Washington Capitals. It’s an exciting time when you are invited to an NHL team’s camp. I did really well and the coaches noticed. They were very happy with how I came prepared. It was awesome to be a part of the camp, playing against all the NHL players in the Washington Capitals organization and getting to see how good those guys really are.”

That season, he was frequently recalled From South Carolina in the ECHL to Hershey of the AHL and noted the mental toughness necessary for a player to go from playing in a higher league back down to lower level.  “It’s tough for some guys, everyone takes it differently. In my opinion, you have to play the same way you always played. I think the ECHL is a very good league; there are many good and talented players out there. All you can do is play harder and prove to the team that has sent you down that they shouldn’t have done that. It is always useful to ask your head coach to analyze everything with you like what you should do and shouldn’t do on and off the ice including what aspects of your game that you should improve. You can even ask what you should do to get called back up.  It’s also important not to get discouraged but keep playing hard and keep developing.”

For the 2012-13 season, Kashirsky left North American to play for Moscow Spartak in the KHL.  “I wanted to play in the best league in Europe. I was invited for a tryout and signed a one year contract. Unfortunately, Spartak signed some NHL players who were impacted by the NHL lockout at the time. I only got to play one game for Spartak at the beginning of the regular season. I could not get a spot in the lineup with the NHL players there. I didn’t feel like just practising and no one could predict when the NHL lockout would end.  That is when I decided to go back to North America and sign with the Reading Royals of the ECHL.  I don’t regret going back to play in Russia.  Those four months I spent in the KHL helped me develop as a player and prepared myself for the ECHL season even better. That season with Reading we went on to win the Kelly Cup. Winning the championship was like an exclamation mark on that season. It was the first Cup that the franchise ever won so it was especially important and satisfying.”

Ahead of the 2013-14 season, Kashirsky decided to once again leave North America to play in Europe, this time taking a job with the Dundee Stars of the Elite Ice Hockey League in the United Kingdom. “I won two Cups in ECHL and I knew that I wasn’t going to get a contract in the AHL. Dundee Stars’ Head Coach, Jeff Hutchins approached me with the opportunity to become a Player / Assistant Coach for the team. The offer came at the right time because that summer I received my USA hockey coaching license because I was thinking about starting to pursue a coaching career. He explained what my duties would be and that I would be having a lot of influence on the team. I really liked playing for Dundee. The town was pretty neat itself. It wasn’t a big transition because everyone spoke English.  We went on to win the Gardiner Cup as league Champions.

This past season, Kashirsky once again returned to the ECHL where he occupied the unique position as a player / Assistant Coach for the Wichita Thunder. “I wanted to have that ability to be a player and coach in North America. It has been a tremendous learning experience for me under the guidance of our Head Coach and four time Stanley Cup Champion, Kevin McClelland.”

Despite not having too much interaction with the Professional Hockey Players Association over his career, he holds the organization in high regard. “It is awesome to have the PHPA because any time you have questions about something off the ice like insurance or travel issues they will always help you. It’s always great to have a union like that, someone that you can call about injuries and talk about any problems that you face. I follow the PHPA on twitter (@thephpa), so I always ready the updates. They are doing a good job of keeping everyone informed about other players and what is happening overall in professional hockey.”

Kashirsky is currently enjoying his off season, relaxing and travelling with his wife Alexandra. He would love to continue his coaching career and go somewhere where he can be a full time coach behind the bench. However, he still has a strong will to continue playing hockey. “I feel like I can still play very well at a high level and be helpful to the team.” 

Based on his experience he adds, “Education should be the priority and needs to be balanced with sports such as hockey or other activities. It is vitally important to realize that there is life outside and after hockey. You have to be ready for that time. You don’t want to limit yourself in life; rather you want to develop as an athlete and as a person outside of your sport.”