Russian forward Alexander Korolyuk, whose main playing career took place in the early 2000s, did not leave the best impression of himself in San Jose. In 2007, the club sacrificed a high draft pick for him, but in the end they got … nothing.

Left for playing practice in Russia

Korolyuk’s career started off briskly in the youth team of Krylya Sovetov, from which he confidently made his way to the Russian national team and won two medals – silver and bronze – at the youth world championships. In 1996, he moved to Manitoba, and a year later he made his NHL debut for San Jose. It didn’t work out right away to gain a foothold in the “sharks” – the 21-year-old forward went through the AHL school, but he could not get used to the coaching ideology of Daryl Sutter. The Canadian specialist was an adherent of sterile hockey, in which there was no place for improvisation performed by Korolyuk.

Then the Russian made a difficult but firm decision: with an existing contract with San Jose, in the summer he agreed to the offer of Ak Bars. At that time, there was no agreement on respect for contracts between the NHL and the Super League, so the club that offered the best conditions won the battle for the hockey player.

Given the fact that in the last season-2001/02 under Sutter, Korolyuk played only 32 matches, the guarantee of a place at the base won: the Russian moved to Kazan. At the same time, he was sure that he would return to the NHL, although none of the Russians had traveled along the Superleague-NHL route in those years.

Ak Bars forgave a week-long AWOL in the USA

Overseas, he really returned, but it happened right at the beginning of the season in the Super League. Korolyuk broke so unexpectedly that Ak Bars decided that the hockey player was offered such fabulous conditions in San Jose and he simply “threw” Kazan. It turned out that Korolyuk decided, just in case, to accompany his pregnant wife to California, where she was going to give birth. The couple was afraid that a woman in position might not be allowed into the United States unaccompanied. As a result, without having time to warn anyone from the management of Ak Bars, Korolyuk disappeared from the club for a week.

Alexander Korolyuk / Photo: © KHL / Bezzubov Vladimir

But this act was the only ambiguous that year on the part of the forward. He had a solid season at Ak Bars (31 points in 45 games) and yet returned to sunny California, where conditions became much more comfortable: Sutter was replaced as the Sharks’ mentor by Ron Wilson, who was much more favorable to Korolyuk. and welcomed his return.

Korolyuk and San Jose – finally a happy ending?

As a result, at 27 years old, after five seasons with the Sharks, the Russian finally had his best year in the NHL. He scored 19 goals in 63 games and scored 37 points for the regular season, playing an average of 15-16 minutes per game. In the playoffs, Korolyuk was also solid, chalking up 7 points in 17 games. San Jose was eliminated from the Stanley Cup in the semifinals that season, losing to Calgary, who was coached by Sutter.

Alexander Korolyuk / Photo: © Sporting News Archive / Contributor / Sporting News / Gettyimages.ru

In the 2004/05 season, the NHL went into a lockout. Korolyuk, who had just embarked on the rails in his overseas career, again moved to his homeland, primarily for the sake of playing practice. So Vityaz appeared in his hockey life. In San Jose, they were glad that Korolyuk, unlike many other hockey players, had at least game practice. But, as it turned out, he no longer had to return to California.

“San Jose” said goodbye to Korolyuk

Having settled in Russia, Korolyuk continued to play for the Chekhov club, steadily gaining at least 30 points per season. It seems that he did not plan to return to San Jose, so the “sharks” stopped counting on the Russian, exchanging his rights in New Jersey in addition to defender Jim Fehy. In return, they received the right to choose in the first round of the future draft pick and defenseman Vladimir Malakhov. The latter, however, made the sharks pay more to no avail, because he had already completed his career.

It seemed that the clubs exchanged “dead weight” – stuck in Russia Korolyuk against finished Malakhov. But the “devils” still had a chance to turn their liability into an asset. And they really came close to it!

Three months after the exchange, Korolyuk suddenly wanted to return overseas. But on one condition.

“Feint with ears” from Korolyuk

He spent his entire NHL career in California, owned a house in San Jose, so if you return, then only to the Sharks.

The Devils were sympathetic to the position of the hockey player and … returned him to San Jose, taking back the right to choose in the third round of the draft. The Sharks were thrilled to have a reliable fighter coming right in time for the playoffs. The team suffered from injuries, and Korolyuk was in great shape and after another season for Vityaz he was ready to start right off the bat.

Alexander Korolyuk / Photo: © KHL / Bezzubov Vladimir

As soon as they learned in Chekhov that one of the team’s best forwards had decided to go to the NHL, managers wanted to keep the player. The details of what happened next are unknown. But on the scheduled day, Korolyuk did not arrive in the USA, violating the oral agreements, for the sake of which San Jose lost the future prospect. And lost for nothing – in North America, the Russian no longer played.

By the way, just two years later, the first memorandum of mutual respect for contracts between the NHL and the formed KHL was signed: the clubs could no longer become victims of the frivolity of hockey players.