Blue White Illustrated

I C E H O C K E Y W hen their American journey began, when they were barely teenagers in a foreign country where they didn't speak the language, Denis Smirnov and Nikita Pavlychev had each other. The first two Russians to play for Penn State's hockey program have made his- tory together, by intention or by coinci- dence. They came to University Park best friends, and the two seniors will leave the same way. What comes next will likely lead them along different paths, with the Pittsburgh Penguins owning Pavlychev's draft rights and the Colorado Avalanche owning Smirnov's. But as of late February, they were focused on their remaining games at Penn State. "Knowing the next step will likely make us go different ways, it sucks," Pavlychev said. "It's sad, but I'm sure we'll always stay in touch, and hopefully our paths cross again in hockey. I'm sure they're going to cross again in life." Smirnov and Pavly- chev walked into Peg- ula Ice Arena's media room just as their teammates Liam Folkes and Brandon Biro were tending to the last of their media obliga- tions. First, Pavlychev and Smirnov launched playful chirps at Folkes to distract him while he stood in front of a camera. Then they de- cided they were in no mood to wait to take care of their own media business, and jokingly made Biro and Folkes aware that it was time for them to leave. Now playing their ninth season of hockey in the United States, Pavlychev and Smirnov don't have any difficulty fit- ting into the culture of an American pro- gram. They're beloved by their teammates, and still often attached at the hip. "They've mainly grown in just their personalities," senior defenseman Kris Myllari said. "They're unbelievable peo- ple, very funny. They've really immersed themselves in the culture that we've had here, and it's brought out their true char- acters. Maybe as freshmen they were a little more quiet and reserved than they are now. "I think it's been a real bright spot for the team to bring their true characters, bring their emotion, and bring a differ- ent international culture. I think that's what makes the locker room dynamic great." In 2011, future Penn State defenseman Paul DeNaples was part of a bantam team in Wilkes-Barre that Smirnov and Pavlychev joined when they arrived in the U.S. He couldn't really communicate with them at first, but what they did on the ice didn't require much dis- cussion. Smirnov scored 76 points in 25 games for that Wilkes-Barre Knights team. Pavlychev was not far behind, with 51 points in 17 contests. DeNaples and his Russian teammates can talk with one another just fine now. To De- Naples, Smirnov is one of the funniest guys in Penn State's locker room, and the 6-foot-9 Pavlychev more resembles a giant teddy bear than the physical player he becomes on the ice. Unless, of course, there's a joke made at his expense. "It's funny, they don't like taking jokes well," DeNaples said with a wide smile. "I always try busting them to get on their nerves. But they're actually really good guys, once you get to know them. You re- ally understand." Smirnov and Pavlychev have enjoyed TRANSITION GAME Denis Smirnov and Nikita Pavlychev get set to wrap up their stellar Penn State careers | RUSSIAN CONNECTION Pavlychev (above) and Smirnov came to the United States in 2011 to further their NHL hopes. They played together for the Wilkes-Barre Knights before heading to Penn State. Pho- tos by Ryan Snyder

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