Hockey fans in Orlov’s hometown of Novokuznetsk in the early ’90s, he noted, focused mainly on the World Championship and Olympics. The big sheets of international play were hockey’s showcase events. Infrequent glimpses of the NHL came in televised highlight packages.
Dreams, like TV, were different then. It was the world before dial-up jokes were invented.
NHL role models were few to nonexistent when Dmitry Orlov , now 31, was growing up in Siberia. He was born and raised some 2,200 miles east of Moscow, in the days when it wasn’t routine for the best league in the world to have its games beamed to all corners of the planet.
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“So if I was comparing my game to someone,” Orlov recalled, “it was like, you know … I had no one, really … I didn’t have NHL idols. I was only comparing to myself all the time, that was it.”
The Red Wings and their so-called Russian Five began to change all that in the mid ’90s. Russian kids, noted Orlov, were able to find a North American foothold, a focal point, in star countrymen Sergei Fedorov, Slava Kozlov, Igor Larionov, Vladimir Konstantinov, and Slava Fetisov, the latter of whom was the star Russian defenseman who finally made his way to the NHL at the end of the ‘80s to sign with New Jersey.
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For a couple of seasons, in the thick of the Red Wings’ glorious resurgence, legendary coach Scotty Bowman often rolled out the Russian Five as a unit. They were together in 1996-97 when the Wings won the first of back-to-back Stanley Cups. It was a few years later, said Orlov, when he finally saw the Russian Five play, albeit by watching some of their games on VHS cassette tapes.
“It was nice to know at the time,” he said. “Maybe you don’t understand what the NHL [is about], it’s a different world, but you could see the Russian Five and everybody remembered that.
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“I was probably 11, 12 years old when finally I got to watch them. And you could probably ask any young player my age at the time, they all wanted to play for the Detroit Red Wings because the Russian Five [were] there.”
Slava Fetisov (left) and Igor Larionov (right) celebrate Detroit’s 1998 Stanley Cup victory with countryman Vladimir Konstantinov, who was paralyzed in a limousine crash following the Red Wings’ Cup victory the previous year. WILFREDO LEE/Associated Press
Orlov, acquired from Washington at the February trade deadline, is the highest-caliber, best-performing Russian to pull on the Black and Gold. It took a long time for Mother Russia to allow her best stick-carrying sons to leave for North America. Approaching some 35 years after that exodus, it’s only now that the Bruins have a legit Russian rainmaker in the versatile, hard-hitting Orlov, who had two assists in Friday’s 4-2 win over the Panthers. His four assists through three games tie him with Tyler Bertuzzi (1-3—4) for the club’s playoff scoring lead.
The Bruins came very close to striking it rich in the Russian market in 1997, using the No. 8 pick in the draft on speedy winger Sergei Samsonov. He stands as their best get. The Magical Muscovite jumped out to a very strong start, including Calder Trophy honors as Rookie of the Year, and popped for a career-high 75 points in 2000-01. In March ‘06, he was ditched to Montreal for a package that included the draft pick that ultimately yielded Milan Lucic.
There have been other dalliances, be they ever so brief. Dmitri Kvartalnov, proud son of Voskresensk, arrived on Causeway Street with a bang in the autumn of ‘92, just weeks after the Bruins broke from Canadian farmboy form and used the 16th pick in the draft to select the clever winger.
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Kvartalnov, then 26, rolled up 72 points that rookie season under coach Brian Sutter, thriving on the Bonanza Line with Adam Oates and Little Joe Juneau.
But midway through a sophomore-season slump, Kvartalnov was ditched to Providence, never to be seen again in the old Garden. He played 13 more seasons, all of them in Europe.
In ‘94, the Bruins used another first-round pick (No. 21) on unheralded, unproven, unknown Evegeni Ryabchikov. The Yaroslavl goalie spent four seasons in North America, but not a single minute of it with Boston. He was one of three first-rounders in that draft never to log an NHL game.
In the summer of 2000, the Bruins signed Andrei Kovalenko, an NHL vet of eight seasons, as a free-agent forward. Known as the Tank, the 5-foot-11-inch, 216-pound right winger, formerly of Red Army, figured to factor somewhere in the top-six forward group.
But the Tank proved empty. He, too, played seven more seasons, all of them back in Russia.
The costliest of the Russian misfires was Alexei Zhamnov, a talented center with some NHL bona fides who signed on in the summer of ‘05 for three years worth upward of $12 million. He was hired as critical No. 2 support for Jumbo Joe Thornton, then entering his eighth season as the franchise cornerstone.
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Zhamnov suffered an ankle injury soon after his arrival, played in only 24 games (1-9—10), and was eventually ushered out the back door with a fat paycheck in hand. Thornton’s Boston days also soon came to a close when he was dealt on Nov. 30 of that year to the Sharks. The envisioned 1-2 punch at center turned out to be nothing but a punch in the nose, and a large part of why general manager Mike O’Connell was kicked out the door.
Orlov has been a seamless, valuable fit since his arrival. He can play either side, contribute no matter the pairing, and opened the playoffs riding on the top unit with Charlie McAvoy. The pair had a rough ride in Game 2.
Russians, said Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, often project a veneer, making it hard to get to know them. He experienced that late in his playing days when he spent some five months in the KHL, roughly 800 miles east of Moscow with Ufa.
“They are very careful people,” said Montgomery. “They don’t trust people. You really have to earn their trust before they let you in. Once they let you in, they treat you like gold. Like my first two months over there was very lonely. My last three months was a blast, you know, just because of my teammates.”
Montgomery said he learned a little of the language, which helped him welcome Orlov at the end of February. Orlov, he said, was very receptive and gregarious from the start. Part of that likely was due to Orlov playing pro hockey in North America since the fall of 2010.
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“I think he was shocked when I spit out [in Russian] ‘My name is’ and ‘How are you doing?,’ and a couple of swear words,” said a smiling Montgomery, who also is fluent in French. “And we were good to go.”
Orlov, dealt out of Washington in part because management felt it would be a challenge to meet his price in free agency this summer, is free to shop the market as of July 1. He is finishing a long-term deal that carries a $5.1 million cap hit — a price that would be hard for the Bruins to fit into their projected cap model.
It’s possible, though, especially if the Bruins have a long Cup run, that Orlov could fall in love with the Hub of Hockey, as has been the case with high-end recruits Linus Ullmark and Hampus Lindholm. It isn’t always about the most dollars. For some, fit matters, and thus far Orlov has adapted well, and especially likes that he can walk from his apartment to Fenway Park.
“Just waiting for the nice weather, you know,” he said, “so we can go to the game.”
Brandon Montour, shown tangling with Patrice Bergeron last season, was fifth leaguewide among defensemen in the regular season with 73 points. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
A slick Cat
Montour has made the most of his opportunity
Brandon Montour, the Panthers defenseman who potted a pair of third-period goals in the Cats’ 6-3 win at TD Garden in Game 2 on Wednesday, rolled up 73 points this season — a stunning total for a guy who needed his first 3½ seasons in the NHL (Anaheim/Buffalo) to cobble together that kind of bounty.
“Pretty simple … all about opportunity, coaching,” offered Matt Keator, the Boston-based agent who repped Zdeno Chara throughout Big Z’s career. “Paul Maurice has empowered him. He’s always had the talent, but Maurice is the first NHL coach just to let him play fearlessly.”
Montour’s 16-57—73 line ranked behind only Erik Karlsson (101), Josh Morrissey (76), Quinn Hughes (76), and Doug Hamilton (74) for defenseman scoring this season. Average cap hit for those fab four: $8.6 million. Montour, 29, is on track for a huge boost over his current $3.5 million, a deal set to expire at the end of next season.
Montour has proven to be one of Florida GM Bill Zito’s best gets. The Sabres, yet to hire Don Granato as coach, failed to utilize his tools. They ditched him to Sunrise in April 2021 for a third-round draft pick.
Watching how the Sabres have evolved under Granato, it’s not hard to imagine Montour would have delivered the goods in Buffalo just as he has in Sunrise. They possibly would have avoided this season’s playoff DNQ if he had remained on board.
His evolution is similar to what happened here with Dennis Wideman — originally a Sabres draft pick, by the way). Acquired in February 2007 for Brad Boyes as one of new GM Peter Chiarelli’s first moves, Wideman had been undervalued in St. Louis. He blossomed, even under conservative coach Claude Julien, and delivered 50 points (tied with Chara for tops among Bruins defenseman) in his second full year in Boston.
Montour is faster, more reliable, and more prolific, albeit in a faster, more offensive era.
Quick ousters
Penguins broomed front office after missing playoffs
The wheels for the recent dismissal of Penguins GM Ron Hextall and president Brian Burke were set in motion soon after the Fenway Sports Group took over ownership and quickly wrote Mike Sullivan a five-year contract extension (believed to be $5 million per).
Nothing wrong with a coach’s extension ― even if two or three years would have sufficed, given the Penguins’ aging roster ― but the deals in the front office were not equally extended. The Flightless Birds missed the playoffs, the front office got broomed, and a new bunch of decision-makers will take over, no doubt with their deals in synch with the coach’s contract. Odd. Downright Red Sox-like.
One rumor making the rounds has Kyle Dubas, current GM of the Maple Leafs, taking over in Pittsburgh if his Leafs once again don’t make it out of Round 1. Dubas, an analytics devotee, survived the power struggle that eventually led to Lou Lamoriello leaving Toronto and landing in Uniondale (now Elmont) as boss of the Islanders.
Lou Lams thus far has done more with less in terms of roster talent and ability to spend on an overall organizational basis. No one prints more dollars than the Maple Leaf treasury.
Jason Robertson’s 109 points tied with Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk for the most by an American-born player in the regular season, with his 46 goals second only to the 47 of Buffalo’s Tage Thompson. Stacy Bengs/Associated Press
Stars and stripes
American-born players leading the way
For a third time in four seasons, it was an American-born player who led individual team scoring for a majority of the NHL’s 32 clubs. The Yanks edged the Canadians, 11-10, followed by Russia (4), Czechia (3, including David Pastrnak), Sweden (2), Germany, and Slovenia.
Americans led the scoring charts of a half-dozen of the 16 teams that made the postseason cut line, including:
Kyle Connor (Winnipeg), Shelby Township, Mich.: 31-49—80
Jack Eichel (Vegas), North Chelmsford: 27-39—66
Jack Hughes (New Jersey), Orlando: 43-56—99
Brock Nelson (Islanders), Warroad, Minn.: 36-39—75
Jason Robertson (Dallas), Arcadia, Calif.: 46-63—109
Matthew Tkachuk (Florida), Scottsdale, Ariz.: 40-69—109
Loose pucks
As expected, Connor Bedard (a.k.a. The Franchise Maker) topped all North American skaters in the Central Scouting Bureau’s end-of-year rankings, followed by Michigan’s Adam Fantilli, the slick Canadian-born center who became only the third freshman Hobey Baker winner as the NCAA’s top performer. Lexington’s Will Smith, headed to Boston College this fall after his tour with the US NTDP, ranks No. 3 … Bedard, who played junior at Regina, will be the first No. 1 pick out of the WHL since Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Red Deer) went to Edmonton in 2011. The best pick in that draft came much later, Nikita Kucherov still sitting there at No. 58 for the Lightning to pluck … The only other frosh chosen as the Hobey winner: Paul Kariya (Maine, 1993) and Eichel (Boston University, 2015) … Dmitri Kvartalnov spent the season leading up to the ‘92 draft with IHL San Diego. (A moment of silence here, please, for the IHL.) Don Waddell, whose long exec career now continues as GM of the Hurricanes, was the Gulls head coach. One of his assistants was Charlie Simmer, ex- of the Triple Crown Kings, who had three productive seasons here at the tail end of his career … The Flames, who keep losing key assets, are looking for a new GM after parting ways with Brad Treliving, who scrambled last offseason to grab solid assets (Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and a first-rounder in ‘25) before Matthew Tkachuk bolted as a free agent. They also saw Johnny Gaudreau pack up for Columbus, after initially believing they had a deal done to keep Johnny Hockey. The read here: Tkachuk preferred Florida’s favorable taxes over Alberta, while Gaudreau found Ohio a far better fit for his family. Treliving and old-school coach Darryl Sutter became, let’s say, an increasingly curious/difficult fit. The Penguins and Flames will be interviewing many of the same candidates, possibly including ex-Bruins boss Peter Chiarelli — a touch ironic in Pittsburgh because one of Chiarelli’s first moves as Bruins GM was to can Mike Sullivan as coach and hire Dave Lewis … Jay O’Brien, ex-of Thayer Academy and now a BU grad, recently informed the Flyers that he’ll opt for free agency this summer (Aug. 15) rather than sign into the Broad Streeter’s rebuild whack-a-mole. O’Brien, who posted 32 points in 39 games with Jay Pandolfo’s Terriers this season, went in the first round (No. 19) in the ‘18 draft … Yet another painful reminder that playoff hockey is different: the ghastly hit the Wild’s Matt Dumba delivered to aging star Joe Pavelski on opening night of the Minnesota-Dallas series. Pavelski was curling in from the left wing, outpaced his check, only to get clobbered to never-never land by Dumba. Though borderline, it was not illegal, and the tumbling Pavelski, age 38 with 1,001 career points, slammed the back of his head on the ice. Some hits, though not illegal, are predatory. This was one of them. Not as blatant or as illegal as the Matt Cooke blindside smack that effectively ended Marc Savard’s career, but of the same DNA … Aging Beauty Award: LA’s Anze Kopitar going 1-3—4, including second apple on Alex Iafallo’s GWG at 9:19 of OT in Game 1 of the LA-Edmonton series. Kopitar, 35, wrapped up 2022-23 with 1,141 regular-season points. Like a couple of greats we’ve watched here (Ray Bourque, Patrice Bergeron), he reached the 1,000 plateau without having a 100-point season. Kopitar, Bergeron, and Pavelski are the only three active NHLers to be over 1,000 for a career but never with a C-note on their résumé. That all-time list, by the way, includes 31 names, including a certain Monsieur Beliveau of the legendary Canadiens.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com.