Anaheim Ducks sign Blades' Sidorov to three-year NHL entry-level contract
Egor Sidorov waited a long time for this.
Sidorov — who has spent most of his three-year Western Hockey League career with the Saskatoon Blades isolated and away from his family, which remains in Belarus — signed with the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks this week as his team tangled with the Prince Albert Raiders.
“This, for years, was very important (for me),” said Sidorov. “Great team, great teammates, great coaches, staff. They support me the three years and I really appreciative for them.
“It means a lot. It starts when I was young. Like, it was dream to (get) drafted, sign and play in NHL.”
Sidorov signed a three-year entry-level contract on Wednesday before Game 4 of the WHL Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series between the Blades and Prince Albert Raiders. The Blades won that game, so Sidorov had more than one reason to celebrate.
“It was a fun day,” he said. “We win, I sign. I'm happy and excited. I just keep working and keep going.”
The Blades keep going in the playoffs with hopes of wrapping up their series against the Raiders on Friday night. (Results were not available at press time.)
“We know we're going to be facing a team that's playing for its life, and season, and with that comes even more increased intensity,” said Blades head coach Brennan Sonne.
Sidorov entered Friday's game with four goals and two assists in the first four games of the series.
He had 50 goals and 38 assists in the 2023-24 regular season. In his three regular seasons with the club, Sidorov has racked up 113 goals and 199 points in just 177 games.
He has the most points for any European import player in Blades franchise history.
“I'm just really happy for him, super proud of him,” Sonne said of the NHL signing. “He's earned it all the way. I love that kid, like a son, and just super happy for him.”
Sidorov, a 19-year-old product of Vitebsk, Belarus, has gone through more adversity than most teenage hockey players.
He arrived in Saskatoon at age 17, not knowing how to speak English. With war breaking out in Ukraine, which borders Belarus and Russia, Sidorov remained in Canada.
Not selected in the NHL draft at age 18, he faced an uncertain future. Yet he persevered and got drafted the next year in the third round, 85th overall, by the Ducks in the 2023 NHL draft.
After signing the contract, Sidorov heard from Ducks player development co-ordinator and Saskatchewan native Ryan Getzlaf.
Sidorov hasn't seen much of his family during the past three years. His parents came to watch him play with the Blades in person for the first time in December.
“My family supports me all the time,” he said. “We talk every day. They watch every single game at four in the morning, Belarus time. So my parents have helped me a lot in my hockey career so far.”
Very few players from Belarus have reached the NHL level. Sidorov hopes to some day join them.
“It's all about work,” he said. “If you work hard, you will have chance to play.”