Dmitri Voronkov decides to stay in Columbus, leads charge in Blue Jackets’ win
COLUMBUS, Ohio — There are rare nights when the stars align and you’d swear the drama you’re watching was scripted. Monday was one of those nights for the Columbus Blue Jackets .
The Blue Jackets were alerted earlier this month that rookie Dmitri Voronkov was battling homesickness and was seriously considering a return home to Russia. So began an emotional 72 hours, with appeals to Voronkov from his Russian teammates, along with his family and friends from back home, to stick it out in Columbus.
The encouragement helped. Voronkov, 23, informed the Blue Jackets over the weekend that he planned to continue his NHL career, which is off to a tremendous start.
Then, as if scripted by Disney, came Monday’s game vs. the Boston Bruins in Nationwide Arena, which doubled as a Russian celebration.
Not only did Voronkov have perhaps the best game of his career, but he was one of four Russian players to score goals for the Blue Jackets in a 5-2 win before 14,357. Ivan Provorov , Kirill Marchenko and Yegor Chinakhov , who played a key role in encouraging Voronkov to stay, joined him on the scoresheet.
It marked the first time in NHL history, according to the league, that four Russian players scored for one team in a single game.
“It’s really cool for the Russian guys,” Marchenko said. “But the important thing for us is that we won today. If four Russian guys score and we lose, it’s no fun.
“The Russian Five in Detroit (never did)? It’s pretty cool for us. Just enjoy this moment.”
Marchenko also served as Voronkov’s interpreter after the game. That included helping him read a sign that a fan had made to hold near the glass during warm-ups reading, “The 5th Line Loves You, Dmitri!” The sign was brought into the post-game dressing room.
Feeling the love tonight! pic.twitter.com/LEGn0ntarj— Columbus Blue Jackets November 28, 2023
“It’s a big difference, the two countries,” Voronkov said through Marchenko. “It’s a surprise. I’m thankful for the other Russian guys who have helped me here. I will work with myself and with the (Russian players) to enjoy this game and enjoy a Columbus lifestyle.”
Asked directly if he was planning to stay, Voronkov said: “Yes. I’m going to stay.”
The Blue Jackets’ primary concern was with Voronkov’s well-being, and GM Jarmo Kekäläinen said they would redouble their efforts to help him acclimate. It’s likely that former Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin, who helped Marchenko adjust last season, would be encouraged to do the same.
“When you move away from home, especially the older you do it, the harder it is,” said Provorov, who left Russia for North America when he was 16 years old. “You get used to everything at home. I’m sure it’s been a big culture shock for him.
“He doesn’t have a wife or kids, so maybe that would have helped him a bit. But as a group of Russians who have been here for a while, we’ve been trying to help him as much as we can. But no matter what you do the first two, three, four months is a tough period and a big adjustment. We’re going to continue to support him.”
The Blue Jackets dressing room, like all of them across the NHL, is full of players who left home at an early age to pursue their hockey dreams. Voronkov came to Columbus in early September, just a few days before his 23rd birthday.
“We had some concerns, but to know he’s going to stay for sure ... that’s a big relief,” Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. “I left home at 16 years old myself. I understand the feeling of being away, and that’s Montreal ... it’s not that far. It’s still on the same continent.
“It’s a big change for him. A different league, new teammates, new culture ... he has to learn the language. The pace of this game is really different. Everything is different. Everything. The food is different. It takes some time to get used to it.
“We just gotta go over that hump. We’re really happy he’s staying, for sure.”
As if scripted, Voronkov scored the Blue Jackets’ first goal, pulling a puck out of the corner and lugging it hard to the net, where he jammed it home inside the near post on Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman .
“That’s a big man’s goal,” Vincent said. “He’s going into the corner against a big defenseman, wins the battle and attacks the net. That’s a playoff goal.”
Voronkov, who had a plus-3 rating in the game, now has four goals and six assists in 17 games.
The Blue Jackets pushed the lead to 2-0 at 5:38 of the second period when Provorov scored off a wrister from the left circle. The puck went through Voronkov’s legs, a perfect screen that gave Swayman no chance to see the puck.
“He’s a great player,” Provorov said. “A big body who can do pretty much everything on the ice. Not a lot of players can do that. He helped again tonight.”
The lead grew to 3-0 at 16:42 of the second period when Chinakhov gathered a puck high in the defensive zone and skated away from three Bruins to score on a breakaway. Then came a power play goal (five-on-three) by Marchenko off a nifty look in front by Boone Jenner .
One night after the Blue Jackets collapsed in Carolina and lost a 2-0 lead in the final 10 minutes against the Hurricanes — they lost 3-2 — there was no drama.
Justin Danforth ’s empty-net goal at 13:41 of the third made it 5-1. Danforth isn’t Russian, but he spent a season in the KHL.
Part of making history tonight, Voronkov gets the Kepi! pic.twitter.com/kBrR8YcsR9— Columbus Blue Jackets November 28, 2023
The Blue Jackets, who got 31 saves from backup goaltender Sterling Martin, have won three of their last four games, including two straight at home.
After the game, in a triumphant dressing room, Voronkov was awarded the “kepi hat” that the Blue Jackets’ players use to signify the game’s best player. Voronkov put the Civil War-era cap on his head — a tight fit — and smiled.
His brief speech was part English, part Russian and entirely perfect. The room erupted in applause.
(Photo: Ben Jackson / NHLI via )
