Calgary Flames forward Aydar Suniev was photographed during a morning skate at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Tuesday April 15, 2025.
Aydar Suniev was only 14 when he left home, moving not an hour or two away but rather to the opposite side of the world.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
- Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
- Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
- Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
- Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
- Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
- Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
- Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
- Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
- Enjoy additional articles per month
- Get email updates from your favourite authors
His parents, who remain in Russia, were keen on the educational opportunities that could be available to their son in North America. Aydar, who lived with billet families or at boarding schools, was hellbent on chasing his hockey dream.
Now 20, Suniev will log his NHL debut Thursday with the Calgary Flames, completing what has been a winding and sometimes bumpy path to the big leagues.
“There were a lot of detours,” said Suniev’s agent, Wade Arnott, who negotiated the entry-level contract he signed two weeks ago with the Flames. “But I don’t think any of it ever fazed him that much at all. At least, he’s never shown it.
Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features.
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again
“He has sacrificed a lot to be where he is. But he’s one of the most focused, determined young men I’ve met in many, many years.”
This is the sort of thing that doesn’t go unnoticed by a reporter — when you send an email or text, wondering if somebody would be willing to chat about Suniev, your phone will ring almost immediately.
That was the case with Greg Carvel, bench boss for the NCAA’s UMass Minutemen. He’s proud to have helped this talented winger to become a more well-rounded prospect.
That was the case with David Manning, head coach for the prep hockey program at St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ont.
“It’s a remarkable story,” Andrews said as Suniev added his name to the list of St. Andrew’s alumni to skate on the big stage. “They’re all special, but this one is even a little more special, just because of all the things he has had to endure.”
On Wednesday, connected on a WhatsApp group chat, Suniev’s loved ones in Russia were double- and triple-checking the math on the time difference, not wanting to miss a second or a shift of Aydar’s first NHL game. As Arnott put it: “They’re all over the moon.”
Thing is, Suniev’s dream-come-true moment was creating smiles in plenty of other places, too. How can you not root for a young man who has gone long stretches — we’re not talking a matter of weeks or months, but years — without any face-to-face time with his family?
Before landing at St. Andrew’s, Suniev had skated with the Yale Jr. Bulldogs in Connecticut and scored both championship-game goals to hoist Hill Academy — located in Caledon, Ont. — to the title at the 2020 World Sport School Challenge.
In his first of two years in Manning’s program, the Saints could only practice due to pandemic restrictions. The following season, Suniev proved to be a force but was stuck playing a limited schedule because he didn’t have the necessary visa to travel to games and tournaments in the U.S. This presented a major problem when his team departed on an extended road-trip due to another COVID-19 shutdown.
