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***MikeLiut*** · 09-26-2022, 10:34 PM

First time posting, I hope I am doing this right. Word count: 1197 starting at "The mystery".

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The mystery persists as to why exactly Olympic weightlifting disqualified champion Ekaterina Valieva announced she is currently looking for a team in the SMJHL. Ekaterina Valieva, known as Mother Russia, played a single season in a Russian semipro league after being banned from the Russian Woman Hockey Federation for reasons yet to be disclosed.

Once the pride of a nation, Valieva became famous after breaking the weightlifting world record at 15, at the Brisbane Olympics. The IAAF then suspended Valieva for using banned performance-enhancing drugs, supplied to her by a state-run doping program designed to restore the long-lost glory of Russia in international sports competitions.

"The fact that Ms. Valieva was 6'2" at 11, with a rather hairy figure, was a strong indication that the Russian Olympic Committee did reinstate its doping program. Either that or the nuclear meltdown of 2029 had unexplained consequences on the development of Russian athletes. We also fear that Ms. Valieva lied about her age. Therefore, we have decided to ban her from any of our competitions", explained Grant Holloway, president of the International Weightlifting Federation.

Valieva switched to hockey, hoping to make the national woman's hockey team after a year of intense training. "I good to not move in front of net", she explained with a deep baritone voice to an ESPN13 reporter last year. "I strong, I do not move, goalie not happy, coach happy, I am happy". Later that year, Russia U16 Woman Hockey got its first bronze medal in 16 years, partly because Valieva injured the two Swedish goalies in the same period. She also scored 4 goals in the tournament.

Why is Mother Russia leaving the Motherland?

For what happened next, we can only rely on rumours. The entire women's team remains silent as to the reasons for the departure of the former darling of Russia, with some fearing reprisals if they discussed the matter with American journalists.

The official reason for her departure is that the SMJHL's player development system is more appropriate for a player who started hockey later in her career. This reason, however, raises eyebrows among analysts who think there is more to this story. "While it is very true that the SMJHL has been, and still is, an incredible springboard for the development of young women athletes - Sophie Bordeleau is a great example of this - shipping prospect to the West is not the Russian way of doing things. Valieva will be eligible for the national team in a few months, Russia is trying to restore its national program...the Russians don't send their athletes to America for training, they have too much pride for that", mentioned a scout who requested anonymity.

The most persistent rumor is that she is considered too violent or too dangerous for the Russian development system. According to unconfirmed sources who have posted numerous videos on Reddit, she became persona non grata following a series of altercations in the semipro league in which she played last season. We know from reliable sources that two of her own players became paraplegics and the son of a senior politician also lost an eye in another game. Everything also suggests that her more violent style did not correspond with the philosophy of the women's national team where physicality can easily become a liability.

Where could she end up?

Valieva's agent filled out an official request to the SMJHL commissioner this Monday. It is unknown if one of the teams will take a second look at the 6'4" 222-pound woman. "It is a wild card", former Quebec City Citadelles Lucas Robitaille did admit. "She was completely off the radar, no team has a complete file on her, no psychological profile, no physical test results, we know basically nothing of her whereabouts for the last 12 months. It is rare that a player evolves completely outside the usual junior leagues and makes the SHL, let alone the SMJHL. Should a team dare pick her on the waiver wire, it could be a nice move or a complete waste of time. From the few videos I could find, I think the potential is there, but she never played at an interesting level against men, and we do not know how she did evolve in the last season. Needless to say, it is hard to tell".

Does Valieva fit the profile of the modern professional hockey player? Absolutely not. She seems rather out of the old game plans of the Soviet era... and it is what makes her an interesting prospect. With a good coach and good system, she could become the prototype of a great screener, physical, with a limited offensive flair that she would have to develop before the draft. "It is easy to dominate physically on the ice when you are twice the size of your opponent. I do not want to sound sexist, but there is a difference in the robustness of a women's hockey championship and the professional leagues. Some serious adaptation will be needed, but Valieva proved over time that she could reinvent herself", added Robitaille. More speed, more strength, and the capacity to score goals on North American ice should be her priority.

Who should take the risk? Our bet is on the Quebec City Citadelles. In Quebec City, there is an urgent need for a right-wing and she could easily fit in the medium-term to support Kove and Waiver. She might be an interesting fit in Bangor, especially if Downski or Nibbles get injured, but could decide to pass as the Timber do have a lot of physical players already in the lineup.

The Berserkers need, ironically, some gritty players, but Newfoundland already has young right wing players in their system that would leave no place for Valieva to grow. The last thing the Carolina Kraken or the Regina Elks needs is more right wing players, but Valieva could be an interesting pick in British Columbia, as both Vancouver and Kelowna manage a balanced team with an interesting future, and could benefit from a redshirt fresh(wo)man in their system.

Keep also an eye on Montana. The young Grizzlies does not have a lot of depth on the wing and still seem stuck on the 10th position for the 4th season in a row. There is already a new generation of players coming, with Nam Hoang, McGinnis, O'Sullivan and Manganelli leading the charge.

"I think Detroit might be interested", a scout also mentioned to our reporter. "Detroit proved to be the best place to help young prospects find their potential. They did an amazing job with Bastien, Topalo and Zelenock, their development system is doing great. They might want a new challenge, and Valieva would qualify as a good one."

The general managers and scouts have limited resources to make a decision. All she provided was a 97-second video where she explained how she is currently training (it does involve fighting with bears... we think), and a few highlights where she crushed a 15-year-old kid on the board of an outdoor hockey rink.

***Frenchie*** · 09-27-2022, 10:02 AM

Great piece! I know a few players who are shaking in their skates at the thought of facing such a formidable adversary!

*SimmiZ* · 09-27-2022, 10:55 AM

Nice first media! Always fun to see a new player get involved so quickly. Cant wait to see where you will end up

***Wally*** · 09-27-2022, 11:17 AM

Is this the cousin of the great Ekaterina Rudnikova?! @ztevans

ztevans · 09-28-2022, 02:28 PM

09-27-2022, 11:17 AMWally Wrote: Is this the cousin of the great Ekaterina Rudnikova?! @ztevans

How dare you interrupt my slumber?

I mean uhhhhhhhh probably not but who knows? Rudnikova was most certainly not 6'2" at age 11. Or ever. But at least she wasn't 5'2" unlike some people we know. Right, Wally? RIGHT WALLY?

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