Sergey Varlamov is a famous Ukrainian hockey player who played as a striker. He played 63 games for the NHL, playing for the Canadian Calgary Flames and the American St. Louis Blues. After completing his playing career, he became a functionary of the Ukrainian Hockey League.
Biography: early years
Sergey Vladimirovich Varlamov was born on July 21, 1978 in Kiev. He began to play hockey from the age of six. At that time, there were about 80 children in his group. The competition was tough, and Sergei already then clearly understood that he had to constantly work on himself. He tried to keep himself within strict limits and did not miss a single workout.
This regime quickly bore fruit. He became one of the brightest players of the famous Kiev club "Sokol". At the age of sixteen, Sergei went to Canada, where he began to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). It is played by players aged 15 to 20. Sergei's first overseas club was Nelson Maple Leafs, the second was the Swift-Current Broncos, and the third was St. John Flames. All of these Canadian teams were considered junior teams.
In 1998, Varlamov played 84 matches and earned 134 points. He became the CHL Player of the Year and WHL Top Scorer. In the same year, Sergey received the prize as the best WHL player. All these honors opened a direct path for him to the NHL.
Career
The first "adult" club for Sergey was the Calgary Flames. His debut was unsuccessful, and Varlamov returned to St. John Flames, which played in the American Hockey League (AHL) - the second most important after the NHL. It was with this club that Sergei won the prestigious Calder Cup trophy. His contribution to the success of St. John Flames has indeed been significant. He played 74 matches and scored 36 goals.
The next season Varlamov became a St. Louis Blues player. In the first year, he played 53 matches and scored only 5 goals. The following season, his performance was even more modest. It is not surprising that after that Sergei again ended up in the AHL.
In 2004, Varlamov began playing in Russia. His first club was Ak Bars. However, as part of the Kazan team, he went on the ice only in two matches, and then began to play for Siberia. The most successful for him was the 2007/2008 season. Then he played 55 matches and scored 19 goals.
The next season Varlamov defended the colors of Severstal. However, the game in the Cherepovets club did not work out: in 20 matches, he could not score a single goal.
Sergey completed his sports career as a member of the Donbass club. In parallel, he played for the Ukrainian national team. After leaving the big sport, Varlamov took one of the leading positions in the Ukrainian Hockey League.
Personal life
Sergei Varlamov is married. He met his wife Yulia in one of the clubs in Kiev at a disco. Sergei was already playing overseas, but every summer he came to his homeland.
The couple are raising three children: a son and two daughters. The eldest daughter plays tennis. He is trying to introduce his son Varlamov to hockey. The family currently lives near Kiev.
