KOMAROV THE ULTIMATE COMPETITOR
Rookie defenseman focusing on winning above all else
Nov 15, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
Undoubtedly, one would think heads have turned in Buffalo when watching the progression of 20-year-old rookie defenseman Vsevolod Komarov.
The Chelyabinsk, Russia, native was taken in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Sabres. At a young age, the tools are already there. He’s got size (6-foot-2), speed, a quality shot, vision, and the ability to play on both ends of the ice.
“I really like to play both offensively and defensively,” said Komarov. But all I want at the end of every game is to win. That’s it.”
And Komarov has done a lot of winning already in his hockey journey. In 2023, the blueliner posted 12 goals and 39 points in 62 games for the Quebec Remparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). If you ask him, those numbers pale in comparison to that season’s end result: winning a Memorial Cup.
“I think it starts from when I was young. I’m still playing a bunch of sports other than hockey, like a lot of soccer, basketball, and volleyball in the summer. I never want to lose at anything. I’m not as bad with this now, but I remember when I was young if I was losing, I was almost crying and getting into a rage. I remember that happening almost every time I would lose.”
Individual accolades are a distant second for Vsevolod. His focus is purely on winning, but with it comes maturity, an asset NHL teams are looking for in the prospects they develop.
After winning the Memorial Cup, Komarov won a second straight QMJHL Championship, doing so with Drummondville this time. He would post 15 points (5+10) in 19 playoff games, earning the Guy Lafleur Trophy, awarded to the league’s most valuable player in the playoffs. He was also named QMJHL Defenseman of the Year. He did all of this while simultaneously learning the English language and being away from home and everybody he knew growing up.
“I'm still missing my family and friends, but it’s gotten easier. The first couple of years were really difficult, especially because when I was a kid, my dad and uncle were coaches for the sports schools in Russia, so I’d be on their teams a lot.”
“English is hard. At the start, I was using a website, but I didn't feel like it was helping. I learned more through life experiences. There were no Russian guys on my team, it was mostly people who spoke English, so I had to know English. I would hear guys say certain words a lot, so I would focus on those words and try to learn and understand them to start.”
From learning words to winning cups, Komarov set himself up for success entering training camp this year. Now, he’s become a steady addition to a stout Amerks defense core that has shown its effectiveness through the first month of the season.
“I’ve got my confidence. It was hard to start, but right now, I just feel like I’m playing well without thinking a lot. I love this game. I like hockey and I love the playing style here. I’m ready for everything. You’re playing against men here, and I feel like I’m on their level, but I want to be better.”
Komarov’s insatiable appetite for growth and wins has led to a successful start in Rochester, and if things continue down this path, odds suggest it would see that successful follow him to Buffalo.