ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 20, 1996 TAG: 9602200069
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
IN HIS THIRD SEASON with the Express, Russian forward Ilya Dubkov has come a long way.
Ilya Dubkov skated across the red line carrying more than just a hockey puck.
He carried dreams of making a name for himself in a land where he didn't speak the language, where he had to let his ice skates and hockey stick do the talking.
From Russia with the love of hockey, Dubkov was an introverted 21-year-old import set to start his American career with the fledgling Roanoke Express hoping one day he would follow some of his countrymen to the National Hockey League.
Communism had crumbled in the former Soviet Union, the Iron Curtain pulled aside and the red line rubbed out. Possibilities suddenly loomed for a young man whose previous goal had been to play for the prestigious Red Army team in his hometown of Moscow. He achieved that, but wanted more.
He wanted to play in the NHL. He has had to settle for the East Coast Hockey League.
Still, he is a fine hockey player, a fan favorite. That's about the only thing that hasn't changed for Dubkov. He is the only remaining member of the vaunted ``Russian Line'' of Lev Berdichevsky, Oleg Yashin and Dubkov that enjoyed great success with Roanoke in 1993-94. In fact, he is the only Russian left for the Express, which once had four Russians on its roster.
The Dubkov family lineup, though, has increased each season. He took a wife, Olga, in 1994. They had a daughter, Polina, in November.
Ilya Dubkov, who turned 24 on Saturday, has had something to worry about each season in the United States. If he wasn't worrying about an attempted coup in his homeland, he was fighting with an embassy to get his wife into this country. If he wasn't trying to overcome the language barrier, he was occupied with thoughts of impending fatherhood.
If he wasn't playing hockey, though, he couldn't take his shot at his personal goal.
Coming to America
When he was 7 years old, Dubkov wanted one day to play for the Soviet Union's Red Army team, the most storied hockey team in the land. When he was 19, after 12 years in the Red Army's junior program, he realized his dream, but times had changed.
As communism fell, so did the quality of the state-sponsored Red Army squad. By the time Dubkov made his brief appearance with the top-level team, other teams were beginning to attract better players with more lucrative offers. The NHL loomed as the Holy Grail for Russian players.
``In cities, big factories would sponsor teams,'' said Dubkov, who played three games for the Red Army team in 1992. ``It used to be, when Red Army had [Sergei] Fedorov, it was the best. Now, it's not the top team in Russia anymore.
``When I was younger, I never dreamed about playing in some other country. I was happy.''
His journey to America coincided with a violent political uprising in Moscow in October 1993. Although the bloodletting soon ceased, it marked the first of several off-ice distractions that would trouble Dubkov.
When he joined the Express in the summer of 1993, Dubkov didn't speak much English - ``I could say `hi' and `bye''' - but the soft-spoken center doesn't say much anyway. The Berdichevsky-Dubkov-Yashin line communicated well on and off the ice. The three spent most of their time together, which was comforting for Dubkov.
``That first year, if it was just me, I don't think I would have played as good,'' said Dubkov, who is confident enough with his English now to conduct an interview without an interpreter. ``I needed somebody to help me get used to American hockey. It helped me. We would always be together.''
Now, only Dubkov remains. After scoring 25 and 28 goals, respectively, in his first two seasons, Dubkov has 12 goals through 54 games this season. Still, he has 46 assists and leads the team with 58 points.
``Ilya was used to a wide-open game,'' said Frank Anzalone, the Express' coach. ``He was used to guys who would beat their man and start a two-on-one like it used to be [when he played] with Lev.''
After struggling through the first half of the season, Dubkov has four goals and nine assists in his past nine games. After a summer spent leading Roller Hockey International's Sacramento River Rats in scoring (25 goals, 27 assists), he seemed sluggish when the ECHL season began.
``I think it took a lot out of him to play roller hockey,'' Anzalone said.
But there was a reason he had to play roller hockey. He needed a way to stay in America. For Olga.
From Russia, with love
Olga and Ilya Dubkov were married in Moscow during the summer of 1994. Olga planned to move with her husband to Roanoke when the 1994-95 season began, but she was left behind in Russia because she couldn't get a visa to leave the country.
``I was worried last year before Olga came here,'' Dubkov said. ``The American embassy in Russia was the problem. I was a little worried about the situation.''
It was nearly three months before the newlyweds were reunited. Olga Dubkov was granted a visa only after her husband sent his American work visa to the embassy. She made it to Roanoke on Dec.19, 1994, nearly midway through the season.
``You had to prove you would return to Russia,'' Olga said.
Rather than return to Russia and risk encountering more difficulty returning to the United States, the Dubkovs spent the summer in California. Their decision turned out to be a good one when they learned Olga was pregnant.
``Maybe [it would have been] difficult to get a visa again if she was pregnant,'' Ilya said.
He enjoyed roller hockey, but it took its toll.
``Maybe [I was] emotionally tired after roller hockey,'' Dubkov said. ``Not like physically tired. More emotional.''
Dubkov tried to hide his emotional fatigue the same way he hides his emotions after scoring a goal.
Home at last
Ilya's career, combined with the political uncertainty in their homeland, makes a return to Russia unlikely in the near future for the Dubkovs.
``If Russia will be communist again,'' Olga said, ``we will never go back.''
Ilya Dubkov still dreams of playing in a higher league, only this time it's the International Hockey League - one level above the ECHL and one level below the NHL. He was one of the last players cut by the IHL's Minnesota Moose in the fall and he hopes he can continue to improve.
For now, he's content being part of a Russian line that won't be broken up. He wants to be a good husband, father and hockey player.
``I feel good now,'' he said. ``I understand things [about America] more. [Being a father] is great ... so many new feelings. It's like a new year.''
LENGTH: Long : 130 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. DON PETERSEN/Staff Ilya Dubkov has only 12 goalsby CNBthis season, but he still leads the Roanoke Express with 46 assists
and 58 points. color
2. DON PETERSEN/Staff Ilya Dubkov is not alone in Roanoke anymore.
He has his wife, Olga, and daughter, Polina, with him this season.