▁but ▁his ▁in ex per ience ▁with ▁sk ating ▁initially ▁held ▁him ▁back . ▁He ▁rec alls ▁" I ▁tried ▁everything , ▁even ▁holding ▁my ▁hands ▁on ▁the ▁bo ards , ▁but ▁the ▁progress ▁was ▁slow ." ▁The ▁team ▁coach ▁identified ▁the ▁problem ▁being ▁weak ness ▁in ▁his ▁an k les , ▁and ▁put ▁him ▁on ▁a ▁training ▁reg imen ▁which ▁included ▁running ▁on ▁beach ▁sand ▁and ▁stones ▁bare foot . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁the ▁system ▁which ▁fro ze ▁the ▁ice ▁at ▁his ▁local ▁ar ena ▁became ▁perman ently ▁broken ▁and ▁his ▁amateur ▁career ▁in ▁hockey ▁was ▁potentially ▁over . ▁By ▁this ▁time ▁he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁players , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁best ▁sk ater ▁on ▁his ▁team . ▁" I ▁was ▁a ▁def ens eman ▁all ▁my ▁career ▁and ▁I ▁always ▁loved ▁r ush es ," ▁he ▁says . ▁" It ▁didn ' t ▁take ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁stick hand ling ▁for ▁me ▁to ▁score ▁lots ▁of ▁goals ▁- ▁I ▁just ▁sk ated ▁around ▁the ▁oppon ents ." ▁This ▁talent ▁did ▁not ▁go ▁un not iced , ▁as ▁Yan ▁K amin sky , ▁the ▁coach ▁of ▁the ▁Dynam o ▁Moscow ▁junior ▁team ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁noticed ▁T ver d ov sky ▁and ▁invited ▁him ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁Moscow . ▁K ament sky ▁soon ▁left ▁Dynam o ▁and ▁accepted ▁a ▁job ▁with ▁K ry ly a ▁Sov et ov , ▁also ▁in ▁Moscow . ▁His ▁mother , ▁Alex andra , ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁her