▁ 1 5 - year - old ▁son ▁to ▁leave ▁home , ▁but ▁his ▁father , ▁Fed or , ▁convinced ▁her ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁for ▁the ▁best . ▁ ▁" It ▁wasn ' t ▁an ▁easy ▁time ▁for ▁me . ▁I ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁d orm itory , ▁missing ▁my ▁family , ▁especially ▁my ▁ 7 - year - old ▁sister ▁( An na ), " ▁O leg ▁rec alls . ▁ ▁Russia ▁Though ▁missing ▁his ▁home ▁in ▁Ukraine , ▁O leg ▁made ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁progress ▁to ▁his ▁game ▁while ▁in ▁Russia . ▁He ▁and ▁his ▁team mate ▁from ▁Don et sk , ▁Y uri ▁Lit vin ov ▁( l ater ▁draft ed ▁by ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁R angers ), ▁pract iced ▁eight ▁hours ▁a ▁day , ▁four ▁times ▁a ▁week . ▁Ig or ▁D mit ri ye v , ▁the ▁coach ▁of ▁the ▁senior ▁K ry ly a ▁Sov et ov ▁team ▁signed ▁the ▁ 1 6 - year - old ▁def ens eman ▁to ▁a ▁contract ▁with ▁the ▁professional ▁club , ▁despite ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁O leg ▁never ▁played ▁for ▁the ▁junior ▁team . ▁ ▁" When ▁I ▁saw ▁him ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁I ▁was ▁amaz ed ▁by ▁his ▁sk ating ▁ability ," ▁says ▁D mit ri ye v , ▁then ▁the ▁head ▁coach ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁National ▁Team . ▁" He ▁carried ▁the ▁pu ck ▁so ▁well , ▁he ▁had ▁so ▁much ▁confidence ▁that ▁I ▁decided ▁to ▁give ▁him ▁a ▁chance ." ▁ ▁For ▁two ▁years ,