Brimming with confidence, Ivan Miroshnichenko has points in two of his last three games.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery believes part of Miroshnichenko’s newfound success is the hard work the Russian rookie forward has done behind the scenes learning the English language.
Coming into the 2023-24 season — Miroshnichenko’s first in North America — the 2022 first-round pick struggled with communication. But, after working with a tutor near Hershey along with prospect Bogdan Trineyev, Miroshnichenko has made serious progress with the language.
“They found somebody that helps me and hopefully by the end of the season I’m going to be comfortable to be able to speak and talk without a translator,” Miroshnichenko told RMNB in October through a translator. “Obviously now it’s just finger-pointing and drawing to try and explain the situation.”
Now the left wing is understanding questions reporters are asking him and he’s being assertive in his communication with Capitals’ coaches.
“I think it makes a massive difference,” Carbery said after practicing in Calgary on Sunday. “To be able to show him things, he asks questions now on the bench, after games, at practice. Even communicating with him on the little drills out there today, it makes such a difference for a young player to now, he has so many things going through his head just a normal English-speaking player. Now to be able to communicate and ask and talk to his teammates and even have those simple conversations that we take for granted are huge for his development.
“And then the X’s and O’s part of it, and really understand what we’re asking him to do from a habit standpoint, it makes a big difference. I give him a lot of credit. You can tell he’s working at it. He knows how important it is. Not only is he working on his individual skills on the ice and all of that part, but he’s also trying to figure out how to be a smarter player. I want to understand the structure at a higher level so I need to figure out, or work at, learning the language because that’s a big part of it.”
In Hershey, Miroshnichenko initially relied on veteran AHL defenseman Dmitry Osipov — a player the team signed shortly before the season — to communicate to the team and talk to the press. One of the most unheralded but important organizational signings this year, Osipov even sat with Miroshnichenko one game when both players were healthy-scratched so that he could help Miro learn the system better.
Miroshnichenko was comfortable enough to make a short “speech” after scoring his first AHL goal on October 20.
“Ahhhh, I’m really happy today,” Miroshnichenko said. “My first American Hockey League goal. Thank you, team.”
Since then, the Ussuriysk, Russia native has posted 25 points (9g, 16a) in 47 games with the Bears and had two different stints in the NHL.
Miroshnichenko played his first four games around the week of Christmas. He then returned to Washington in March and has played in six more games, showing more competitiveness and a better grasp of the Capitals system.
“I notice, and probably part of it as you get more experience, but the games that he played [around Christmas], I see like this from where he was there and where he is now,” Carbery then raised his hand over his head to show the gap in which he’s improved.
“[P]robably part of it is as you get more experience… (and) part of getting comfortable in North America,” Carbery added. “I think it has definitely had a positive impact on his overall game, and again — [Saturday] night — played at a real high level. Made a heck of a play to set up that (Tom Wilson) goal and did a lot of other good things along the walls and some coverage stuff that I thought was really really solid in a really difficult game against one of the best teams in the league.”
The Capitals were so pleased with Miroshnichenko’s development that they burned a year of his entry-level contract as the team makes a push to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22.
“He’s earned it,” Carbery said. “This isn’t a courtesy, ‘Hey, young player, first-round pick, 20 years old, here just get your feet wet in the National Hockey League.’ He is earning his ice time and opportunity with the way that he’s playing.”
And so too, by learning another language and further assimilating with the club.
