MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — Carolina Hurricanes goalie prospect Semyon Frolov takes a break at the Canes recent Prospects Development Camp. Frolov, like three other Russian players at this year’s camp, doesn’t speak English.
“It’s tough for them for sure, but they will do their best to get prepared for this,” said Carolina Hurricanes amateur scout Oleg Smirnov.
Smirnov is one of the Hurricanes’ amateur scouts, and he’s been instrumental in helping the organization find Russian talent. The four Russian players at this year’s prospects camp all performed at a high level, despite the challenges of understanding the terminology of some of the on-ice drills.
“I’m just trying my best to help them because there is a language barrier for them, but they just got to get better and better with it every day,” said Smirnov.
The four players naturally banded together both on the ice and off at camp. Frolov, the Hurricanes’ top pick in the 2025 draft, was fortunate to learn under the guidance of former Canes star Cam Ward during the three-day session. For Ward, this was not the first time giving instruction while battling a language barrier.
“You’ve got to keep in mind that this is a big change for these kids, especially if they come from another country and don’t speak English,” said Ward. “I think we saw with [Hurricanes goalie Pyotr] Kochetkov that that develops and changes, and eventually he’ll learn some English and make the transition a little easier.”
The Hurricanes are counting on it, and not just for Frolov. Carolina has invested heavily in Russian talent over the past couple of years, and for those players, learning to communicate is just a part of the journey.
“Most of them probably know hockey language,” said Smirnov. “It’s the same in every country, but they need to improve.”
The language of hockey seems to be universal when spoken on ice.