Sardarian is one of few Russians that decided to play college.

Buffalo, NY (WGR 550) – It’s not often that a young Russian hockey player decides to take the U.S, college route in his development. The Buffalo Sabres took Stiven Sardarian in the third-round of the 2021 NHL Draft and he immediately decided that he wanted to play at the University of New Hampshire. Sardarian was just in Buffalo for Sabres Development Camp where he looked good. He said,

“I was in Russia and played junior in the MHL and the UNH team texted me saying they wanted to see me to play college hockey. I didn’t know anything about college hockey and people told me it was a really good level with a lot of prospects and a lot of really good players are playing in the NCAA and I decided to go to college.”

Sardarian was going to go directly to New Hampshire as a true freshman, but he said one thing stopped him which put him in the USHL for a season with the Youngstown Phantoms,

“My English was so bad, so we decided to go to the USHL for one season where I improved my English, and I can understand American Hockey.”

Sardarian was doing all of this at 18-years-old. He was learning a new language in a new country which does things quite differently than his country does. He got to school at age 19 and now on top of hockey and a new culture, he had to attend college classes. He said,

“It’s actually hard because school takes a lot of power and energy because you have to go to class, you have to do homework and sometimes hard exams and for our coaching staff, our grades were important because if you have bad grades, the coaching staff will talk to you about this so you have to be good in school, so it was hard for me, but every year its been better and better.”

Sardarian said he got through everything thanks to his teammates and his coaching staff. He said the Buffalo Sabres helped him a lot too.

After two seasons with the Huskies, Sardarian went into the transfer portal and decided to go with the Northern Michigan Wildcats, but all of a sudden he was back in the portal because the head coach Grant Potulny left to coach the AHL Hartford Wolfpack.

He said he enjoyed playing with New Hampshire, but he needed a change,

“I love UNH. I love the coaching staff. I love my teammates, but it's like it’s life. I played two-years and decided to change and I was going to Northern Michigan, but then the whole coaching staff left, so I don’t know where I’m going, but we will see.”

There has been no announcement yet on if the winger has found a college to play at.

Many Europeans have an adjustment coming to play in North America. Sardarian said,

“I think it’s faster and harder than in Russia, in Russia it’s more about skill. Also we have bigger rinks and it’s probably more easy, but for me I need to improve and play more harder, be stronger and that’s it.”

Sardarian is very excited that the Sabres have drafted six Russians in two drafts. He said it’ll make it easier on him,

“Yes, we have Novikov, Kisakov and Neuchev playing in Rochester already and I think it’s great because we’re all friends and we help each other and I hope we will play together in Rochester and also in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres.”

Vsevolod Komarov is expected to be with the Amerks this year and Prokhor Poltapov next year when his KHL contract expires.

Sardarian said this summer he wants to gain weight by becoming stronger and he also wants to work on his skating to be faster.