Первый украинец в НХЛ
Александр Годынюк, молодая звезда киевского "Сокола" - был первым украинцем в заокеанской лиге. В 1989 году на молодежном чемпионате мира он феерил в одном звене с Могильным, Федоровым, Буре и Зубовым и как водится, был выбран на драфте клубом НХЛ "Торонто".
Уж не знаю, кто его надоумил и что подтолкнуло, но вслед за Могильным и Федоровым, своими партнерами, он точно также слинял в Северную Америку через черный ход. История побега у всех троих очень похожа, виза в соцстрану, прятки в отеле, дрожащие коленки на границе и помощь канадских менеджеров в организации мероприятия.
Вот что писали об этом в Канаде
30 ноября 1990 года. Mystery shrouds Soviet // Toronto Star
General manager Floyd Smith insisted yesterday that the Maple Leaf organization had no part in bringing Soviet prospect Alexander Godynyuk to North America.
The 20-year-old defenceman himself, meanwhile, remained evasive about how he left his native Ukraine home, repeating over and over that his parents were supportive of the move and that he is in Canada on a six-week visitor's visa.
Any questions about what ties he may or may not have with the Sokol Kiev club of the Soviet major league were answered with shoulder shrugs and blank stares.
Furthermore, Vitali Shevchenko, the Vancouver-based agent who represents the 20-year-old defenceman, said he has no idea how Godynyuk exited the Soviet Union.
Cloak and dagger
"Is good question. Very interesting," Shevchenko responded with a smile yesterday when asked how Godynyuk fled from the Ukraine.
A report Wednesday in the Soviet newspaper Izvestia suggested that Shevchenko helped Godynyuk escape. "There is a version that Godynyuk got a foreign passport, travelled to Poland and from there flew to Canada," Izvestia reported.
It's obvious Godynyuk, the Leafs' sixth-round pick and the 115th player chosen over-all in last June's draft, came to Canada under very mysterious circumstances.
And it's abundantly apparent that it could take a substantial amount of time before the Leafs and the National Hockey League can straighten out the details of whatever contractual ties he has to his Soviet club and soothe some ruffled Soviet feathers.
Smith said he spoke with NHL president John Ziegler this week, after he'd learned of Godynyuk's arrival in Canada, and realized the youngster's decision to leave had caused a considerable stir both in the Soviet Union and at league headquarters.
"It's putting him (Ziegler) in a bad spot, really, because we (the NHL) have negotiations going on all the time with the Russians and this is something that we hope doesn't cause any problems," said Smith, sounding almost apologetic.
"But the kid came here. How he got here, I don't know, but what am I going to do, send him home? I don't want to be a rebel or anything like that. But we're going to try to do what's best for the Toronto Maple Leafs, what's best for the NHL and whatever John Ziegler tells us, we can do."
Junior all-star
Smith said the Leafs have kept in touch with Godynyuk since they drafted him last June and have kept apprised of his progress with Sokol Kiev by Shevchenko, but would not say if he or anyone else in the Leaf organization had actually visted with him in the Soviet Union.
"Let's just say we talked with him," said Smith, who mentioned later in an interview that "we've met him and talked to him and knew that he was very anxious to come and he told us he'd come."
What Smith claimed he didn't know was when the former world junior tournament all-star would come to Canada.
"When I learned he was here I was as surprised as anyone," Smith said. "I would've been just as happy to see him play in the Soviet Union for the rest of this year and then worry about him next summer.
"He's a young kid and another year isn't going to hurt him. But when he shows he wants to come this badly, it's hard to ignore it."
Smith said the Soviets had sent a copy of Godynyuk's "working agreement" with Sokol Kiev to NHL headquarters, but had no idea whether it was a binding contract that the NHL would honor.
When Sergei Federov defected from the Soviet squad at last summer's Goodwill Games in Seattle to join the Detroit Red Wings, the Soviets claimed he, too, was under contract but the NHL did not recognize the agreement as a legitimate player's contract.
Skated with Leafs
Plumbers and physical education instructors were under the same sort of agreement, the NHL said.
"One day, Soviet papers say (Godynyuk) must play one more year and a half on his contract, the next day they say the team will take money from the Maple Leafs," said Shevchenko, claiming Godynyuk's "working agreement" was no different than Federov's.
Immediately after Federov's defection, however, Soviet officials made all players on that Goodwill Games squad sign valid player contracts. Godynyuk was not on that Soviet team.
Godynyuk, meanwhile, skated with the Leafs yesterday despite being bothered by a slight ankle injury and had his share of troubles, but was complimentary toward everyone afterwards.
"Good team, good players," said Godynyuk, who will travel to Toronto this weekend and begin practising with the club on a daily basis next week.
В НХЛ Александр попытался сразу же взять быка за рога и нокаутировал тафгая "Чикаго" в первом же матче. Впрочем, матч может это был и не первый, но уж точно один из первых.
Судя по рассказам, игрок он был жесткий, кулаками махал частенько и самому ему доставалось тоже не раз. Ему даже пришлось делать пластическую операцию, после того как он нечаянно попал под конек партнера на тренировке еще в "Соколе"... Но это уже другая история.
Играл в НХЛ за "Торонто", "Калгари" и "Хартфорд" вплоть до 1997 года и провел всего 223 игры. 10 голов, 49 очков и 224 минуты штрафа. Средняя полезность - минус 8. Суперзвездой не стал, но свой след за океаном оставил.
Забавный эпизод из жизни Годынюка еще в "гражданской" советской жизни. Он успел сняться в кино, вместе с такими людьми как Брондуков и Ливанов. Юношеский фильм про хоккей, называется "Тройка", посмотреть его можно тут. Я, к сожалению, не видел, но кто видел - расскажите, пожалуйста, кого он там играет? Уж не самого ли себя?))
Но вернемся к хоккею. Александр Годынюк завершил игровую карьеру в Европе в 2001, поиграв за "Берн" (Швейцария) и "Айсберен" (Германия). В настоящее время тренирует молодежку "Донбасса"
Информация из википедии
Олександр Олегович Годинюк (27 січня 1970, м. Київ, СРСР) — український хокеїст, тренер. Головний тренер «Сокіл» (Київ).
Вихованець хокейної школи «Сокіл» (Київ). Виступав за «Сокіл» (Київ), «Ньюмаркет Сейнтс» (АХЛ), «Торонто Мейпл-Ліфс», «Солт-Лейк Голден-Іглз», «Калгарі Флеймс», «Флорида Пантерс», «Гартфорд Вейлерс», «Детройт Вайперс» (ІХЛ), «Міннесота Мус» (ІХЛ), «Спрингфілд Фельконс» (АХЛ), «Чикаго Вулвз» (АХЛ), СК «Берн», «Айсберен Берлін».
В чемпіонатах НХЛ — 223 матчі (10+39).
У складі національної збірної України учасник чемпіонату світу 1999 (3 матчі, 0+0). У складі молодіжної збірної СРСР учасник чемпіонатів світу 1989 і 1990. У складі юніорської збірної СРСР учасник чемпіонатів Європи 1987 і 1988
Интервью с Годынюком
