When Kirill Marchenko arrived in the United States from Russia last summer, he knew very little English. Yet, just seven months later, he's accepting interviews without a translator.
“The first month or two for me was hard,” Marchenko told me recently in Columbus. “I came to North America in July. The first month, I stayed without my wife, and I wasn't happy. My English was bad. I tried to speak but couldn't.'
“Now, I know more words. I understand a question and how to answer. It's good for me. When I came, it was really hard.”
The Columbus Blue Jackets selected Marchenko 49th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Then, after four seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with SKA Saint Petersburg, he signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Columbus on May 2, 2022. He arrived in the United States in July 2022 and played 16 games with the AHL Cleveland Monsters before getting called up to the Blue Jackets in December.
The 6-foot-3 right winger has quickly become a fan favorite in Columbus. Marchenko's tough offensive skills make him fierce on the ice, but it's his outgoing and flamboyant personality that's caught the attention of fans and teammates.'
Still, communicating has been one of his biggest challenges.
“I just ask guys, 'What does this word mean? What about this one?'” Marchenko said. “If I don't understand, I just say, 'What does this mean? Save me, please!''
“I try to listen and remember what the guys say. When I hear guys in the locker room, I listen and think, 'Right, he said this,' and I remember. It's cool for me, but my brain has to work at 200%.”
For international players, the road to the NHL is a lot less linear than it usually is for American or Canadian players. Getting scouted in the first place is hard enough, but continuing to develop in the NHL style while still playing in an overseas league takes' a lot of dedication and adaptation.'
And that's before the language barrier.
You never forget your first NHL goal. ??
Congratulations, Kirill Marchenko!
NHL Next Gen Rookies presented by @BioSteelSports. pic.twitter.com/SFJvIIyX3V
— NHL (@NHL) December 11, 2022
“I knew it was going to happen for him,” Columbus defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov said. “I played with [Marchenko] for two years back in Russia, and during the summer, I met him at a restaurant.'
“He started asking, 'How's Columbus? Do you think I can play there?' and I was like, 'Yeah, Marchy, of course, you will get there. It takes a while, but don't stop working because you can make it. It's going to be okay.' He told me he wanted to try, and that's exactly what happened. Here we go. He's here. I'm glad to see him.”
Kirill Marchenko: Stats
Marchenko didn't take long to prove he belonged in the NHL.'
Through 34 games with the Blue Jackets this season, he's recorded 14 goals, one assist, 15 points, and 67 shots. His 14 goals are tied with Sonny Milano (2017-18) for the fifth-most by a rookie in franchise history, and with both his and Kent Johnson's (12) goal count in double digits, this is only the third time in Blue Jackets history that two rookies have at least 10 goals.