Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
Semyon Varlamov turned 38 on Monday.
But for at least one night, the long-time NHL goaltender felt like a 20-year-old again.
Back in Giant Center on April 18, Varlamov looked every bit the Washington Capitals prospect who tended net for the Hershey Bears 18 years ago. But this time, he was dressed in the blue and orange of the Bridgeport Islanders, and his career was in a far different place than it was in 2008.
Varlamov’s return to the ice on a conditioning assignment was a major milestone, coming after nearly a year and a half of recovery from knee surgeries. His last action had come in the NHL on Nov. 29, 2024.
Coming back to the AHL for a week brought Varlamov full circle in two ways. One, there was the payoff of getting to play again after so many lonely, demanding months of rehab. Two, he was back in the building where he started his North American career after Washington had taken him in the first round of the 2006 NHL Draft. Varlamov made 33 appearances with the Bears over his first three seasons.
It was a brief trip back to Hershey, but Varlamov found a bit of time for some extra nostalgia. He took a quick spin past his old apartment and met with some friends after the game.
“It just brings a lot of memories,” he said.
For some extra showmanship that night, as the game’s second star in a 28-save performance, Varlamov took a looping skate to center ice, raised his stick and bowed to the Hershey crowd. He has played more than 600 games in the NHL with the Capitals, Avalanche and Islanders, but Chocolatetown is where he took the steps necessary to turn raw talent into an NHL-ready goaltender.
“This is my first team,” Varlamov said. “I’m very thankful to be back and actually playing in this building again. It’s a special city for me.”
NHL veterans carry themselves a certain way, and there is no doubt that there was a bit of an awe factor for some of Varlamov’s Bridgeport teammates to have him around them even for a short time. In addition to 16 NHL seasons, Varlamov has played in the Olympics, the World Cup of Hockey and the IIHF World Championship.
By any definition, it has been an extremely successful career, one that really started to take off once he got to Hershey. He had essentially graduated to Washington by the time the postseason came around, so he missed the Bears’ Calder Cup win in 2009. But Hershey provided an excellent environment for him to fine-tune his game while navigating life as a 20-year-old far from his hometown of Samara, Russia.
“I had to learn everything,” Varlamov recounted. “I came here, and I didn’t speak any English. I made a lot of friends. The team was very welcoming. But [there were] a lot of challenges. I didn’t [know] how to find a place to live, to buy a car, stuff like that.”
Varlamov handles North American life smoothly now, speaks English fluently, and long ago became a mentor to younger players. Back then, the challenge for him was youth. Now it’s the wear-and-tear of a long career.
His first start with Bridgeport came Apr. 15 at Hartford, a 5-2 win in which he had 18 saves. He admitted that game’s speed had been a challenge for him after being out of action for so long. The start in Hershey allowed him to feel more acclimated to the pace again.
“I feel like myself,” Varlamov put it. “I had to test everything… I had to test my knees. That was the main thing. Everything felt good. You know, it was challenging, but I went through this, and I feel good about my game.
“I’ll say I went through a lot in the last 16 months. But I had a lot of support from the New York Islanders organization, starting with the ownership, management, coaches, and then the team, and I couldn’t do it without their support. I’m very thankful for them that they’ve always been behind me, and I think that’s how I made it back.”
He is under contract with New York for at least one more season. If his body is ready to go come next September, he could give the Islanders a steady partner to work alongside incumbent Ilya Sorokin. It was just a quick return to the AHL, but it was enough to give Varlamov encouragement that he can take into the offseason.
It also allowed him to connect back to his early days, to experience Giant Center on a Saturday night for a big divisional game again.
“Hershey fans,” Varlamov said, “are the best fans are in the league. It’s a really fun building to play in. I’m thankful for this opportunity to play in front of this crowd. They gave me a lot of support when I played here. I know they still support me. I saw a lot of jerseys in the crowd.
“It was emotional for me because 18 years later, I’m still playing hockey. I don’t know if I’m ever going to play again in this building. That was a very special night for me.”
