Stanislav Galyev recently announced to Sport24 journalist Dmitry Erykalov that he is no longer eligible for the Russian squad for the 2012 Junior World Championships due to an unfortunate injury.
Previous reports and quotes from Galiev suggested that a blow during Washington’s training camp in September before the tournament was the cause.
“After I hit the boards, (my arm) started to hurt so much,” Galiev told RMNB in November 2011. “It wasn’t even that bad a blow.”
It turns out the truth behind his broken arm had nothing to do with an on-ice incident. The Washington Capitals’ third-round pick in the 2010 NHL Draft told Erykalov the real story after being asked to tell a story about any “out of the blue” or “annoying” injuries during his career.
“I once broke my arm while playing football with Sasha Ovechkin and some mutual friends,” Galiev replied. “It turned out that I was out for five months and didn’t go to the World Junior Championship.”
“I haven’t been in goal since then. I’m not a professional goalkeeper and the guys there shoot like God.”
Ovechkin’s summer soccer outings were popular with his Russian teammates, with Galiev and Dmitry Orlov regularly participating in the usually topless training sessions.
Galiev sustained his injury in a summer exhibition game after a key developmental season in 2011 in which he won the Memorial Cup and scored 65 points (37 goals, 28 assists) in 64 games with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL.
Galiev participated in the Capitals’ training camp before the true extent of his injury was known. He impressed then-head coach Bruce Boudreau, particularly in a preseason game against the Nashville Predators at Baltimore’s 1st Mariner Arena. He then played several games in the QMJHL with the Sea Dogs, recording six points (3 goals, 3 assists) in five games before being placed on the injured list.
The then 19-year-old forward did not return to the Sea Dogs until mid-February 2012, long after the World Juniors had already concluded that season. Russia finished second in the tournament behind Sweden, thanks to an MVP award and 13 points from fellow Capitals player Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Galiev finished the 2011-12 season with 19 points (13 goals, 6 assists) in 20 games and won the QMJHL for the second consecutive year with the Sea Dogs. He made his debut in Washington’s organization the following season and played a total of 63 games for the Hershey Bears of the AHL and the Reading Royals of the ECHL.
Washington gave him his NHL debut on April 8, 2015 against the Boston Bruins. He played one more game that season, scoring his first NHL goal against the New York Rangers.
Galiev played 24 more NHL games the next season and finished his time with the Capitals after spending the 2016-17 season exclusively in Hershey with the Bears. He then returned to his native Russia and played the last seven years in the KHL.
Since then, he has represented Russia at international level and won a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics. The now 32-year-old winger will play his first season for Avangard Omsk in 2024/25.
