Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
Nothing personal, but Egor Sokolov needed a change.
After four seasons with the Belleville Senators, the power forward felt that he needed a new opportunity, something different.
At 24, Sokolov is hardly too old to have a viable NHL future. But the years in pro hockey do move by quickly, and it can be very easy to age out of prospect status and into that career stage that can sometimes be murky in this business. After playing a combined 13 NHL games in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, he had gone all of last season without an appearance for Ottawa.
Sokolov went to management with a trade request. With his offensive touch (76 goals and 180 points over four seasons in Belleville) and passionate approach, he had built up plenty of respect capital with the NHL organization that had selected him as a 2020 second-round draft pick.
But he needed a chance to play in front of new eyes and Ottawa management did right by him, sending him to the Utah Hockey Club on July 3. The Senators made sure to get value in return, too, obtaining fellow forward Jan Jenik – a fact not lost on Sokolov.
“They traded Jenik for me, and he’s a big piece,” Sokolov said. “They didn’t just trade me for nothing, right?”
It was a deal that sent Sokolov to a new organization, a new conference, and a new country. He went from one of the AHL’s smaller markets in Belleville to the sprawling city of Tucson, from southern Ontario to the American Southwest. Fewer bus trips crisscrossing the Eastern Conference, more flights to places like Calgary and Colorado.
But with players and management having relocated from Arizona to Salt Lake City as Utah prepared for its inaugural season, Sokolov came into a situation in which everyone was encountering a new environment.
“It was good,” Sokolov said of his first Utah training camp. “I think people learn about you. [I wanted to] leave a good impression for myself. Starting the season in Tucson, I’ve been able to build the trust from the coaching staff, and hopefully sooner rather than later I get an opportunity up in the NHL.”
Sokolov wore a letter during his junior career in the QMJHL and helped to lead during his time in Belleville. The Roadrunners count on him for leadership as well. That started with a direct self-assessment in an early meeting with head coach Steve Potvin. AHL coaching staffs already have plenty to do helping first- and second-year players with the pro game. Being a low-maintenance, dependable figure is key for a team’s more experienced players.
“I told them right off the hop, I don’t want you to take 20, 30 games to start building trust in me,” Sokolov remembered. “I told them I’m going to show right from opening weekend that I can be trusted, and it’s been great so far. They want me to reach my dream.”
Sokolov has been as advertised in Tucson. He leads the Roadrunners in goals (8), assists (6), points (14), power-play goals (3) and game-winners (3) through 10 games. He was named Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week after a four-goal weekend against Bakersfield in late October.
Tucson’s roster has solidified since the start of the season as well. Top prospect Josh Doan and Kailer Yamamoto recently joined the team from Utah, and much of the core from a 92-point season in 2023-24 has returned to Tucson. A recent nine-day break between games allowed Sokolov to settle in with his teammates and coaches who are still relatively new to him.
With such a rare gap in the schedule, there has been plenty of time for video work. Sokolov’s ability with the puck is clear. Off the puck, the mandate is to move his feet. Skating was an issue for Sokolov even as he moved into the pro game, and it has been an area of intense focus. If he can maintain pace throughout a game, continue to build that muscle memory, he will put himself in an excellent position for a promotion to Utah.
The Coyotes missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 11 of their final 12 seasons; holdover players and management arrived in their new home hungry for something different with this fresh opportunity. Hopes are high, and Sokolov wants to be a part of that as well.
“I just want to make a statement for everybody.”
On the American Hockey League beat for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.