Ruslan Fedotenko's NHL comeback leads him to Iowa

Every once in a while, somebody recognizes Ruslan Fedotenko.

They might remember when he scored both goals in Tampa Bay's 2004 Stanley Cup clincher. Or, they may ask about his role with Pittsburgh's 2009 championship team.

Usually, though, the Ukrainian winger goes unnoticed.

"It depends," Fedotenko said with a chuckle. "If I'm in a hockey crowd, a hockey environment, yes. The kids, the fans remind me quite often.

"If I'm not with hockey people, I'm just a regular guy and regular conversation."

The unassuming veteran of 12 NHL seasons is continuing his career in Des Moines. Fedotenko joined the Iowa Wild in January and at age 36 still holds lofty aspirations.

If the Minnesota Wild call him up, it would be the sixth NHL team Fedotenko has played for.

"That's the goal," he said. "It is getting difficult with the years. You need to work twice as hard or even more, than when I was 20."

Fedotenko already has ties to Iowa. He met his wife, Debbie, while playing for the Sioux City Musketeers in the late 1990s. His stepson, Kyle, lives in Iowa City.

"He played club hockey there," Fedotenko said, referring to the University of Iowa, "but it's not really a big hockey school."

A return to the M

idwest brings Fedotenko peace and promise at a time when his homeland is torn.

Two years ago, he signed to play for a Ukrainian team in the Kontinental Hockey League.

The first part of the season went well, but then things unraveled as Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, became embroiled in a war between pro-democracy protesters and a government aligned with Russia.

Reports earlier this year put the death toll at 50,000.

"Nobody's thinking a

bout hockey or anything like that," said Fedotenko, who represented Ukraine during the 2002 Olympics. "They're trying to survive day-to-day stuff."

Most of Fedotenko's immediate family, including his parents, immigrated to the United States around a year ago.

Some loved ones remain in Ukraine, but he says they are safe.

"When we finished the playoffs, it was getting pretty bad," Fedotenko said of the 2013-14 season. "As soon as we left (the country), they closed the airport and all the bad stuff started happening."

When he settled back in the U.S. he began to notice changes in the NHL game.

"It's not as much big and physical," Fedotenko said. "It's still physical, but now it's way more quick. It's no more holding and grabbing.

"So now we need to be much quicker and faster."

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Fedo

tenko has scored 173 goals and accounted for 366 points in 863 NHL regular-season games.

Those total are even more impressive when you consider Fedotenko was an undrafted free agent when he signed with Philadelphia back in 1999.

Can he make a return to the league?

"I still feel pretty good and physically fit," Fedotenko said. "At some point, when I realize I am getting too old or too slow and I cannot help the team, then I think I need to kind of look in the mirror and say, 'Maybe, that's enough.'

"I still have that passion to win another Cup."