http://www.jewishworldreview.com --
Albany, N.Y. | A lone hockey player
stands along the sideboards of the
ice rink at the Pepsi Arena here,
taking long-distance shots at an
empty goal. He is not dressed in the
uniform of his team, the Albany River
Rats, but in a sweatshirt and gray
sweat shorts.
Max Birbraer is not in the lineup
against the Rochester Americans.
And Birbraer, a rookie left wing who
made headlines last summer when
he became the first Israeli drafted by
a National Hockey League team, the
defending Stanley Cup champion
New Jersey Devils, has played in only
two-thirds of his club’s first 55
games.
"It’s a learning experience for me," says Birbraer, who was born in
Kazakhstan, started skating at 6, immigrated with his family to Israel
five years ago, was invited to play for Israel’s mostly emigre national
team and played three years of junior hockey in Canada.
Drafted in the third round by the Devils, he was assigned at the start
of the 2000-01 season to their top minor league team, the River Rats
of the American Hockey League. On a roster with other young
prospects and some NHL veterans, Birbraer is finding that the natural
skills that made him a star on the Israeli national and Canadian junior
teams need team savvy at the professional level.
"He’s an apprentice, he’s learning his profession," says River Rats
coach John Cunniff, who has NHL coaching experience. Cunniff has
concentrated on Birbraer’s conditioning and defensive play.
Going into the Rochester game, Birbraer has recorded only four goals
and three assists.
"I was playing against kids" the last few seasons, says Birbraer, 6-2,
185 pounds, who turned 20 two months ago and is the
second-youngest player in the league. "Here I’m playing against
adults. People are bigger, faster, smarter."
So Birbraer sits, watching the River Rats from the stands, working out
on the stationery bike and weights. He’s not bitter about the lack of
playing time.
"I’m having the best time of my life this year," he says. "I had harder
things in the past I had to adjust to."
Like leaving his homeland as a teenager to escape anti-Semitism.
Like learning at 14 that he was Jewish, a fact kept from him by his
parents.
Like learning Hebrew and Jewish customs when he made aliyah.
Like learning English and Canadian customs when he settled in
Toronto.
"I feel it is a privilege for me to play here," Birbraer says in flawless,
unaccented English, even though he’s not getting as much ice time as
he would prefer. "A couple of more years, hopefully I’ll be up there," in
the NHL.
A popular figure in Israel (the Russian-language press regularly covers
him) and among local Jewish hockey fans (day school students crowd
around him for autographs), Birbraer sees himself as a role model for
young Jewish athletes. "Hopefully, little kids … will see that anything is
possible."
Birbraer, who was brought to Canada by Paul Rosen, a former trainer
for the Israeli national team who became his legal guardian, has a set
of honorary grandparents in Albany — Sanford and Ruthe Levin,
retirement-age members of the Jewish community who helped Birbraer
find an apartment and invite him for Shabbes (Sabbath) meals.
The Levins watch most of Birbraer’s games.
Two nights after the Rochester game, the River Rats have another
home game.
"Hopefully I’ll be in the lineup," Birbraer says. If not, more time in the
weight room — he’ll keep his body and his attitude in shape. "It’s
pretty much your choice what you’re going to
do."
Steve Lipman is a staff writer with the
New York Jewish Week. Comment on this article by clicking here.
