In a couple years, Vladimir Provorov – the younger brother of Ivan Provorov – will suit up for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Columbus is a long way away from Yaroslavl, Russia, where both brothers were born and raised. But when Vladimir needs to get away from the dorms or stressful life of a prolific college athlete, he’ll be able to head over to his older brother’s house for dinner.
“Having him close would be really fun, and being able to go to his games,” Provorov said. “I’m excited for that.”
Whether Vladimir comes to Ohio State in one or two seasons remains to be seen, but that won’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. With Ivan inking a seven-year contract with the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, it assures him of security in Columbus, a place that the defenseman now considers home.
Provorov spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Philadelphia Flyers. Next season will mark his third as a Blue Jacket, with many more to come beyond that. What’s changed since he entered the league is who he is off the ice – he’s looking forward to eventually raising a family in Columbus.
“I think it's a great city with a great fan base,” Provorov said. “It’s great living. Easy, peaceful, a great place to raise a family.”
Provorov bounced all around Columbus’ blue line last season, and though he’s a left-shot defenseman, he spent most of his time on his off hand. He began the year playing opposite Zach Werenski before settling on the right side when Denton Mateychuk was called up midway through the season. Provorov’s versatility allows him to play both sides when needed, but he is looking forward to heading into next season with Mateychuk under his wing.
“Throughout this past season, I played a lot (on the right), and more than half with Matty,” Provorov. “I think we've done a good job together.”
The Blue Jackets saw things on the blue line shake up substantially throughout 2024-25 – Erik Gudbranson got hurt in the third game of the season and Dante Fabbro was acquired off waivers in November, while Mateychuk didn’t earn his call-up until later than that. Throughout the disruptions, Provorov was a steady force, scoring seven goals and adding 26 assists and a plus-11 rating on the year.
And while the Blue Jackets’ defense was perhaps the area that needed the most improvement if the team wants to earn a playoff berth next season, Provorov believes that the continuity heading into next season is an invaluable asset.
“I think just another season together as a D-corps will be helpful,” Provorov said. “Another year in the same system will be helpful. I think this team is hungry to get better and will continue to get better. Having everyone that was there last year come back is a great thing for this team, and I think we can take massive strides on the defensive aspect of the game.”
Gudbranson’s injury and the many others that plagued the Blue Jackets last season – Boone Jenner, Sean Monahan, Kent Johnson and more – were, to Provorov, one of the biggest reasons why the team just missed out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But with a young core that only continues to soak in new experiences and lessons, Provorov believes they can get over the hump.
“I think our whole team is pretty young, and I think every player on this team strives to get better, and that's exciting,” Provorov said. “I think if we're able to put our best team game forward, we can win a lot of games and hopefully win a championship.”
Provorov is just 29. He joins such veterans as Werenski (27), Monahan (30), Jenner (32) and Gudbranson (33) as leaders on a young Blue Jackets team. They are accompanied by the younger core of Blue Jackets including Johnson (22), Adam Fantilli (20), Kirill Marchenko (24) and others.
Provorov was there for the team’s eighth-place Metropolitan Division finish two seasons ago. With a handful of players taking major steps in 2024-25, Provorov believes that’s only the beginning of what fans will see in Columbus.
“I think we've taken tremendous strides in the past two years. Even from the start of last season, I think we got better and better as the season went on,” Provorov said. “Obviously, there are downs and there are ups, but I think our team managed those a lot better than we did two years ago.”
Along with the additions of Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood, Provorov is excited for what’s to come. The Blue Jackets just missed out on the postseason this past year, but the expectation to win will be there when the team reconvenes this autumn.
“That’s what you play all 82 games for. You play for a chance to make the playoffs, and then go try to win a championship, and if you don't make the playoffs, you can't win,” Provorov said. “The ultimate goal is to try to win a Stanley Cup. I'm obviously hungry to do better myself, do better as a team, and try to get into the playoffs for this upcoming season, and go from there.”
