Meet Big C | FEATURE 

To understand the nickname Hockey Hall of Famer Igor Larionov gave Anton Silayev, we need to take a quick detour into the Russian alphabet.

Silayev’s name in Russian is written: Антон Силаев.

In Russian, the letter ‘C’ is pronounced like the English ‘S’.

So, Силаев in Russian is pronounced Silayev in English -- not Cilayev.

There’s that “C”, which, remember, sounds like an “S.”

Got it?

Alright. Now we can begin!

“I call him 'Big C,'” Larionov, who coached Silayev with Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL, told the Devils' official website. “We had three Antons on the team, so I started calling him 'Big C' because he’s such a big kid.”

And he’s not kidding. The Devils' defensive prospect towers at 6-foot-7 without skates, and he’s only 19. He was even younger when Larionov first gave him the nickname.

"When I saw him for the first time, it was kind of illegal, I can tell you that, to bring a 16-year-old kid to train with the KHL team," Larionov joked. "I had like five or six guys injured and kind of recovering from injury. So I had a group skating and I decided to bring, like, four guys from the junior team, and one of the kids was 'Big C.' I watched him skate a couple of drills. And then usually you decide when you are watching a small-area game, the details like body position, active stick, and all the little things you want to see in young players, and also his skating ability. He impressed me big time."

And he hasn't stopped impressing since.

'Big C' was never far from Larionov's mind even though he couldn't have him on his KHL team. But when that opening finally arrived in 2023, Larionov was insistent. He was going to coach Silayev.

"The year after that season (when he first saw him), I got him finally registered to play in the KHL," Larionov recalled. "I got a phone call from the junior team and they asked me, 'When will you send him back to the training camp? After four days, five days?' I said, 'No, no, no, no, he's gonna play the whole season. He’s not coming back to you guys, that’s for sure.' So that's what gave him so much confidence. And he's eager, very eager, to learn."

That first season under Larionov was the season leading into Silayev's NHL Draft, where the Devils selected him 10th overall in 2024. That year, Silayev skated and played his way to being No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings for European skaters.

“He taught me a lot,” Silayev, through a translator at the Devils' 2024 Development Camp, said of his KHL coach. “Most important, he taught me how to be a better player, to see the ice better, to skate better, to understand the game better, passing better."

At 6-foot-7, you’d expect Silayev to move more like a shutdown defender when you see him on the ice, but instead, one of the most unique aspects of his game is the way he glides fluidly on the ice. His skating is remarkable for a defenseman who stands well over six feet tall.

"It's kind of amazing," Larionov said. "To have size like that and to be more mobile, smooth, and in the right position. You know what is amazing? It's the way, with his kind of frame, his build, it's his ability and technique is remarkable, really remarkable."

For Larionov, he loves coaching players like Silayev: young, exciting, with a thirst to learn more and a dedication to his craft.

Silayev's drive is so strong that sometimes Larionov would have to hold him back. On days after playing 20 minutes in a game, he'd want to be on the ice the next day. After completing his off-ice workouts, Larionov would have to put his foot down and say no to ice time for the day, but added that it's "that desire to get better" that he loves so much about working with players like Silayev. Those types of players, Larionov said, have "a fire inside, a dedication to be better."

But that doesn't come without its challenges. Silayev is still a young defenseman learning his craft at the professional level. The ups and downs still do exist, but it's also part of what Larionov appreciates about developing players. He trusts his instincts and allows his young players to make mistakes.

It's the only way.

"I want to trust to the end, because I can see he was making mistakes," Larionov said. "But the next play, I told him, try to do better, try from that mistake and make the right decision. That's the point of developing young players."

"When the guy wants to get better, he’s going to ask questions, and (Silayev) does. And that, to me, is key one when you can see improvement," Larionov added. "To me, the way he played, the way he handled himself in the league was physical and strong and fast. With a good shot and the little details. The patience with the puck, the shoulder checks, you’ve got to see the ice really well, and the quick, quick decisions. That’s what I asked for from my players, especially the defense: get the puck back and look around, scan the rink to be able to make that play. Those are the little things, kind of working with him to get better. And he’s been following the messages from me, and he started to play much, much better.

"So then I told him, just kind of use this as a stepping stool, step by step, step by step."

There are also specific steps, as Larionov sees it, to foster the development of a young Russian defenseman to make the eventual jump. He urges Silayev to see it this way: "You know the goal: the goal for you is to be a top player on our team and to be a top player in our league, and then you can go make that jump to the Devils and be the guy."

Larionov is just as impressed with Silayev’s commitment to preparing for his eventual move to North America as he is with his on-ice abilities. The transition won’t be seamless, there will be challenges, both on the ice and off the ice. But Larionov believes Silayev, or “Big C,” has taken all the right steps to be ready. He’s confident and excited about what lies ahead.

"He's wide open to that," Larionov said of Silayev's desire to head to North America. "You can see his face always smiling. You can see he wants to go, he wants to face the challenge. And obviously he went there last year (for Development camp), I said, 'How was it?,' he was smiling. He said, 'It was awesome. Incredible.'"

That little taste, right after being drafted by New Jersey, was something Larionov urged Silayev to absorb. This season, due to visa issues, Silayev wasn’t able to attend, making his first appearance even more valuable.

“I told him, don’t just take a look, go and see what it’s all about," Larionov shared. "Prepare yourself for the future, for being there for a long time. Be the player you can be, like the team is going to build around you.’

"I said, 'You know what? That's good, you did that. You went to the (development) camp, you met the players, you met the coaches, management, you met the fans. And that's what you have to be like. That's your dream, and you follow your dream.' So for him, I don't expect any trouble, to be honest with you."

Whenever the time does come, Larionov has full confidence that the player he has spent the last two years developing will be up for the challenge. And even more so, he will have little trouble fitting right in.

"He’s young and strong and big and is a player who wants to make an impact on the team," he said. "(The Devils) have a good offensive team and the Devils have fast players, but you’ve got to have defense, which he is a guy who can be a good help, playing the power play, PK and 5-on-5.

"I know this player, I think he should be fine, because you know what? He's a good kid all around, and that's what I want to have on a team like that."