Lodnia's Journey to Wild a Family Affair

ST. PAUL -- Ivan Lodnia's journey to NHL draft pick is not his alone.
Perhaps more than any other player selected two weeks ago in Chicago, Lodnia's name being called in the third round by Minnesota was truly about his family's story. Lodnia would not be on the precipice of achieving all he has set out for if not for the unwavering support he has received from his parents and sister, as well as their continued sacrifices.

It began more than two decades ago, when his father, Konstantin, his mother, Irina and his sister, Masha, came to the United States in search of the American dream.
With $100 to their name, the family set about making it happen. Konstantin didn't know much about the U.S., and he spoke very little English. But as a former pro hockey player back in Ukraine, there was one set of skills that he was able to put to use to provide for his family.
"We left everything behind," Konstantin said. "It was not easy."
Three years after arriving in Southern California, Ivan was born. The family's journey to the National Hockey League had officially begun.
"From the day he was born, it was something we always joked about," Masha said. "Then, as soon it became a reality, it was probably the most special moment for our family."
Having a dad who had played professionally meant the sport of hockey was in his blood. Konstantin gave private lessons and coached to put food on the table. It wasn't a surprise that Ivan fell in love with the sport from a very young age.

"There's a lot of great coaches out there, but to have one who lives with you... it means a lot," Ivan said.
He was good at it too. But at the time, hockey was still a fringe sport in Southern California. Its accessibility in the early 2000s was not the same as it is today.
In order to help Ivan get more ice time, the family purchased and began operating an ice rink in Anaheim. Still, he wasn't getting the kind of experience he needed to continue climbing the ladder.
With Ivan not yet old enough to move away on his own, the Lodnias faced a dilemma. They couldn't leave behind the facility they had worked so hard to purchase, which had become the family's main source of income.
So when Ivan moved, first to Illinois, then to Michigan, with his mom and dad, it was Masha, then just 18 years old, who left college and returned to Anaheim to run the day-to-day operations of the rink.
But the idea to have her take over the job wasn't just some fly-by-night plan. Masha had worked in the building as a cashier from the time she was 16, and once it became likely that the family would be leaving, she shadowed Konstantin daily, learning the ins and outs of the job.
By the time she took over, she was prepared.
"When they were ready to go, we had a really long discussion," Masha said. "My dad ... he's amazing. He moved, and he was still able to travel back and forth, he was a part of every daily decision. He was my backbone and my mentor at the same time. He would support everything I decided to do when he wasn't here, even if it was wrong. He would never get angry and he was always my biggest supporter."
Although she intended to go to school and work in design, Masha's plans changed indefinitely. While Ivan continues to work closer to his dream of playing in the NHL, Masha still manages the day-to-day at KHS Ice in Anaheim. She does so proudly.
It's a legacy of self-sacrifice that was passed down to her and Ivan from their parents.
"It's our culture," Konstantin said. "This is what I learned from my parents, and I try to teach my kids the same. Family is number one."
"My parents have sacrificed so much for the American dream for me, that when the time came for me to [make sacrifices] for Ivan to pursue his dream, there was never even a second thought," Masha said. "It was just, 'OK, he has this opportunity, great, what can I do and how can I help?' It definitely is a little different. But we were just fortunate that I was in a position to be able to stay behind and look over the family business."
Both Masha and Ivan were raised to appreciate each other and remain close. To this day, the first phone call Ivan makes after each game is to his older sister.
"We're very, very lucky and fortunate to have the parents that we do. They engrained in us the value of family at a very young age," Masha said. "At the end of the day, it's just going to be [us], whether it's today, or tomorrow or in 50 years."
"It's something you don't take for granted. Everything I have, I appreciate," Ivan said. "It's been my whole life, 15 year maybe longer, every day they're working; blood, sweat, tears, just so I can play hockey."
The Lodnias lived in Michigan for three years while Ivan played bantams, then club hockey. He put himself on the NHL radar in 2015-16 when he scored 16 goals and added 23 assists in 62 games with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.
Last season, his second in Erie, he scored 24 goals and had 33 assists in 66 games, playing a multitude of roles.
Projected by some to go as high as the first round, Lodnia entered draft weekend having no idea what to expect or where he was going to go. But he said the moment the Wild picked him 85th overall will be one he'll never forget.

"When Minnesota came up, I was hoping they would say my name," Ivan said. "I didn't even hear my name, I just heard, 'Erie Otters,' and my dad hugged me."
"This is something we've been working together on, as a family, and of course, Ivan individually, for this goal for the last 7 1/2 or 8 years," Masha said. "For us, in that moment, it was so surreal. It was unbelievable.
"It was his moment. Finally, he was able to walk down and meet everybody. Every sacrifice was justified; every missed holiday, every birthday we spent apart, every big event that we missed ... it was all justified in that moment."
While being drafted certainly checked a box for Lodnia and his family, few are more motivated to continue improving in hopes of one day reaching the NHL. Lodnia said he understands it's something that won't happen overnight, but considering the journey his family has taken to get here, he doesn't plan to be denied.
"It means a lot. A lot of weight comes off their shoulders, and they get to relax for once," Ivan said. "My sister gets to relax and everyone can take a deep breath.
"Now that I'm finally here, they can relax a bit. But soon it comes back. Obviously, the goal is to make the NHL. It may be in a couple of years [but] hopefully I can do well, sign a contract and play in the NHL soon."