Vasily Zelenov hadn’t expected to be drafted when his friends informed him of the Buffalo Sabres’ pick around 11:30 p.m. in Austria. Utter shock transformed into a whirlwind, and the 2024 seventh rounder was on a plane to Buffalo at 10 a.m. the next day.
Moments such as these are a microcosm of Zelenov’s unpredictable journey, which has guided him from Austria’s second-tier Alps Hockey League to the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) and now the University of Wisconsin, where he’s morphed into a reliable freshman center.
Zelenov’s collegiate eligibility was uncertain after he played for Red Bull Hockey Juniors in Austria. But despite playing in a professional league, he was never paid and played for an academy team, allowing him to play in the NCAA.
This ignited his search to play in North America and led to a relationship with Rochester Americans coach Michael Leone, who was the coach and general manager of Green Bay when Zelenov was selected in the seventh round of the 2024 USHL Draft, too, in May of 2024.
“He's been really big on me,” Zelenov told Sabres.com. “I remember my first Zoom call with him when he was recruiting me to the USHL, and he was telling me all these things that I've never heard before. The perspectives that he had and the way he thought that my game would transition to USA hockey helped me a lot. He convinced me pretty well to take that step, go overseas. I have nothing but good things to say. ... He called me after he got that opportunity (in Rochester) and reassured me that I'm gonna be fine in Green Bay.”
It didn’t take long for the two to reunite after Zelenov was drafted in June of that year – as the only Alps HL player selected – and met Leone two days later at Sabres development camp. During that experience, Zelenov’s first in North America, conversations with Leone helped calm his nerves about adapting to the pace. Leone also offered Zelenov instruction on how to improve his shot release and hockey IQ, and ways to make plays more quickly, which Zelenov described as a significant adjustment from the wider ice sheet in Austria.
Elevating his decision-making and quickness became two primary focuses for Zelenov, who’d played in the Alps HL as a 17-year-old and faced off against some players more than double his age. That league favors a more physical game, he said, compared to the skill, speed and finesse in North American hockey.
Those were just some of the challenges he faced in adjusting to his new surroundings.
“There's more pressure on the roster,” Zelenov said of his time in the USHL. “It wasn't like that back when I was playing in Austria. Obviously, there was some competition, and you figure out ways to stay on top of your game all the time, but you need to have your life together as well.
“That’s the biggest thing that I've learned. The hockey pace adjustment, that comes by itself with time. The other things you kind of need to take control of more. You have to be aware of them. Because you play so many games, and it's three games a weekend sometimes. To perform at a high level every time is what separates good players from great players.”
Zelenov’s lone season in the USHL saw him post 14 goals, 19 assists and 33 points in 54 games with the Gamblers, and considerable college interest followed. He committed to Wisconsin in September 2024, joining fellow classmate and Sabres prospect Luke Osburn in Madison.
The first Russian-born player to suit up for the Badgers, Zelenov said going to development camps with Osburn allowed him to feel more comfortable in North America. The two have developed a tight-knit relationship, and it’s one that’ll continue to grow as they develop together in the Sabres system.
“It's just great to have someone on your side that you will have probably the same few years ahead of you,” Zelenov said. “It's really cool, for sure, making that connection, and it does help outside the rink, which will result in you being better on the ice, too.”
Zelenov has rebounded from a slow start to his collegiate career, going from three points in his first nine games to five points over his last three games. In these trio of contests, he's displayed his offensive potential on a number of plays.
On his first collegiate goal, a game-tying tally in the third period, Zelenov was left alone entering the offensive zone, caught a pass between the hash marks, went forehand to backhand and slid the puck past the goaltender’s pad before crashing into the post.
