Oleg Tverdovsky Oleh Fedorovych " Oleg " Tverdovsky ( ; born May 18 , 1976 ) is a Ukrainian - Russia n professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) . Playing career . Early years . Tverdovsky was born and raised in the mining city of Donetsk , then part of the Soviet Union . In his earlier years , the city had no artificial ice surfaces so his introduction to the game was through street hockey . In 1983 the city unveiled its first fully functioning skating arena . Though this was originally intended for figure skating , low turnout compelled city officials to create a year - round hockey school . Open tryouts were held and 7 - year old Tverdovsky finally had a chance to learn the sport , but his inexperience with skating initially held him back . He recalls " I tried everything , even holding my hands on the boards , but the progress was slow . " The team coach identified the problem being weakness in his ankles , and put him on a training regimen which included running on beach sand and stones barefoot . In 1991 the system which froze the ice at his local arena became permanently broken and his amateur career in hockey was potentially over . By this time he was one of the best players , as well as the best skater on his team . " I was a defenseman all my career and I always loved rushes , " he says . " It didn ' t take a lot of stickhandling for me to score lots of goals - I just skated around the opponents . " This talent did not go unnoticed , as Yan Kaminsky , the coach of the Dynamo Moscow junior team at the time , noticed Tverdovsky and invited him to come to Moscow . Kamentsky soon left Dynamo and accepted a job with Krylya Sovetov , also in Moscow . His mother , Alexandra , did not want her 15 - year - old son to leave home , but his father , Fyodor , convinced her that it would be for the best . " It wasn ' t an easy time for me . I lived in a dormitory , missing my family , especially my 7 - year - old sister ( Anna ) , " Oleg recalls . Russia . Though missing his home in Ukraine , Oleg made a lot of progress to his game while in Russia . He and his teammate from Donetsk , Yuri Litvinov ( later drafted by the New York Rangers ) , practiced eight hours a day , four times a week . Igor Dmitriyev , the coach of the senior Krylya Sovetov team signed the 16 - year - old defenseman to a contract with the professional club , despite the fact that Oleg never played for the junior team . " When I saw him for the first time I was amazed by his skating ability , " says Dmitriyev , then the head coach of the Russian National Team . " He carried the puck so well , he had so much confidence that I decided to give him a chance . " For two years , he lived in the team ' s training camp facility , which was located on the outskirts of Moscow . Without a car , Oleg was forced to spend most of his time at the facility itself . NHL . Tverdovsky was drafted second overall by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft . When Oleg arrived in Anaheim , Mighty Ducks players already had a nickname for him - " Double O , " as in Oleg Orr . In 1996 , Tverdovsky was traded to the Winnipeg Jets as part of a trade that included Teemu Selänne . He would be traded back to Anaheim in 1999 for Travis Green and a first - round selection . Tverdovsky has won two Stanley Cup s in his career : one with the New Jersey Devils in 2003 and one with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 . On September 29 , 2006 , Tverdovsky and Jack Johnson were traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Éric Bélanger and Tim Gleason . Tverdovsky played the 2007 – 08 season in Russia for Salavat Yulayev Ufa , where he still plays today . When he left the NHL , Tverdovsky was still under contract with the Los Angeles Kings . This was able to happen because there was no transfer agreement between the NHL and the Russian Hockey Federation . Tverdovsky has a wife , Natalia . International play . Played for Russia in :