Canadian hockey player struggling to escape Ukraine.

A terrifying ordeal.

Jonathan Larrivee
Jonathan Larrivee
Published 2 years ago
Canadian hockey player struggling to escape Ukraine.
Eliezer Sherbatov/Facebook

Although the conflict in the Ukraine is thousands of miles away and on the other side of the globe, there's no denying the fact that it is having a major impact in North America as well. Not only do many citizens in this part of the world have family in the Ukraine, but there are also many North American residents who are currently experiencing the conflict first hand.

Among those is Canadian hockey player Eliezer Sherbatov, who recently revealed that he is struggling to escape the Ukraine as conflict erupts in the country around him. Sherbatov was born in Israel but came to Canada with his family as a toddler and grew up playing hockey in Canada, including playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Montreal Juniors and Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

Since that time Sherbatov has taken his skills over to Europe to continue playing the sport he loves, and most recently that has seen him playing for HC Mariupol of the Ukrainian Hockey League. Unsurprisingly it is a decision that Sherbatov now admits he is questioning, although hardly anyone could have predicted what has unfolded over the course of the last several days.

"I have thought about the choice I made to come here," Sherbatov told the Globe and Mail. "I am having the ‘should have, could haves.’"

“I just wanted to play hockey.”

While you might think that escaping the conflict would be as simple as hoping on a plane and flying out of the country, it sounds like Sherbatov has been unable to find a way out as Russia continues its attack on the country of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.

“I have been writing the Canadian government but I have gotten no answers,” Sherbatov says. “I have asked what I should do. ‘Is the embassy open?’ ‘Can someone please help me?’

“I get no help.”

In defense of the Canadian government and the Canadian embassy respectively, I have no doubt that they have been inundated with requests over the last several days as the entire world scrambles to respond to this crisis. Nonetheless it's hard not to feel for Sherbatov who just wanted a chance to continue playing the game that he loves so dearly.

The 30 year old defenseman has admitted that he is terrified, and under the circumstances I don't think anyone would dare blame him for feeling that way.

“I am absolutely afraid for my life,” Sherbatov says. “This is no joke.”

Sherbatov has been keeping everyone apprised of his current situation thanks to the use of social media, with him posting regular updates via his Instagram. Although according to the latest update he remains trapped in Ukraine, it sounds like he believes he is currently in a safe place. Sherbatov also, just 9 hours ago, assured everyone that he will make it home safely and made sure to thank everyone in the hockey community for all the love and support they have been directing his way.

Canadian hockey player struggling to escape Ukraine.

I sincerely hope that Sherbatov will get the help that he needs to escape his current predicament.

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