To understand the nickname Hockey Hall of Famer Igor Larionov gave Anton Silayev, one must delve into the Russian alphabet. Silayev’s name in Russian is written as Антон Силаев, where the letter ‘C’ is pronounced like the English ‘S’. Thus, Силаев is pronounced Silayev in English.
“I call him ‘Big C,’” Larionov said about Silayev when he coached him at Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL. “We had three Antons on the team, so I started calling him ‘Big C’ because he’s such a big kid.” Standing at 6-foot-7 without skates and only 19 years old, Silayev made an impression early on.
Larionov recalls first seeing Silayev when he was just 16. “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,” Larionov said. “And one of the kids was ‘Big C.'”
Even though Larionov couldn’t have him on his KHL team initially, when an opportunity arose in 2023, he ensured that Silayev would play for him. “The year after that season (when he first saw him), I got him finally registered to play in the KHL,” Larionov stated.
Silayev’s development under Larionov led to his selection by the New Jersey Devils as their 10th overall pick in the NHL Draft in 2024. “He taught me a lot,” Silayev mentioned about his coach during a Development Camp with the Devils.
Larionov has been impressed with Silayev’s abilities and dedication: “It’s kind of amazing,” Larionov said regarding his mobility despite his size. He added that working with players like Silayev who have “a fire inside” is rewarding.
Larionov emphasizes trusting young players through their mistakes: “I want to trust to the end because I can see he was making mistakes.” His approach involves encouraging improvement step by step.
For Larionov, fostering young talent involves preparing them for challenges ahead. Regarding Silayev’s transition to North America, he noted: “He’s wide open to that.” The challenges will be there but Larionov believes Silayev is ready for them.
“He’s young and strong and big and is a player who wants to make an impact on the team,” Larionov concluded about Silayev’s future with New Jersey Devils.
###
