BLUES GEOGRAPHY PART 6 OF 6 YOUR BLUES, THEIR FLAGS, THEIR ANTHEMS VLADIMIR TARASENKO Vladimir Tarasenko is one of the best players “I start practicing with my hometown team in the National Hockey League. He tops the because my father is coaching over there,” he team, is among the NHL leaders in scoring this continued. “So it’s easy for me to have a pre- year, and he recently played in his second- season workout in my hometown.” straight NHL All-Star Game. Last season, the Although he does get home for a couple 24-year-old right winger led the Blues with a months every year, most of his time is spent in career-high 37 goals and 73 points. This year the States. He keeps up with news in his home he became the first Blues forward to appear in country as best he can. “The internet is a great back-to-back All-Star games in more than 15 thing right now, so I follow a couple of news years. Pavol Demitra was the last. agencies on Twitter and we have a Russian “It’s a proud moment for him,” Blues coach Ken TV set up at home so it’s easy to watch what’s Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. going on in Russia.” “But this is a richly deserved moment for him. Of course, Tarasenko began his professional This is a no-brainer for the way he has played hockey career in Russia, playing there five and what he’s done for us this year.” seasons before coming to St. Louis. He also For Tarasenko, playing in an All-Star Game played with the Russian junior national team is certainly an honor and it’s a chance to three times and twice at the senior level, represent both the St. Louis Blues and his including the 2014 Winter Olympics. He native country of Russia. Fellow countrymen beams with pride when you ask him about Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals, those opportunities. and Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins, “When you have a call from a national team,” also made the roster. For Tarasenko, the he says, “you are so proud to go there. We are opportunity to spend time with others from so happy to represent the country because we Russia continues to be important. In fact, he all love Russia and it’s an unreal thing. I can’t tries to spend as much time as possible at explain how proud you are when you put your home during the off-season. jersey on with the national logo and you’re “I get home once a year, for a couple months. listening to your national anthem before a Usually it’s mid-June to the beginning of game. It’s unbelievable.” August,” said Tarasenko. “I get to spend In his playing days, Tarasenko has heard a a couple of weeks with my father, my good number of anthems and he’s also seen grandparents and my family and of course my his fair share of nations’ flags. But, unless he’s friends, a lot of talks and a lot of stories.” performing in an international event, he doesn’t get to see his red, white and blue Russian flag or hear his own anthem very much. “I’ve ACTIVITY: heard national anthems from Russia, USA, Canada, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Finland, YOUR BLUES, THEIR FLAGS, Sweden,” he counted, “but I like Russia’s the THEIR ANTHEMS most, though. I don’t think there’s one part of As we’ve seen in previous activities, the Na- the State Anthem of the Russian Federation tional Hockey League has players from all that’s really powerful, but I am really proud of my country.” over the world. How about one from your imagination? Create and name a country and BY MIKE KERN player. Write a short history of your country, design a flag, emblem and write a national an- them. Next you should design a jersey. Will your jersey include elements from the flag, emblem or anthem? You get to decide. For more Blues Geography activities, go to nie.post-dispatch.com/blues.