SoCal native Chmelevski eager to (finally) make Sharks debut in Anaheim

If things had gone the way they were supposed to for Sasha Chmelevski, he would have already made his NHL debut for the San Jose Sharks and the last few days would have been spent preparing for his next start.

Instead, it appears Chmelevski’s debut will come inside the arena where he spent numerous nights as a young kid cheering on the local team.

“I guess everything happens for a reason,” Chmelevski said.

All signs point to Chmelevski, a Huntington Beach native, dressing for his first NHL game on Friday as the Sharks play the Anaheim Ducks in the first of a two-game series at Honda Center. Chmelevski would be the fourth California-born player to play a game for the Sharks, joining Craig Coxe (Chula Vista), Scott Parker (Hanford) and Matt Nieto (Long Beach).

Chmelevski was supposed to dress Jan. 28 in the Sharks’ game with the Colorado Avalanche, as coach Bob Boughner had him on a line with Patrick Marleau and Stefan Noesen. But the transactional process of moving Chmelevski from the taxi squad to the Sharks’ active roster was not completed in time.

Shortly before he was going to take the ice with the Sharks for pre-game warmups, which begin about a half-hour before a game starts, Chmelevski was told he wouldn’t be allowed to play.

“Obviously it is kind of a shocker, but control what you can control,” said Chmelevski, who was drafted in the sixth round (185th overall) by the Sharks in 2017.

Chmelevski’s teammates tried to lift his spirits after the game, which the Sharks lost 3-0.

“I just told him, ‘It’ll be a good story down the road, maybe it’s something funny you can talk about 10 years from now,” Sharks goalie Devan Dubnyk said. “Obviously not too funny for him (then), but he’ll get a chance here.”

In an area that’s historically been a fertile ground for producing future football and baseball stars, not to mention avid surfers, Chmelevski grew up playing hockey after he was introduced to the sport by his parents. He said he was first put on the ice when he was about 18 months old.

“When you’re growing up as a kid, once you find something you like, that’s what you like,” Chmelevski said. “You never know what it’s going to be, but for me it was ice hockey. I know it’s a little bit different because you’re in Southern California.”

Chmelevski played for the Anaheim Wildcats and was teammates with Jake McGrew, who grew up in Orange and was also drafted by the Sharks in 2017, 159th overall. Ivan Lodnia, a 2017 Minnesota Wild draft pick, was also on the team.

Six Southern Californians who were born in 1999 were drafted by NHL teams, including Manhattan Beach’s Jack St. Ivany, a Philadelphia Flyers draft pick who, like Chmelevski, represented the U.S. at the 2019 World Junior Championships.

“We had a lot of good players,” Chmelevski said of the Wildcats. “The talent in Southern California is really good, it’s just sometimes scarce.”

Chmelevski made the Sharks’ taxi squad last month after an impressive training camp and has an opportunity to perhaps stay in the lineup longer than one or two games.

The Sharks are still looking for a player to lock down the fourth line center position after trying Joel Kellman and Fredrik Handemark in that spot earlier this year. Marleau has also played that position this season, including that night against the Avalanche, but is on the second line at the moment with Tomas Hertl and Ryan Donato.

“He goes out every day and tries to get better,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said of Chmelevski, a fellow Ottawa 67s alum. “He asks a lot of questions, he’s a smart player. I’m a little biased because I’m playing the same junior team, so I’ve had my eye on him for a while.

“When he played world juniors I was watching them and keeping track of how he was doing in Ottawa so I’m really pulling for him.”

WEEKEND SERIES: Boughner said both Sharks goalies will play this weekend, although it was not known whether Dubnyk or Martin Jones will start Friday. The teams also play Saturday, the first of 11 instances this season where the Sharks will play games on back-to-back nights.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB: Boughner said forward Rudolfs Balcers and defenseman Fredrik Claesson will join the Sharks in Anaheim and will take part in their morning skate Friday. Boughner said Balcers could play Friday if need be, but added it would be more ideal for him to get more time with the team first. He could play Saturday. Defenseman Nicolas Meloche will join the Sharks on Saturday.