Maxim Letunov on His College Hockey Path to the NHL

Maxim Letunov has spoken about his years in American college hockey, a route he took from junior level in the United States through the University of Connecticut and on into the NHL.

The Dinamo forward played for UConn from 2015 to 2018, combining three years of study with a place on the university's team before turning professional. He named Jack Eichel and Brady Tkachuk among the players he crossed paths with at junior level, and said his line partner at the time was Tage Thompson, now with Buffalo.

Letunov also touched on the adjustment away from the rink. Learning the language was the hardest part, he said, adding that his school-level English covered only the basics and that friends helped him settle in. The academic side, by contrast, he found less demanding than in Russia, though not dramatically so.