Bookworm Frolov can be best-seller for Rangers
Amid the airborne rolls of used tape, the piles of equipment and the distinct aroma of an NHL locker room after a hard practice, it's not very often that one discusses British literature with a Russian player.
"I love John Fowles . . . I liked The Collector, The French Lieutenant's Woman, all his books, but . . . The Magus [Magician] is the best one," said soft-spoken Alex Frolov, who has settled in New York after playing in Los Angeles for seven years. "I love history, mostly Russian and European."
And Dostoevsky?
"Oh, my favorite," said Frolov, 28. "In Moscow, you read one or two of his books in school; I've read all of them."
Right now, Frolov is partway through a Russian novel about a librarian.
Make no mistake: Frolov doesn't fit the stereotype of a bookworm. At 6-2, 215 pounds, the left wing - who joined the Rangers as a free agent during the summer - plays a puck-possession game by using his strength in the corners and in front of the net.
After being drafted 20th overall in 2000 by Los Angeles, Frolov became the Kings' most prolific scorer with 168 goals, including two seasons of 30-plus goals and 381 points.
Nor is his lifestyle monkish. In Southern California, he lived in Manhattan Beach, the oceanfront community with a pro athlete on every street, roomed with Sean Avery on the road and quickly named Nello on Madison Avenue and Bond Street Sushi as two of his go-to restaurants in Manhattan.
"I'm not like a farmboy," he said with a grin. "I grew up in a beautiful city, and especially when you spend eight years in the U.S., you know what to expect, you know where to go."
Like other players of his generation, Frolov watched tapes of Russia's gold-medal runs in the 1972 and 1976 Winter Olympics. A major star of those teams, Alexander Yakushev, was the coach of his first pro team in Moscow.
"He was pretty tall, about my size now," Frolov said, "and a left wing. When you're a kid, it's more about relying on your skills, but when you go pro, you have to adjust your game to play against physical opponents. That's what I learned. And in the U.S., you always have to use your body to play here."
Before the 2000 entry draft, 24 teams interviewed him, but not the Kings. "I'm not 100 percent sure, but I don't think so," he said. "I was surprised when they picked me. I thought I was going higher, but there were trades and I dropped and all of a sudden, all the teams I thought would be going to take me had passed. I thought, 'Where am I going?' L.A. was a big change for me. No other Russians, I didn't speak English, a different culture. But you adjust."
Last season, Frolov fell out of favor with Kings coach Terry Murray, who criticized his defensive lapses and bounced him off the power play and the No. 1 line. His numbers suffered. When he became available, the Rangers offered a one-year, $3-million deal that Frolov viewed as a fresh start. So far, so good.
Skating with sniper Marian Gaborik and on the power play, Frolov registered a goal and four assists in the first four preseason games. If the magic indeed is back, the Rangers may have found a best-seller.
