Family, Unlikely Mentor a Force Behind Sasha Pastujov’s Breakout Season
Feb 13, 2025
By Samantha Mason/SanDiegoGulls.com
Few are able to see the successes of being a professional athlete, rising to the top of a team, and being named the league’s Player of the Month, all before the age of 22.
But Sasha Pastujov can.
Born in Florida as the youngest of three brothers, Pastujov followed in the footsteps of his family. As for hockey, it’s more like a family business.
"My dad loved hockey. He grew up in Russia, and I have two older brothers who were playing hockey. A few days after I was born, I was in the rink with my mom," he said. Both of his older brothers went on to compete for the University of Michigan together.
Sasha decided he wanted a name for himself. After moving to Detroit with his mother and brothers, he played for U14 and U16 teams. From there, he made the US National Team at just 17 before playing in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for two years with the Guelph Storm and Sarnia Sting.
He was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 Draft as a third-round pick. In his first season with the Gulls in 2023-24, he played 46 games and scored 10 goals. When the 2024-25 season commenced, Pastujov was sent down to the ECHL to play for the Tulsa Oilers. For Pastujov and fans alike, this move came as a surprise after his performance in the previous season.
Now looking back at his season starting in Tulsa, Sasha reflects on that time positively.
"My time in Tulsa was great. Everyone there, the coaches, the team, were very, very welcoming, very accepting, and allowed me to be myself there for 12 games or so, and kind of give me my confidence to come back here and make an impact like I felt I could," he said.
However, starting for the Oilers wasn’t where he saw himself kicking off the season. He decided to take advantage of the development period, and work on building a stronger confidence. Clearly, this has had a positive impact on his growth trajectory over the season.
"I would attribute [my growth] to my support staff, obviously, when the season didn't start the way I ideally envisioned it," Pastujov said. "My parents keeping me positive and my brothers keeping me positive. I wasn't starting where I wanted for the season, but my I had a great support group keep me positive. And when I came back, all the boys were so welcoming. Coaches gave me a great opportunity, and I was trying to kind of take advantage of it."
He played in 14 games with Tulsa before being called up to San Diego on November 20.
An impact has surely been made by Pastujov this season. In 31 games played so far this season, he is leading all Gulls skaters in points with 33 and has 14 goals and 19 assists under his belt. Clearly, this is a career season for the 21-year-old forward, and he has grown since last season in San Diego.
Pastujov was named the AHL Player of the Month for January after he recorded 6-13=19 points in 12 games, making him the first player in Gulls AHL history to earn this accolade.
Sasha didn’t make leaps and bounds in his career alone. His parents decided to live in separate parts of the country to ensure that Sasha and his brothers had the best hockey opportunities possible. It’s because of them, according to him, that he can do what he does now.
"It was a huge sacrifice, definitely for them and my brothers. My dreams are their dreams, and vice versa. I just want to do it for them."
During his impressive run this season, Pastujov has also found an unlikely source of support in San Diego: team captain Ryan Carpenter.
After meeting at training camp, the two instantly clicked. Both hailing from Florida, they have developed a close relationship as both teammates and friends.
"I've had friends of friends that have only said great things about him," Pastujov said. "I was super excited to get to meet him when I saw he signed here this summer. I've told him this before, I haven't heard a bad thing about him, and it all stands true. He's a great leader, friend, teammate, all the above."
Carpenter even took Pastujov in for the season to live with him and his family. To Sasha, it’s an invaluable experience both on and off the ice.
"It means the world to me. He’s made life so easy for me, with home cooked meals and rides to the rink and this and that," Pastujov said. "Now that he took me into his house, every day, he's got such valuable insight. He's seen it all, just played at every level. His mentorship is priceless. It's super special to me, and my family are super thankful for what he's doing for me this season."
The veteran Carpenter, who is playing in his 11th professional season across the NHL and AHL, has been able to see the star quality in Pastujov from the start.
"He's outstanding," Carpenter said. "I think it just speaks to his character and the way he approaches it, whether it's going good for him or not. He just continues to work hard and focus on what he can control. I'm sure he's been our leading scorer in the past. This whole season, how he's produced has been amazing. He helps our power play and drives our offense. And I think you even see him on both sides of the puck working harder than they are in that line."
Both Carpenter and Pastujov have the same goals for the San Diego Gulls this season: making the playoffs, the end destination of the 2024-25 season. Both players hope to take the team to the next level in the back half of the campaign.
"Being relentless, we talk about it every day," Pastujov said. "Not taking a day off or shift off and making it as hard as we can on our opponent to play against us. Being disciplined is obviously a big one, reliable in all areas of the ice. But I think our biggest focus is when teams see the Gulls in their schedule that they know it's going to be a hard game, and that we're a hard team to play against."
Clearly, Pastujov is no stranger to hard work and determination. Dedicating his life to hockey from a young age, with his family standing by him, the young player is on track for even more wins and growth before the season comes to a close.
"I think just simply put, [I want to] just to keep getting better, keep developing and just working on all areas of my game, whether it’s offense, defense, you know, pace, transition, speed and just to keep making steps and keep growing."
