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…
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