Eliezer Sherbatov
Eliezer "Eli" Sherbatov is an Israeli-Canadian ice hockey player who has recently signed one year contract with Polish team TH Unia Oswiecim of the Polska Hokej Liga. He last played for HC Košice of the Slovak Extraliga. He is the first Israeli to have played in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League, having played for HC Slovan Bratislava.
Sherbatov, who is Jewish, moved with his family from Israel to Laval, Quebec when he was two years old. His parents were originally from Moscow, Russia and fans of the Montreal Canadiens. According to Sherbatov, his family was permitted entry into Canada by immigration officials because his father said he wanted him to be like Guy Lafleur.
Early life
Eliezer Alexeevich Sherbatov was born to a Russian Jewish family. He is the youngest child. His brother, Yoni Sherbatov is a professional MMA fighter. At the age of two he moved with his family to Canada, to the city of Lasalle. His father was a big fan of the Montreal Canadiens. According to Eliezer, the immigration service allowed his family to enter Canada only after the words of his father that he wanted his son to become like number 10, Guy Lafleur. Eliezer's dream was to play in the KHL since childhood. in 2017, he became the first Israeli to play in the Kontinental Hockey League.Playing career
Junior
At the age of thirteen, Sherbatov made his debut in the Israeli hockey league as part of the adult "Metulla" team. In the 2004/05 season he managed to win bronze medals of the championship together with the team. In total, Eliezer played for "Metulla" until 2008.In 2008, Sherbatov attended training camp with the Montreal Junior Hockey Club, and spent the 2008–09 season with Laval-Bourassa Rousseau Sports of the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League where he led the team in scoring. He made 61 points in 45 games, becoming the third in the league for leading scorers. In the playoffs, he helped the team win the championship while leading the playoffs with 15 goals in 18 games.
Sherbatov began playing major junior hockey in Canada during the 2009–10 season with the Montreal Junior Hockey Club, playing in 62 games and recording 30 points. He played 37 games with Montreal again in 2010–11 before being traded to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
Professional
France
Sherbatov spent the 2011-12 season with the Bisons de Neuilly-sur-Marne team, playing in the Magnus League. Over the season, he scored 14 points in 24 games. Despite the fact that Neuilly-sur-Marne left the elite division following the season, Sherbatov signed a one-year contract extension with the club.The second season in Neuilly-sur-Marne was a productive one for Sherbatov, where he gained an average of two points per game. He finished sixth in league scoring and 3rd in assists. He also finished first in goals, assists and points in his team. At the end of the season Eliezer was leased to the junior club Francais Volants in Paris. He played three games for the Volants in the playoffs, in which he scored 8 points. He was the key player for the team's victory in the playoffs.
Kazakhstan
From the 2013-14 season through the 2016-17 season, Sherbatov played the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship, starting with a season with HC Astana which saw him finish tied for first on the team in points with forty. After a dip in production in his first season with Beibarys Atyrau in 2014-15, he bounced back in 2015-16 with the best totals in his years in Kazakhstan, leading the team in points with 45 and finishing third in the entire league in assists with 33 during the regular season, which saw Beibarys finish second. During the playoffs, Sherbatov played a vital role in their championship win, leading the team in goals, points, and plus-minus - he finished fourth in points, second in goals, and first in plus-minus in the Kazakhstani playoffs on the whole.He would lead Beibarys in scoring a second consecutive regular season in 2016-17, finishing seventh in the league with 43 points, but Beibarys would exit the playoffs quite early, and that summer, he would leave for Slovakia.
He did briefly return to Kazakhstan in the 2018-2019 season, as he moved to Arlan Kokshetau, but never actually played a game for the team before leaving a month later.
Slovakia
Sherbatov first played in Slovakia in the 2017-18 season. He signed with HC Slovan Bratislava, becoming the first Israeli to play in the KHL, scoring a goal and 3 assists in 35 games. In February 2019, after brief stints in North America and Latvia, and the aforementioned no-games stint with Arlan, Sherbatov moved to HC Košice, making his team debut in a 3-2 win over HC Nové Zámky and scoring his first goal in a 5-1 loss against HC '05 Banská Bystrica.Poland
In June 2020 Sherbatov signed one year contract with Polish club Unia Oswiecim.
International play
Sherbatov has played extensively for the Israel national ice hockey team, drawing international attention when he first played in the 2005 IIHF World U18 championship Division III, in Bulgaria, at the age of 13, becoming the youngest player to step on the ice in an under-18 world championship. He played again with the under-18 team in 2006 and 2008. In his first tournament, he scored 9 points in 5 games and helped the team win a bronze medal which also became the first medal that won in an under 18 world championship tournament. In the second championship, the 2006 IIHF World U18 Championship, in Romania, Sherbatov scored 14 points, which helped the team to rise to the second division by winning the silver medal. Unfortunately, Sherbatov's next participation in the 2008 IIHF World U18 championship Division II, in Estonia, ended with the return of the Israeli team to the third division.Sherbatov started playing with the senior national team at the 2010 IIHF World Championship Division II in Estonia at age 19. He scored 6 points in five games, which did not save the Israeli team from relegation to the third division. Sherbatov became an internet sensation after scoring a highlight goal against Greece at the 2011 IIHF World Championship Division III, in South Africa. Sherbatov led the tournament in points, goals, assists and +/-, earning 26 points in just four games. He was named best forward of the tournament. At the 2012 IIHF World Championship division II tournament in Bulgaria, Sherbatov again excelled, gaining 14 points which helped the Israeli team stay in the second division. The last time Sherbatov stepped on the ice for the national team was in the 2014 world championship division II, in Serbia, where he put up 9 points in 5 games.