The Israeli iceman: New Jersey farm hand Max Birbraer's path to stardom has been marked with michegas, but he remains confident he'll reach the promised land of the NHL

Hockey Digest, Jan, 2003 by Chuck O'Donnell

AS MAX BIRBRAER SAT AND waited for his name to be called at the 2000 NHL entry draft at Calgary's Saddledome, his life was at a crossroads.

Years before, he and his family had fled religious persecution in Kazakhstan for Israel, and then he left Israel with a bag of clothes and a bag of hockey gear to try to make it as a pro player in Canada. Along the way there was fear, uncertainty, and, oh yeah, a short stay in an Israeli jail for not serving his mandatory stint in the military.

But that was behind him now--at this moment, as name after name was announced from the podium, Birbraer sat slumped in his chair, searching his soul.

"I was in a sort of different situation then other guys," Birbraer says. "In my mind I kept saying, `I'm not going to get drafted. I know I'm not going to get drafted. I came here with nothing, If I can get drafted, it's an unbelievable bonus.'"

The New Jersey Devils saw something in Birbraer. Even though he was just 19 and hadn't played at a higher level then Tier 2 juniors, they thought he had the raw talent and character to make it. In the third round, with the 67th pick, they rolled the dice and called out Max Birbraer's name.

Three years later, Birbraer is on track to crack the Devils' lineup. He's one of the best players on the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League, New Jersey's affiliate. His big break may come later this season or maybe next season, but as Birbraer says, "I'm going to do whatever it takes to make it."

"The reason I'm not there yet is that I have to show them I can be a star in lifts league first before they can move me up," says the 6'2", 195-pound right wing. "I haven't proven myself yet at the pro level like I want to. The first year, I was a rookie, I didn't play much. The second year, I was injured around Christmas and I was on a seven-game streak. I was well and then I got injured. So, I hadn't played since Christmas. So, this is the third year for me. It's a make-it-or-break-it year for me.

"I just have to show them that I'm the real deal, if you know what I mean."

Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello says of Birbraer: "He just needs more experience and seasoning. He just has to get used to playing at the highest level every night. Where he had played prior to coming to the American League, he didn't have to perform at the highest level. He could get away on talent. That's the difference. Every level you go to you have to keep it as consistent as you can."

Birbraer took up hockey in his native Kazakhstan as a young boy. As a teen he was a natural and looked headed for big things, but then his parents unveiled a secret that hit him like a Zamboni: They told him he was Jewish. The family was in no imminent danger, but his parents chose to hide their Jewish identity to avoid prejudice. Birbraer's family, who made a nice living running a business, feared anti-Semitic backlash.

In 1996, the family closed its business and emigrated to Israel, settling in a suburb of Tel-Aviv. By chance, there was an ice rink in his new hometown for Birbraer to practice at. Birbraer's skills soon stood out and he was asked to play in international competitions for Israel.

At his first tournament, the Israeli trainer was Paul Rosen a Canadian Jew. "After the tournament [Rosen] said to me, `What are you doing playing in Israel? Why don't you try to come to Canada and pursue a hockey career?'" Birbraer says. "I said, `Well, if you think it's smart, I'll do it.' I would love to play hockey. It's my dream. I just pretty much packed up my stuff and left. I went to Canada. I had no invitation [from a team] or anything. I just went on my own. I just got all my hockey gear and went there."

Birbraer says it was scary leaving everything behind, but he soon tried out for the Tier 2 junior team Shelburne and made the roster on the first day. Things were going well until he returned to Israel in 1999 to update his visa. At the airport, in front of his parents, Birbraer was taken into custody for failing to fulfill his service to the Israeli military.

Even though he had lived in Israel for less than a year of his life, Birbraer was jailed. After about a month he was released to play in an international tournament, but when he came back to Israel, he was inducted into the army. After three months of basic training, which Birbraer calls "the most grueling time of my life," he got a doctor to write him a release.

He went back to Canada, back to Tier 2 hockey. In his third season at that level, he got a lucky break. Shelburne folded and Birbraer was picked up by Newmarket in Ontario, a first-place team.

"It was my third year in junior, and I figured I was going to bust my butt and get out there and give 120% every time out there and see what happens," he says. "That's when I had a great year. I scored 50 goals [in 47 games], had an unbelievable year there, and had fun there."

Although Birbraer was drafted by the Devils, he hasn't found his happily-ever-after yet. Last season, his second with Albany, was especially tough. For one, Birbraer's family was in Israel, where violence was an everyday occurrence. Fearful for their safety during the ongoing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, Birbraer has brought them to Canada temporarily. He's going to file the necessary paperwork, to try to make their stay permanent.