DULUTH, Minn. - Daniel Shlaine first came to Minnesota at age 13, moving from Moscow, Russia, for an opportunity to further his hockey career at Shattuck St. Mary’s prep school.
 
Shlaine followed the path of his older brother, Artem, who enrolled at Shattuck ahead of the 2018-19 campaign. However, Daniel spoke little English, had few friends and found himself adjusting to a new way of life, both on and off the ice.
 
Fast forward to today and the younger Shlaine is back in the State of Hockey, this time in the Twin Ports. He ultimately spent five years in Faribault with Shattuck before joining the USHL’s Lincoln Stars last season. Along the way, he committed to the University of Minnesota Duluth.
 
Shlaine is one of seven freshmen on UMD’s roster, and the left-shot forward has carved out a nice role in UMD’s bottom six.
 
“We’ve got a really tight group of guys and I feel like that’s helped make the transition (to college) easier, and I’m enjoying it so far,” Shlaine said. “At the end of the day, I’m happy to be playing whatever role the team needs and just make sure I’m putting in the effort. I think we have a good chance of winning a lot of games and going to the national tournament, but we just have to focus on one game at a time and play Duluth hockey.”
 
Shlaine has played in 24 of UMD’s 26 games this season, as the Bulldogs are vying for the program’s 16th NCAA Tournament appearance – but first since 2022. The freshman has four goals and eight points while providing Scott Sandelin’s club a responsible, two-way forward.
 
The Shlaine name should be familiar throughout NCHC territory, too, as Artem spent last season at Arizona State. The elder Shlaine transferred from Northern Michigan to ASU and put up 38 points (17-21-38) for the Sun Devils in their debut season in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). He also garnered First-Team All-NCHC honors, before going on to play 40 games for the AHL’s Texas Stars this winter.
 

Daniel and Artem have shared a special bond and despite their age gap – 3 years and 7 months – they’ve always been each other’s biggest supporters.
 
They’ve never played together on the same team, but they watch each other closely and they’ve followed somewhat similar paths.
 
“He’s my brother and we can tell each other anything about hockey or life in general,” Artem said. “We’ve always taken family very seriously and it’s the people you can always turn to, and our parents have done more than they could to help get us where we both are today. So we’re both incredibly thankful and I’m super proud of him too.
 
“He’s always been a hard worker and he’s not the loudest guy in the room, but he’s very humble and wants to make people proud, and I think he’s in a good spot in Duluth. So at the end of the day, he’s a freshman, and it’s going to be a change for everyone. But I just told him to be himself and play his game. So any advice or questions he has, just help set him up for success however I can, and we’re always learning from and helping each other.”
 
The brothers have trained together and worked hockey camps during the past few summers, and as Artem said, he’s “fortunate” hockey has brought them even closer.
 
College hockey was on Artem’s radar pretty early, especially as their parents, Ekaterina and Dmitri, saw the opportunity to blend athletics and education. They’ve been a resource too, especially now in Daniel’s case, as his older brother has 155 career NCAA games to lean on.
 
As for Daniel’s UMD commitment, the coaching staff and program’s success were big factors, as was the chance to remain in Minnesota — which he said feels like home now.
 
“It was somewhere I felt comfortable when I toured and that was big for me,” Daniel said. “I just remember Artem loved playing college and I thought about the CHL route too, but I’d say when I was a junior in high school, I decided college hockey would be the best for me.
 
“I talked to a bunch of schools and really took my time making my decision, but I was always impressed by the people (at UMD) and felt it was a place we could win, and I committed my senior year. And I can’t give enough credit to Shattuck and I think last season in Lincoln really helped, too. Both with getting me out of my comfort zone a little bit in a new spot with new people, and then for my development to make sure I was ready (for the NCAA level).”
 
Daniel was the fourth overall pick in the 2024 USHL Phase II Draft and ended up netting a hat trick in his home debut in Lincoln, while racking up eight points over his first five USHL games.
 
Shlaine finished last season with 57 points (24-33-57) in 61 games and was among the USHL’s top snubs of the 2025 NHL Draft.
 
“Daniel’s a competitor and he’s a kid that always wants the big minutes,” said Lincoln Stars head coach Rocky Russo. “He wants to be on the ice in the big moments. Whether you’re up a goal late or down a goal, you can trust him in every situation. He was always willing to battle through injuries or put his body on the line to win, and he just kept getting better throughout the season.”
 
Russo saw plenty of growth from the young forward, both on and off the ice. He also lauded Shlaine’s maturity and his ability to handle pressure or potential distractions, and added Shlaine could “always be counted on.”
 
“He’s very serious about his preparation, and he’s a pro,” Russo said. “The way he comes to the rink every day and prepares for practice and games, he takes advantage of every opportunity to get better, and he knows when to turn it on. But then he’s completely different when he leaves the rink.
 
“He’s a great friend, a great teammate and he’s personable. His billets loved having him and I know the guys all enjoyed spending time with him, and when you have a player that’s as committed to his craft as Daniel is, it’s easy to root for him.”
 
Now he’s showing those same traits in Duluth.
 
“There’s been some freshman ups and downs, but I think we’ve seen a lot of growth already,” said Sandelin, the Bulldogs' head coach. “He’s a very quiet kid, but he’s a really smart player and he’s very responsible, especially for a freshman, and he’s adjusted to this level pretty well. And now we’re hoping to see him take that next step offensively. Because he’s proven he’s a good offensive player at Shattuck and in the USHL.
 
“So I think he’s a good hockey player that we’re only going to see grow and get stronger and faster, and hopefully continue to find that consistency over time. But overall I think he’s handled everything well so far. So we’re really excited about his future here and believe he can be a complete 200-foot player for us.”
 
Shlaine is excited about that future too, but he’s also appreciative of how far he’s come.
 
“If you would’ve told me I’d be moving from Russia to the U.S. as a 13-year-old to play hockey and that one day I’d be playing a high level of college hockey, I probably wouldn’t have believed you,” Shlaine said. “It’s felt like a long journey, but I’ve always had the mentality to take advantage of every opportunity and I think the small gains every day have added up to where I am now. I’ve had a lot of good people around me too, and it’s no different here in Duluth.”
 
Shlaine and the No. 7 Bulldogs will travel to No. 11 Denver this weekend for a top-15 showdown. Denver (14-11-2, 10-6-0 NCHC) and Minnesota Duluth (17-9-0, 8-8-0 NCHC) are currently second and fourth in the NCHC standings, respectively.

Friday’s series opener is set for an 8 p.m. CT faceoff, followed by a 7 p.m. CT start on Saturday. Both games will be available on NCHC.tv.