Alexander Burmistrov joins Winnipeg soccer practice

While many of the Winnipeg Jets’ players are fishing, golfing, or conducting their offseason training outside of Winnipeg, one Jet – and a formerly defected Jet at that – has not only swung by for a visit, but stuck around town.

This week Alexander Burmistrov was spotted joining the Borussia Dortmund Bonivital Boys Soccer Club for a practice, and did so in partial incognito fashion.

The division four boys soccer club came together for a practice on a Sunday afternoon. According to the storyteller, it was not unusual for a few randoms to join in on practices. Burmistrov did not announce himself and played a bit coy when asked if he played other sports and where he was from.

This is not the first time a story like this has come up on the young Russian either. In 2011, HockeyBuzz’s Peter Tessier wrote on Burmistrov joining Tessier’s son and friends for a game of shinny at a local outdoor arena in Winnipeg.

Burmistrov came into Winnipeg earlier last month. He gave an interview at the prospect camp, where he stated he wanted to meet both the Jets management and some of the new draftees. He has since been spotted at the IcePlex joining multiple other professional hockey players taking part in drills and practices.

While there have been previous questions about Burmistrov’s character both on and off the ice, these little tidbits do allow us to see that we are all just human beings, even those of us who happen to play in the NHL.