Danny Dzhaniyev's parents emigrated to Brooklyn, New York in 1994 from Azerbaijan. Less than a decade later, in 2002, Dzhaniyev was born in the same city, the second of three kids. He and his siblings, like many other Americans, are first-generation.
Growing up in Manhattan Beach, New York, Dzhaniyev was raised in an area with a sizable Russian population. To the west of the borough is Brighton Beach, an area known for its Russian shops and high population of immigrants from Eastern Europe — mainly Russia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.
While not all first-generation Americans are connected to their heritage, Dzhaniyev's roots have had a large impact on him.
"Russian was my first language," Dzhaniyev said. "I had to learn English, because Russian was the only thing we spoke in the house – and still do."
Dzhaniyev's father is from the mountains in Azerbaijan, and his mother is from a small-town hours away from Moscow. Like most people who emigrate to the United States, his parents wanted to live the American Dream, Dzhaniyev said.
"You get a lot of questions asked about (being a first-generation American)," Dzhaniyev said. "You just have to embrace it and go along with everything."
Dzhaniyev's family celebrates Thanksgiving and every other American holiday, but also honors Russian traditions and celebrations. His grandmother on his mother's side came to the United States with the family, and her cooking is a constant reminder of his parent's homeland.
"I like all kinds of soup that she makes… everything really," Dzhaniyev said. "I like all Russian food, it's pretty hard for me not to enjoy it."
While he gets his love of Russian food and his mother tongue from his family, his passion for hockey is innate.
"My parents had nothing to do with hockey," Dzhaniyev said. "When I was 2 years old, my dad took me to a New York Rangers game, and ever since then I wanted to play. The first time I was able to step on the ice I told my dad I needed to (play hockey)."
His parents quickly caught on to the sport as their son went from the New Jersey Jr. Titans of the North American Prospects Hockey League to the United States National Team Development Program.
Dzhaniyev played two seasons with the USNTDP and was a member of the Under-17 team that led the United States to the Five Nations Tournament crown against Sweden in 2019. National Hockey League players such as Auston Matthews, Joe Thornton, Jack Hughes and Alexander Ovechkin played in the challenge years prior to their professional careers.
"I think (my parents) think they know more about hockey than I do now," Dzhaniyev said. "I can't really argue with them about anything."
Even though his parents weren't into hockey when he first got into the sport, ironically, Dzhaniyev was coached by Russian coaches and was schooled in the Russian style of hockey.
Dzhaniyev considers Russian-style hockey to be a skillful, more selfish style of play than its American counterpart. A big influence in his on-ice performance was Russian forward and 14-year NHL veteran, Pavel Datsyuk. Before games Dzhaniyev would watch videos of Datsyuk to try and recreate his moves.
"Winning pucks was one of the main things that I learned how to do," Dzhaniyev said. "That started with Pavel Datsyuk. You watch the videos of him, going behind the net and just pickpocketing defensemen…I think it kind of shows in my game, where I just try and sneak up behind them, use my size to my advantage."
For Dzhaniyev, his family here and in Azerbaijan is no small part in his pursuit for success on and off the ice.
"My dad's side, so where he's from in Azerbaijan…it's a rough life over there…just a village life really, and everyone there has to be strong and I think that carried over to me. I think it helped me a lot during my journey as a hockey player," Dzhaniyev said. "I just think back about my family back there and how they have to survive for themselves, and I just have to make them proud."
