Viktor Tikhonov was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in 2008, but for the past several seasons, it's the KHL where he's played. Specifically, it was for SKA St. Petersburg - and for the past couple of seasons, from 2013-15, he was teammates with Artemi Panarin.
That continued when both Panarin and Tikhonov signed with the Chicago Blackhawks this past off-season. Panarin, new to North America and not knowing English, had a friend he knew alongside him as he made the transition, and Tikhonov often acted as his translator.
But while Panarin quickly established himself with the Hawks, Tikhonov did not.