Daniel Milstein ( uk, Дэн Мильштейн; born November 8, 1975) is a
Ukrainian American
Ukrainian Americans ( uk, Українські американці, Ukrayins'ki amerykantsi) are Americans who are of Ukrainian ancestry. According to U.S. census estimates, in 2021 there were 1,017,586 Americans of Ukrainian descent represen ...
entrepreneur.
Milstein’s 2013 autobiography ''17 Cents and a Dream'' detailed his family’s emigration from Ukraine on the day the country affirmed its independence from the then-USSR. He is the Founder and CEO of Gold Star Financial Group, NHL agent with Gold Star Hockey.
He is the founder and owner of Gold Star group, which includes Gold Star Financial Group and Gold Star Sports. Notable clients include
Pavel Datsyuk
Pavel Valerievich Datsyuk (, ; born 20 July 1978) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player. Datsyuk was nicknamed the "Magic Man" honoring his incredible stickhandling and creativity with the puck. From 2001 to 2016, he played for the ...
,
Nikita Kucherov
Nikita Igorevich Kucherov (russian: Никита Игоревич Кучеров; born 17 June 1993) is a Russian professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), right winger for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Regarded ...
and
Ilya Mikheyev
Ilya Andreyevich Mikheyev (russian: Илья Андреевич Михеев) (born 10 October 1994) is a Russian professional ice hockey right winger for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
Mikheyev started ...
.
Early life and education
Daniel Milstein was born to a
Ukrainian-Jewish
The history of the Jews in Ukraine dates back over a thousand years; Jewish communities have existed in the territory of Ukraine from the time of the Kievan Rus' (late 9th to mid-13th century). Some of the most important Jewish religious and ...
family in Kiev, Ukraine, which was then known as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
He was 10 years old when the Chernobyl nuclear plant blew up 78 miles north of his home in Kiev, Ukraine, forcing a mandatory evacuation in 1986 and eventually political refugee status. He then moved to America.
Milstein wrote ''17 Cents and a Dream,'' about his family’s emigration to the United States. He wrote about his family’s arrival and starting from nothing to building Gold Star Companies. Milstein has written three other books including
''Rule #1 Don’t Be #2'', released in 2017.
Career
Milstein graduated from
Cleary University
Cleary University is a private university focused on business education with its main campus in Livingston County, Michigan. It also has an education center located in Detroit. Cleary University offers certificate, ABA, BBA, MS, and MBA programs. ...
before founding Gold Star Financial Group in 2000. The company began as a mortgage provider based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Milstein didn’t engage in the subprime bubble and had significant growth during the 2008 mortgage crisis. They were on ''Inc''.’s 2009 list of 500 Fastest-Growing privately-held companies and ''Crain's'' named Milstein on their list of "40 Under 40”.
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Milstein was a friend and interpreter of
Pavel Datsyuk
Pavel Valerievich Datsyuk (, ; born 20 July 1978) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player. Datsyuk was nicknamed the "Magic Man" honoring his incredible stickhandling and creativity with the puck. From 2001 to 2016, he played for the ...
before becoming his agent and managed negotiations for Datsyuk’s retirement from the NHL. After that, Milstein became the agent for several other Russian
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
players. In December 2016, Milstein (as Gold Star Sports Management) stepped in during
Artemi Panarin
Artemi Sergeyevich Panarin (russian: Арте́мий Серге́евич Пана́рин; born 30 October 1991), nicknamed the "Breadman", or simply "Bread", is a Russian professional ice hockey winger and alternate captain for the New York ...
’s contract negotiation with the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
. The Blackhawks and Panarin agreed to a two-year extension worth $12 million; Panarin was later traded to the
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conferenc ...
.
Danis Zaripov
Danis Zinnurovich Zaripov (russian: Данис Зиннурович Зарипов, tt-Cyrl, Данис Зиннур улы Зарипов; born 26 March 1981) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for Ak Bars Kaza ...
was represented by Milstein in negotiations with the NHL after being banned by the IIHF. Zaripov was declared eligible to play in September 2017.
Milstein represents several other Russian players including
Nikita Zaitsev,
Nikita Zadorov
Nikita Sergeyevich Zadorov (russian: Никита Сергеевич Задоров; born 16 April 1995) is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally drafted by ...
,
Alexey Marchenko,
Andrei Mironov,
Vladislav Namestnikov,
Ilya Mikheyev
Ilya Andreyevich Mikheyev (russian: Илья Андреевич Михеев) (born 10 October 1994) is a Russian professional ice hockey right winger for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
Mikheyev started ...
,
Mikhail Sergachev
Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sergachev (russian: Михаил Александрович Сергачёв; born 25 June 1998) is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was s ...
,
Klim Kostin
Klim Sergeyevich Kostin (russian: Клим Сергеевич Костин; born 5 May 1999) is a Russian professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Considered a top prospec ...
and
Nikita Kucherov
Nikita Igorevich Kucherov (russian: Никита Игоревич Кучеров; born 17 June 1993) is a Russian professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), right winger for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Regarded ...
. His Hockey clientele also includes
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's (NHL) goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the thirty-two NHL general managers vote to determine the winner. It is named in ...
winner
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Andrei Andreyevich Vasilevskiy (russian: Андрей Андреевич Василевский; born 25 July 1994) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted ...
of the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
and
Hart Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, is an annual award for the most valuable player in the National Hockey League (NHL), voted by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The original trophy was donat ...
winner and Tampa Bay teammate
Nikita Kucherov
Nikita Igorevich Kucherov (russian: Никита Игоревич Кучеров; born 17 June 1993) is a Russian professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), right winger for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Regarded ...
both of whom signed eight-year contract extensions for $76 million each.
Bibliography
*''The ABC of Sales: Lessons from a Superstar'' (2011) GoldStar Publishing, MI.
*''17 Cents and a Dream: My Incredible Journey from the USSR to Living the American Dream'' (2013) GoldStar Publishing, MI.
* ''Street Smart Selling: How to Be a Sales Superstar'' (2014) GoldStar Publishing, MI.
* ''Rule #1 Don’t be #2 (2007) GoldStar Publishing, MI.''
References
External links
Gold Star Financial Group
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milstein, Daniel
1975 births
Living people
Businesspeople from Kyiv
Cleary University alumni
Writers from Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ukrainian non-fiction writers
Ukrainian SSR emigrants to the United States
Businesspeople from Ann Arbor, Michigan