Nyora kuenderera mberi kweiyi ndima - Mutambi wenguva refu nekirabhu yekumusha kwake Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk, Shafranov akanyorwa neSt. Louis Blues 229th yakazara mu1996 NHL Entry Draft
. Akaita chiitiko chenguva pfupi muNorth America, achihwina zvibodzwa makumi mana nezvitanhatu neFort Wayne Komets yeInternational Hockey League, achizviwanira zita rekuti rookie wegore uye nzvimbo muIHL yechipiri All-Star Team. Mwaka wakatevera, akaita NHL yake yekutanga neBlues, achihwina kaviri uye achiwedzera rubatsiro mumitambo mishanu. Zvakanga zvisinei zvose nokuda kwebasa rake reNHL; akatamba mamwe mwaka mashomanana muAmerican Hockey League uye IHL, asi haana kuzova nemigumisiro yakadai sezvaaiva nayo mumwaka wake wokutanga neFort Wayne, izvo zvakamuita kuti adzokere kuEurope, uko nzvimbo huru dzechando uye kutamba kwakasununguka zvakanyatsokodzera mararamiro emugadziri.