When it comes to high-tech gadgetry, no Stars player is better connected than Sergei Zubov

IRVING – While growing up in Moscow, Sergei Zubov used to curve his hockey sticks over a hibachi on the balcony of his family's apartment. He made the most of the limited technology available to him.

He fiddled with old tape recorders and tinkered with the television, intrigued by how the instruments worked.

Now a U.S. citizen, one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL and playing out a five-year, $25 million contract with the Stars, Zubov has made significant technological upgrades. He's so immersed in high-tech gizmos, he has the world in the palm of his hands. Or in his Palm Pilot, anyway.

He has virtually every electronic toy, staying in tune with the latest trends in technology. He is all about interface connectors, advanced functionalities and multimedia messaging services.

"He has got one-up on everybody," fellow defenseman Darryl Sydor said. "Once in a while we look at his laptops and the things he can do with his cell phone, but it's too farfetched for me."

When a new device comes out, Zubov is usually the first to get it. He uses five cell phones, depending on his mood, synchronized to communicate with his computer.

Want advice on which home theater system to install, or which car stereo, PDA or DVD burner is best suited for you?

Just ask Inspector Gadget. Zubov not only can list the model numbers of the best hardware, but he can explain how they work and if they are compatible.

Although most of his teammates have laptops and other technology, many are shocked by Zubov's high-tech wizardry.

"He's got some surprise each week," defenseman Sami Helenius said. "He has some memo thing that he presses with a little stick. I don't know what he's doing, but he uses that a lot. After a game, he'll be by himself and the whole world shuts down."

No matter where he is, Zubov is just a click away from connecting his tri-band world cell phone to his laptop, or his personal digital assistant to the Internet. With his Bluetooth Handsfree hooked on his pocket or collar, he can make and receive calls while his phone is packed in his hockey bag.

After a recent practice, he hopped into his SUV in the parking lot at the Dr Pepper StarCenter, hit a couple of buttons on his cell phone, and voice-mail messages began blaring through the car stereo speakers.

"He's a Russian Bill Gates," teammate Richard Matvichuk said.

Zubov said technology has always intrigued him. That interest has increased since he came to the United States in 1992 as property of the New York Rangers.

"When I first saw the computer, I was pretty excited," he said. "Then, when I first saw the cell phone, I almost freaked out. I was like, 'Wow, how the hell does that work without wires?'

"When I was a kid, it was mostly music stuff or tape recorders that made me happy. I could probably take apart my old TV and see what's wrong with it when I was 15."

These days, Zubov uses technology to communicate with his family in Russia and with friends all over North America. His cell phones work in three networks on five continents.

"I can talk to them any time, day or night, and it's no big deal to send pictures back and forth," he said. "Being able to talk to them, that's the coolest thing. It used to be I would have to be at home and use a calling card. It's so much easier now. You just push a couple of buttons and you're talking."

Stars play-by-play voice Ralph Strangis recently had trouble operating a digital tape recorder the NHL sent him for an interview with Mike Modano and Bill Guerin. Strangis had no idea how to operate the instrument.

"But then I saw Zubie and he took me through it," Strangis said. "If there's a guy in the room you're going to ask technical questions, it's Zubie."