NHL Tampa Bay Guard Mikhail Sergachev told that it is more comfortable for him to play in compact hockey arenas because in large football stadiums you cannot see how the fans support the team or scold it.
On Sunday, Sergachev came to the Moscow derby “Spartak” – CSKA as part of the 28th round of the WORLD RPL. Hockey player with goalkeeper “Tampa” Andrei Vasilevsky and Columbus striker Kirill Marchenko, before the starting whistle, symbolically kicked the ball.
– Goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin says that when he plays football he never plays in goal. Do you like to run on the pitch or do you still catch the ball in the goal?
Vasilevsky: I don’t even know when was the last time I played football. For us hockey players, it’s a warm-up – to drive the ball. But I haven’t been doing this for a long time, I have my own preparation. I definitely wouldn’t get in the goal if I was playing football, I have enough hockey goalies.
– If hockey was played in such arenas, 60-80,000 spectators, would there be a different atmosphere? Or do you not feel it during matches?
Vasilevsky: Last year we played in an open stadium, it was great. The only thing is that the fans are too far away.
Sergachev: It seems to me that this is a plus of hockey arenas – the fans are close to the site, they lean on you, you can hear and see them. The middle finger is shown or pressed, shouted. It’s part of our game, I think that’s the beauty of hockey. And if there is such a big football stadium, then you don’t see the fans, but you hear them. And we need to see them, they cover us with something during the game.
– In the NHL, you play in the city where you have a great American football team. In Russia, this sport is not understood. How cool is American football?
Vasilevsky: Yes, Tom Brady was in this team, because of him everyone started going to American football.
Sergachev: In American football there are too many breaks and a short segment of play – 5-12 seconds and an immediate break. Many parts of the team, many players running in different directions. Well, sometimes it’s fun, especially when you’re watching the Super Bowl.
Vasilevsky: You have to understand this game too much to like it.
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Watch the live broadcast of the Spartak-CSKA match right now on the channel, as well as on the matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru sites.
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
