“I am a maximalist. I always want to win, every game. But that doesn’t happen.” Frank conversation with Ivan Bocharov

For Dynamo fans, Bocharov will probably forever remain his own on the board, a dear person. The pupil of the club became in the system of “white-blue” and the best goalkeeper in the MHL, and the champion of the VHL. And in recent years, Ivan became the main goalkeeper of Dynamo, and in the KHL he began to get involved in the Russian team.

But the career of a modern professional player cannot be fully planned from start to finish. In the spring, the goalkeeper made a very difficult decision for himself: he moved to Lokomotiv. It was a difficult but necessary step for my own growth and progress. To become better, smarter, stronger.

There is no doubt that Bocharov is a passionate maximalist in all things hockey. Now it is important for Ivan to join a new team as soon as possible, becoming an important and necessary part of it. For this, he even redesigned the pre-season training.

“After signing the contract, I immediately phoned Nikitin”

“Just this week, my wife and I went to Yaroslavl,” Bocharov says. – Lokomotiv has an excellent modern base. It already has its first birthday this year – five years, but everything at the base seems to have been built yesterday. Of course, I went to the arena and I went to the locker room. And we decided where we would live. I myself will come to Yaroslavl in July, at the start of the training camp. And the wife and son a little later – in early August.

– By the way, about Lev Ivanovich, does he already go to the Moscow sports section?

— The son is engaged in swimming and gymnastics. Yaroslavl is a modern and sporty city. I think there is something interesting and useful to remember. I have a lot of guys I know at Lokomotiv. They will help you understand. We are family friends with team captain Alexei Marchenko. Since his youth, he has often crossed paths with other players in national teams at different levels. The Yaroslavl school is one of the strongest in Russia, it’s no secret. So I personally know half of the staff.

— You have already played Arena 2000 more than once. How successful has it been for you?

– The last game against Lokomotiv was there in January. Dynamo then won 2:1. I played well – 37 thought shots. I like the Yaroslavl Arena. It looks like it was built 20 years ago, but everything is modern and comfortable. At Lokomotiv, in general, the whole infrastructure is ideal for players.

– For the ideal, it is still necessary to find a common language with the technical staff. Have you met Lokomotiv head coach Igor Nikitin yet?

– After signing the contract, we immediately called and discussed some details of my preparation for the season. Igor Valeryevich suggested according to the schedule – when and what would happen. And, of course, all this time I was in contact with Lokomotiv goalkeeping coach Rashit Davydov. Even during negotiations.

“I have full confidence in Davydov”

– You probably know Davydov since he worked at Dynamo?

Yes, we have known each other for more than 10 years. I played at school when they started connecting me to the adult team formation that Davydov worked with. It was interesting to watch the older guys practice. Then more than once crossed in the team. But like that, to work with him all season in the KHL club – it will be the first time.

– At one time, it was Davydov who helped Sasha Eremenko to revive his career, to believe in himself, to again become the champion and the best goalkeeper in the KHL. In a way, this story reminds you of your current situation…

– I think it is not worth comparing the situations in which I or Sasha found ourselves. Each person in sport has their own destiny. The fact is that Davydov is one of the best Russian goalkeeper coaches. Therefore, I am ready to do whatever he asks of me. I have complete confidence in him.

– What do you think of the style of the teams coached by Nikitin?

– Her tactics are known – she brought results to CSKA for several seasons. I will familiarize myself with all the nuances in training camp. After all, everything depends not only on tactics, but also on the selection of players, their proper preparation, their ability to fulfill the task of coaching. And so I understand that Lokomotiv, under the leadership of Nikitin, will play strictly defensively.

Lokomotiv is a new challenge for me.”

– Apart from a short professional trip to Sokol, this is the first time you have changed clubs. Was it difficult to take this step?

— It can’t even be compared to my youth trip to Krasnoyarsk in 2015. I flew to Sokol to play practice. And now the age is completely different, five seasons in the KHL behind him. I emphasize that the move to Lokomotiv was my decision. I really wanted it. I am very grateful to Dynamo for the five years I spent at my home club. But now I feel it’s time to move on. Lokomotiv is a new challenge for me. And I have complete confidence in myself, in my partners and in the coaching staff. Together we can accomplish a lot.

– Was the decision to leave Dynamo matured over the last season or was it made after the end of the playoffs?

– Last fall there was an unpleasant stuffing in the media. There were reports that several top Dynamo players, including myself, could be traded for other clubs. It was then that I seriously reluctantly thought about transitioning. After all, in this situation, nothing depended on me. After the end of the playoffs, I analyzed everything again. The season has clearly not been the best. I saw myself that there was no skills development. I decided that I had to change something.

– Why did Lokomotiv become a new team?

– There were other options. But the Yaroslavl club started to show interest in me last season. Moreover, Davydov works there, in whom, as I have already said, I trust a lot. Therefore, Lokomotiv was a priority. I didn’t even want to seriously discuss anything with others. I was determined to join Lokomotiv and the club is interested in me. The financial aspect played no role here. Especially since I’m a free agent with compensation. Formally, Dynamo exchanged me for Lokomotiv (after releasing Bocharov in Yaroslavl, the Whites and Blues received striker Pavel Kudryavtsev and the rights of goalkeeper Ilya Konovalov in return. – .)

Did you understand what went wrong last season?

– Sure. It’s a shame that many didn’t work out. But now I don’t want to start all over again. This season is over and the best are yet to come.

– From myself I will say that the season for the whole league was terrible. First, massive cancellations of matches due to covid, then an Olympic break of unprecedented length and immediately after, the start of the Gagarin Cup. Everything was tumbling.

— I don’t want to justify it, because all the teams were in these conditions. But a whole month without games destabilized us. My opinion is that after the Olympics, we had to finish the regular season to the end. Personally, after three or four games in the regular season, it would be easier for me to reach the playoffs.

– In the spring, I spoke with Leonid Weisfeld about Dynamo’s performance in the playoffs. We are talking about guards. Weisfeld said, “Bocharov has what it takes to be the best goaltender in the KHL, both physically and technically. The only problem is psychological. We need to play more regularly.”

– I partly agree with this statement. But I also want to emphasize that hockey is a team sport, where the result depends on each player. I will try to show a more stable game next season.

“Sometimes you feel like you’re asking too much of yourself. But not all matches can be perfect. Indeed, in hockey there are enough ridiculous goals and unexpected rebounds.

Indeed, I am a maximalist. I always want to win, in every game, in every sport. But that doesn’t happen. I agree that bad times should be more manageable.

“Shesterkin is playing great, but I think Tampa will go further

– What are you doing now? Have you already started self-training or are you continuing your vacation?

The holidays ended in May. But this year I decided not to take a big break from training at all. I went to the gym two or three times a week. Now I do it more often, next week I will also start connecting ice.

– And how do you feel after such an experience?

“Much better than previous years. Of course, I didn’t plow like in training camp, but I kept my fitness level constantly. Worked with a fitness trainer. Tighten up your weaknesses. Moreover, he worked for an explosion, for power.

“Why do guardians need explosive power?” He doesn’t want to attack.

– But you need to move as quickly as possible through the door. From the outside, everything looks easy, but in fact, the explosive energy is just what is needed for every jolt.

Do you follow the duel between Vasilevsky and Shesterkin in the NHL?

– In the early rounds, basically, I was just looking at the scores. But now it got interesting. I have already seen several games between Tampa and the Rangers. I’m happy that teams with Russian goalkeepers play in the semi-finals, it’s nice to watch them.

Which side are your sympathies on?

– If you think objectively, it is Igor Shesterkin who is showing great play this season. Rangers have come so far thanks to him. Of course, everyone wants sensations for Igor’s team to reach the final. But I think “Tampa” through the cup experience will go even further.