About the Guardian “Sochi” Mikhail Berdin they say this: he can become one of those who will allow the people of Sochi to compete for access to the playoffs at the end of the championship.
During the Liga Stavok Sochi Hockey Open pre-season tournament, the 25-year-old goalkeeper found a few minutes to meet a correspondent and recount:
WEDDING IN ALTAI AND SPEARFISHING
– It seems that you spent the offseason as efficiently as possible.
“Look, hockey is a drug for me. I get an adrenaline rush that you can’t get anywhere else. I tried a lot: I drove a car, a motorcycle, a snowmobile, I went to the mountains, but nowhere did I feel such emotions as in hockey. Therefore, during the off-season, I was very bored, incredibly happy that the first control game had already taken place, and I managed to get the same buzz from the game.
– But I always had in mind the wedding you celebrated in Altai. An interesting choice.
Altai is a special place for me. Andrey Chibisov introduced him to me. I first went there when I was playing in Canada, since then I have been coming every year. For me, it is a place of power, where I can acquire spiritual energy. We also travel to Altai, we have reached Mongolia, we like wild places very much. For a long time I wanted to show Altai to my loved ones, and I couldn’t find a better way to do this than to hold a wedding there. Unforgettable memories for a lifetime!
Is it really hiking?
– Yes, in general, I always try to spend my time in different ways: walking, going to the mountains, going to the passes, fishing. Chibisov generally showed extreme flight on an airplane, flew with his wife – it was cool.
“Lotte, did you catch the taimen?” In the rivers of Altai – it’s aerobatics.
— No, I caught some shade, mostly. In general, I practice spearfishing, I caught a lot of small burbot in Ufa, but a maximum of two kilograms. For Bashkiria, these are considered quite important.
NEGOTIATIONS WITH WINNIPEG AND PATRIOTIC INTERVIEW
– How do you like Sochi in the first games of the offseason? Do you have the feeling that it will be better than last year?
– In fact, I was very worried about our composition during the offseason. Still, KHL players aren’t that well-known, so I closely followed the transfer campaign, studied the newcomers. I’m hungry to win, of course I want to win a lot more often than last season.
– Are you really fighting for the playoffs?
– Certainly. We set ourselves the maximum number of objectives, we will try to win each match.
– You are considered the one who will lead Sochi in the season. Ready to play this role? Are you ready for premier number status throughout the championship?
– Well, first of all, also added Maxim Tretyak, and I stand for healthy competition. Second, in terms of “playing a lot”, you can look at my stats, I’ve played the most in the AHL. This summer I spent a lot of time in the training room, so there should be no problems with physical training. I’m ready for everything.
– What is the atmosphere in the team now? Already managed to unite?
– The unit has not yet been, it is ahead. The main thing here is not to run out. We now have a positive working atmosphere inside, everything is learned in difficult times, so far no one has given us a “back”. In general, I really like the atmosphere in the locker room now, but I think we will improve further in this regard.
– I just couldn’t ask you this question: Andrey Zyuzin is your relative, isn’t he? Did he play a decisive role in your visit to Sochi?
He hasn’t been part of the team since this season. It was like this: when I lived in Canada, I wanted to be closer to my family, because I hadn’t lived at home since I was 13 years old. Mom lived in Sochi, so that played a role, and I chose Sochi. Zyuzin was a development coach, he took care of the team that wasn’t playing, he didn’t make any decisions for me.
– Why didn’t you go to SKA?
“To be honest, I don’t even know. Then I also planned to go back to Russia, we negotiated with Winnipeg to let me go. In February, I reached the extreme boiling point. Before this, I kept coming back to this problem. Usually I had enough for two months at the start of the season, then I started thinking: when am I going to go home? When the pandemic started, we had started working with Milstein to get Winnipeg to let me go and stay at SKA, but then it didn’t work out, and when COVID ended I had to go back to Canada.
– Did I understand correctly that the version of joining the NHL substance abuse program was just a way to quickly and efficiently leave the NHL?
– Can you say that. As I have said many times, the desire to return to Russia appeared in February 2022. I called the agent and said about this, we started negotiations with the Russian teams. Therefore, while there were already agreements, the training process began in Canada, and they did not let me go.
My agent Dan Milstein came up with a plan that, for family reasons, I had to leave. I prepared a bright patriotic interview in advance, in which I wanted to convey my position, I wanted to say that it is important not to forget your roots. I thought that with the help of this interview I would become an example for young people, I would show them that there are things that are more important than hockey. For example, the family. But the journalists, of course, turned everything upside down. As a result, I was made a scapegoat in this whole situation.
– Now there is a chance to voice your position.
– After all these events, I decided to communicate less with the press, to spend less time on social networks – in general, to withdraw a little into myself. I realized that a person will always hear what they want to hear, not what you are trying to convey to them. Therefore, I will not.
BEST GOALKEEPERS AND MICHKOVA LACROSSE
– What is your relationship with Winnipeg now? You said if you go back to the NHL, you’ll only play there.
“It’s not like that anymore. I had a valid contract for this season, I had to leave, but I decided to stay here. They had a choice: either follow the same program or break the contract by mutual agreement. We took the second option, so now I’m a free agent and I’m free to go where I want.
– It turns out that you had a similar situation with Fedotov and Philadelphia? Can you give me some advice to solve this situation?
– I can’t compare, because I know my situation inside, but I don’t know his. I read the news, but I did not delve into the situation.
— Berdin, Fedotov… Which goalkeeper names will be popular this season?
— There are a lot of good goalkeepers now. I am very happy for Dorozhko from Vityaz: he has now “shot”, but I played with him. Loved Serebryakov. In general, I’m not so impressed with systemic goaltenders, but with those who get high on the ice, really play. In general, I don’t know many people, I haven’t had time to play with everyone.
– You managed to play with Michkov for Sochi. Is he really a top player, our next NHL star?
– He definitely has talent, he stands out a lot. I spent a lot of time with him in goalkeeper training. He has a sense of purpose, it’s built into him. He is hungry, he longs for abandoned goals – this is the main quality. I think if he does everything right, he will succeed.
– Was it difficult with him in training?
– Sticks flew towards me (laughs).
– You spent a lot of time in North America, Michkov is now called the “new Ovechkin”. Do you think he will grow?
– They are different players, different classes. Ovechkin is Ovechkin. He is a living legend, one of a kind, never seen before and never will be in the future. You shouldn’t compare.
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.
