canadian striker “Dynamo” Eric O’Dell told that the reception by the American defender Brennan Menell citizenship of the Russian Federation played an important role in his return to the Moscow hockey club.
O’Dell played for the Blues the past two seasons, played 95 games for the team in the regular season and KHL playoffs, scored 78 points (36 goals and 42 assists). In May, the 33-year-old Canadian became an unrestricted free agent. In August, Dynamo announced O’Dell’s return. In July, Menell received Russian citizenship, he will not be considered a legionnaire.
– The fact that Brennan received a Russian passport played an important role. I was waiting for the outcome of the situation, at the same time we were negotiating contracts. Dynamo is where I want to be. Glad to be back and seeing all the guys on the team again. We have a great team waiting for a good season.
– A player of your level could easily find a team in Switzerland or in another European league.
— My family likes it here, so this will be my eighth season in the KHL. It really is the best league. In addition, I really like the people around me. The same team of staff. Of course, it was a bit nervous as I was out of contract. I wanted to be part of the team as soon as possible. Glad everything fell into place.
How did you train while you were away from the club?
“You could say it was my personal training camp. Back home in Ottawa, a trainer prepared a program for me that I followed to keep myself in shape. I feel good. We have to play another pre-season tournament, but I already feel like I’m ready,” O’Dell told .
Dynamo will start the regular season on September 2 with a home game against SKA Petersburg.
Source : MatchTV
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