It should be said right away that Dmitry Yashankin, the physical trainer of the Russian hockey team, helped organize this interview. He is a wonderful person and his training is interesting. When we arrived at Encore Fitness Center in Khodynka, we saw how Ak Bars striker Alexander Radulov and Salavat Yulaev defender Mikhail Naumenkov were working hard to prepare for the season.
The guys sweat! So you can rest assured that Radulov will be fit for the new KHL season.
Interestingly, Monday, July 4 is the birthday of Valery Radulov, the father of the leader of Ak Bars. But Tuesday, July 5 – the birthday of Alexander himself.
Congratulations to dad. Congratulations wait for our son, it’s not worth the advance. But of course we asked about the anniversary in an exclusive interview.
“Very happy to be back”
– Alexander, did you start preparing for the season a long time ago?
We’ve been training for about a month now. As long as there is no ice. Yes, only a few times. We mainly work in the gym, improve physics.
– Hard?
– Not easy. But nothing, we are used to it. It’s not the first pre-season training in my life.
– Tuesday is your birthday – 36 years. Do you feel the age?
– I do not want to say. You have just realized that every year you do not become younger, but more mature. But inside there is no such feeling. Probably all normal people, right? Inside, we are all young, in our twenties.
It just takes more time to prepare. Give yourself more rest to recover. It’s physiology. All the guys will be there. They are young now, and when they are my age, they will understand everything themselves.
– What is the feeling when you come home and you will already be recognized at the airport? Russia loves you.
Yes, I love Russia! I’m always treated warmly here, especially by hockey fans. I have many friends and relatives here. It’s my country. I love being home and very happy to be back.
“Ak Bars” showed me the greatest interest”
– Have you thought about returning to the KHL for a long time?
– I never ended the possibility of returning to Russia to play hockey. I always wanted to do this. It’s just that when I left for the NHL, there was such a period in my career that I realized that, given my age, it was my last chance to leave. So he made that decision by signing a contract with the Montreal Canadiens.
I wanted to play at this level. And I played, that I am happy. And now a new page in my career. I’m happy to be at home, playing in front of my fans. God willing, I will make them happy.
– How did you communicate with Oleg Znark, who became the head coach of Ak Bars?
– Yes well. We spoke with Oleg Valeryevich even before I signed the contract. We called, we had a conversation. Understand what he wants, as he sees it. And we made a decision.
“There was no doubt?”
– So after all, my eldest son still lives here. She is training, now she will go to school. Many factors pushed me to come back, play and live at home. Being close to the parents, with his son and his family.
“And why exactly Kazan?” Did the personality of the coach play a role?
– It’s just that Ak Bars has good conditions, and this club has shown maximum interest. How’s it going. You start choosing, look at the available options. And you lean towards where you’re treated more warmly, where they want to see you on their team more. Ak Bars was one such club that showed the greatest interest. Thank them for it. We will try to help Ak Bars win.
– How do you find the composition of the Kazan club?
– Very well. But the main thing, as they say, the ice will show itself. Everything can be written on paper. But we need everyone to work, to fulfill the coaching task. And they were most responsible for winning.
“Esmantovich’s words? I’m not mad at anyone”
— How would you rate your last period of your NHL career?
Last season didn’t work for me. Probably even the last two championships. But in the penultimate season, injury played a role. It seems that I started well (4 + 8 = 12 points in 11 games), but I already got injured at the start and hardly played. Missed all season, had surgery.
Last year I came to Dallas, I went through training camp. Everything was fine. But somehow I failed to score, and they just cut my playing time. Well, it happens, that’s hockey. You can’t always be on top. So you have to keep working, believe in yourself and you will be fine.
– Why didn’t you go to Krasnoyarsk, where Alexander Semin’s farewell match took place? They were waiting for you there.
– There were some nuances – unfortunately, I could not leave Moscow. Should have been here. Some moments that are important in life. I just couldn’t get out.
– When we came to CSKA’s press conference at the end of the season, I asked club president Igor Esmantovich: “Are you interested in Alexander Radulov? Can he go back to the army team? So Esmantovich called you a “traitor” in plain language – because you allegedly promised to extend the contract with CSKA, while you yourself left for the NHL. How did you react to such an explosion?
Guys, it’s been six years. What is there to comment? We told you everything. Someone tried to say something, but I don’t even want to get into it. In this interview, I already told you that when I turned 30, I realized that this was the only chance for me – to go to America. Then when you’re 31, 32, you can’t play there anymore.
Everyone was aware. Everyone heard it. And who wanted to hear, he heard. And whoever didn’t want to, he kind of made his own conclusion. Well, if people have such an opinion, what can I do? In no way am I angry with anyone. It has been a long time. Everything that was, was.
– Are you worried about Ivan Fedotov? Do you think this story will end well?
– I think everything will be fine. Of course, it’s unpleasant. The guy made a good statement about himself last season. The Russian team won silver medals with him, and CSKA won the Gagarin Cup. He wants to go there – to Philadelphia. But you see, maybe he had something wrong with his papers. I had to check them first. It’s hard to say anything now. When you’re not there, you don’t know the situation. I will refrain from longer comments.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
