We can say that Vasily Atanasov is the most popular hockey player in the KHL. After all, when the fans chose players for the All-Star Game, it was Vasya who collected the most votes (2560), overtaking Nikolai Goldobin (2419) from Spartak, and he was at that time the top scorer in the league. And Atanasov also surpassed the others.
Can the KHL All-Star Game statistics be considered serious? Nevertheless, Vasya scored 4 (0+4) points in the semi-final. And in the match for third place he made a double (2+0), also showing himself as a scorer.
By the way, let me remind you that Atanasov is Torpedo’s top scorer. He scored 38 points (19+19) in 38 matches. This is a classic result when an attacker earns a “point for the match”. Especially when he is only 21 years old and plays purely formally for Torpedo on a two-way contract, being registered with the AKM of the VHL.
— Igor Larionov said that he was not so interested in the All-Star Game, he preferred to go to the theater during the championship vacation. What is your opinion?
– Well, I was happy to be at the All-Star Game. This is the first such weekend for me, I have never been to such a holiday before. I met famous hockey players, great athletes. I even talked to the football players. It is a great achievement to be in this company. I really liked everything, I’m very happy.
— What did you talk about with Alexander Mostov?
— I was very little when he played football. I managed to communicate quite a bit with him. But it’s also worth a lot – just being in the same locker room as him.
— What did you like most about the All-Star Game?
– All. Just like the SKA Arena, so is the holiday itself. Everything is very cool, and thanks to the organizers.
— How did you make a headdress in the shape of a large pineapple?
— They helped me do this at Torpedo, they ordered it directly from the Nizhny Novgorod factory. They make costumes for all the mascots.
— Your family lives in St. Petersburg. Tell me, how will this arena that can accommodate 21,500 spectators change the life of the city?
— You saw that in two days more than 40 thousand spectators gathered here. Still, it’s a cool holiday and celebration. You could watch the best hockey players in the KHL and see what they do on the ice. If I were a fan, I would also like to come to the SKA Arena.
— Perhaps the best palace in the KHL is the SKA Arena. The worst so far is Torpedo. But you are building a new arena.
“At the same time, we are always full.” We ourselves really want to move to a new arena so that more people can attend our matches. We want to give our fans the opportunity to go to hockey. Otherwise, tickets are very difficult to get when the palace is small.
— When there is a new arena in Nizhny Novgorod, the KHL All-Star Game can be held there immediately.
– I would like to see such a holiday! I think Nizhny is going to be buzzing! I haven’t entered our new arena yet, I’m just passing by. I see construction is in full swing.
— How important is this break for Torpedo?
— All the teams were tired in mid-December. The matches take place every other day, with a very tight schedule. Everyone needs this rest to recharge their batteries physically and emotionally, in order to approach the second part of the championship with renewed vigor.
— What if the KHL schedule was extended until May 15? How do you feel about this?
– I don’t know. I never got to play hockey until mid-May. But why not? It’s cool to perform near summer, when it’s already hot.
— What to do when your puck doesn’t enter the goal? Give advice to Alexander Ovechkin.
— When I can’t score for a long time, I wrap the stick differently. I usually wrap half of the “feather” with tape. But when the puck does not fit into the goal for a long time, I roll up the whole “feather”.
— Do hockey players have such a sign to punish the stick? For example, immerse it in the toilet.
– No, no, in no case. Our clubs are good, there is no need to punish them. But if you rewind differently, you can score. At least that’s how it works for me.
— Do you think Ovechkin will eventually beat Gretzky’s record?
– Yes. I don’t doubt Ovechkin. I believe in Sasha and I hope everything works out for him.
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.
