Russian attacker Mikhail Maltsev explained to how Russian hockey players are retrained in North America.
Maltsev, 25, was born in St. Petersburg, played in the SKA system and left for North America in 2019. Before last season, the center forward’s rights were traded to Spartak – Maltsev became one of nine SKA players traded for defender Alexander Nikishin.
On July 1, 2023, he signed a one-year contract for $775,000 with Los Angeles, but only played for Ontario Reign in the AHL and scored 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in 21 games. This week, Maltsev was loaned to Spartak, signing a one-year contract.
— Have you watched Spartak’s performance?
— Since this season I started watching highlights of all the teams on YouTube, they started posting them. Simply interesting matches. I see a big score or if my friends score, I turn it on immediately.
— Have the Americans asked you about the KHL? What were they interested in?
– They asked Volodya Tkachev . He played in the Los Angeles system and they were good friends with him. And they were not surprised that Tkachev is now first among the top scorers in the KHL.
— They didn’t let him play properly in Los Angeles, they sent him to the farm.
– Yes, they told me that they started teaching Tkachev how to forecheck (put pressure on an opponent). But he was playful and constantly asked, “Why shoot the puck in the zone?” Well, that’s it, it’s all over in the NHL.
But they asked me about the KHL. Many of them have friends who play on certain teams. They are interested in our cities and our daily lives. The Americans also think we have a good league. And they know that some people can earn more in the KHL.
— If you count your money in the AHL and KHL, the result will be about the same.
– But take into account high taxes, housing payments and other expenses. Well-paid AHL players live well. There are not a lot. But there, no one really complains about it. “Everyone is in a mode where you have to prove who you are,” Maltsev told .
Spartak is first in the Western Conference standings, winning 56 points in 41 matches.
Watch live broadcasts of the Fonbet KHL championship matches on the channel, as well as on the matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru sites.
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.
