“Canadian taxes did not scare me”
– A month before your transfer, you yourself advised Andrei Kuzmenko that it was better for him to go to Vancouver. Why did you give him such advice? How did you decide to join the Canucks?
– Yes, we spoke with Kuzey, and he tightened the circle by asking me: “What would you do?”
I won’t name all the command options it had. But from the shortlist, I advised Vancouver. We played against them a lot, especially during the covid season. I saw their line-up and I know that in winter a new management arrived at the club. I thought for Kuzi it would be a good option if you were starting an NHL career.
– And you?
– I have an option with Vancouver, maybe I had it. But he wasn’t even in the top five. But over time, some teams began to stall, and the Canucks showed perseverance. And we started talking more specifically about everything.
– In how many teams did you choose?
– Somewhere in 20. It was a serious choice for me and the family. Everything had to be carefully weighed. And with Vancouver, we spoke the same language.
– You were very actively called by “Washington”, and I saw you in the top three with Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. Why didn’t you choose this option?
Because we weighed the pros and cons. We looked at the compositions… And not only Washington showed interest, but other clubs too. But we decided to bet on Vancouver.
But Canada has the highest taxes. Why didn’t you choose an American club?
— Yes, this factor has been taken into account. But there are some nuances. It is clear that the tax difference is significant between Vancouver and Florida. But there are other ways to save money. And we first considered the hockey side.
“We only received daily allowances in the first season”
You went on air with a dog named Stella. Is it difficult to travel around the world with it?
– Our dog weighs up to eight kilograms, so we always take him to the salon. It is clear that flying with a dog is not easy. You have to go to the vet, collect a bunch of documents. But when you see how a dog welcomes you home, it’s priceless.
– Do you follow the KHL closely? And what do you think, who will win the Gagarin Cup in the new season?
– Watch shows, I think you can. We will find a way. But the time difference is great. Opportunity is therefore difficult to find. And so, I would like to see how the Gagarin Cup takes Avangard. But Kazan also has a good team. There was a combat team. But I worry about Omsk.
— When you travel in North America, do you order your signature soup in every town or do you always ask for borscht in a Russian restaurant?
– It’s tough with soup, to be honest. If you yourself know where to go, for example to Marie Vanna, you can also taste borscht. And when they cook us soup after we drive for lunch, it’s average. But it’s okay, you can.
– What do you prefer: the per diem in the NHL and eat where you want, or like in the KHL – you go to lunch or dinner with the whole team, already ready for anything? How much, by the way, per diem in America?
I don’t remember exactly the per diem. I only got them in the first season before the pandemic (“$110-115 a day,” says agent Dan Milstein). It is more practical when there are daily allowances. You are your own master. You want to go to a restaurant. Would you like something to eat at the hotel?
In addition, with the guys you go to five to seven people. You are sitting in a restaurant and talking. In the first season, I was completely silent for a month and a half, I didn’t understand anything. Although the guys always took me with them, they helped me order from the menu. They were constantly asking, “Come on, come on, what do you want?” Fish? Meat?”
After two months, I started talking. That is to say, there was communication, and that helped the progress of language.
– Name three friends from Toronto that you would go to dinner with.
– Last season it was Ilya Lyubushkin. Well, Lyuba and I talked a lot. We also went with Jason Spezza. He often took us with him. It happens that in one city you have a company at dinner, in another – another. We went with the Europeans… With each a little bit. There’s nothing like you’re going to dine with the same thing.
– Is it true that Spezza looks a bit like Ilya Kovalchuk? The same dad in the team. They were selected in the draft under the second and first numbers in 2001.
Yes, Spezza is fine. He is good as a person, as a person. Always show, tell, explain. He will explain certain points – for example, with the NHLPA union, if some kind of meeting is taking place.
In terms of hockey and organizational moments, everyone came to see him with questions. Spetsza is a straight man who can even bark at the right time. Here we played Game 5 with Tampa in the playoffs. And they could have lost without Spezza. He mobilized the team at the right time.
What are your impressions of playing with Joe Thornton?
– When necessary, he spoke. For example, during a break or after a match, he could set up a team. He has a lot of experience in the NHL. He’s been through a lot, so he’s always tried to help young people.
“They didn’t call me from the national team about the Olympics”
– How did you perceive the story of Ivan Fedotov, who was suddenly taken into the army?
Yes, it’s unexpected when that happens. But I don’t know all the details. I don’t know exactly what happened there. I hope everything will be resolved for Ivan and he can continue to play hockey, delighting the fans.
– Did you negotiate before the Beijing Olympics, when NHL players were still going there?
– I had an injury at that time, there were four months left before the Olympics. No one contacted me.
– Do you miss the World Cup?
— Yes, it is always a pleasure to play in such tournaments. But I would like to go further in the NHL playoffs. If such a situation arises and the Russian team is allowed, I would still be happy to play.
– I remember someone suggested to organize the world championships once every two years. But now it seems that we don’t get tired of it at all.
– Everyone has their own opinion. The world championships depend a lot on the arrival of NHL players. It’s completely different without them. I think, first of all, we have to work to get NHL hockey players to the Olympics. But you know, it’s all about business.
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.
