“Nikitin transferred his military experience to Yaroslavl”
— What do you expect from the Gagarin Cup final, in which Metallurg and Lokomotiv will play?
“Both teams performed well and really deserved to be in the final. I think we’re going to have a very interesting series. There is also enthusiasm: many friends follow hockey. They watch it on TV in Moscow, talk about KHL events, discuss current issues. It’s nice to see that hockey generates so much positive emotion and interest.
– Lokomotiv is actively recruiting personnel from CSKA – Igor Nikitin, Dmitry Yushkevich, Sergei Andronov, Maxim Shalunov…
– It’s so difficult to compare. Nikitin is an experienced coach; at Lokomotiv, he continues to do what he did at CSKA. He has a certain style. He probably brings his military experience to Yaroslavl. And the fact that the coach tries to work with those he knows well from other clubs – that always happens. Nikitin selects the players himself.
— Can we say that Metallurg’s successful restart is partly due to the fact that this season in the KHL there was a limit of three foreigners per team?
— I don’t follow Metallurg very closely, and they have only come to CSKA Arena once this season. Yes, the team is playing well, Andrei Razin is working well. First place in the Eastern Conference, reaching the Gagarin Cup final, that speaks for itself. And I won’t talk about the limit imposed on foreign players. I don’t make such decisions. And to draw an unambiguous conclusion, you need to delve deeper into the topic, having studied it in depth.
— What do you think about the fact that the next KHL season could be extended until May 31?
— Here in the NHL, they play until June 15, when the last game of the Stanley Cup final could take place. It turns out that we do not yet participate in international competitions. Maybe it’s good to play in the KHL until the end of spring. People will have something to watch; hockey is very popular in the country.
— Was the IIHF not surprised that the KHL decided to superimpose the dates of the season on the dates of the World Championship? One day we will come back.
– I have no information about this, I can’t say anything.
“We can congratulate Kucherov, the Art Ross Trophy will no longer be taken away from him”
– CSKA will lose a number of experienced leaders – Sergei Plotnikov, Mikhail Grigorenko are leaving, they are talking about Konstantin Okulov. Is restarting too hard?
“It’s completely normal when a team goes through a rejuvenation process. President Igor Esmantovich takes care of it at CSKA, it’s his prerogative. The top management of CSKA is not satisfied with the result and is trying to change something. Normal working situation. Changes are inevitable and Esmantovich will explain the details to you.
— Were you surprised that Ivan Fedotov left for the NHL so abruptly? He has already played three matches with Philadelphia.
– Well, yes, he plays well, as far as I know. Philadelphia seems to like him a lot. Good game.
— He was well trained by Sergei Naumov, who coaches CSKA goalkeepers.
— It’s nice to see that we have many talented world-class goaltenders who are team leaders in the KHL, and even more so in the NHL. Our trainers prepare them well.
— Nikita Kucherov has already scored 142 points in the regular season. Fantastic!
– This can only surprise. Very cool! It’s great to see our guy making history before our eyes. Kucherov is a true leader in the NHL. I think he will win the scoring race against Nathan MacKinnon and win the Art Ross Trophy. We can already congratulate Kucherov. I note that Nikita played in the CSKA system, played for the Red Army. And it makes me happy that our guy Tseskov is such a sensation in North America. These are the guys we have.
“I can imagine how much Panarin loves it at Rangers.”
— Artemi Panarin collected 120 points, he is the second scorer in the history of the New York Rangers in a season! But you played for this club and you understand what that means.
“I think Artemy likes it there.” This is a very interesting and unusual team that is part of the “Original Six”. Playing at Madison Square Garden, in the heart of the big city, provides a special feeling. Especially when you’re the main star. New York is truly a sporting metropolis. Congratulations to Panarin on a great season. Moreover, they have already won the Presidential Trophy, becoming the best team in the regular season. It is clear that Panarin is the main star there.
— Pavel Bure was such a star 20 years ago when you joined Rangers.
— I played around 50 matches there, but injuries prevented me from playing more. And I won’t say that I was the main star there. Then Eric Lindros, Mark Messier, Brian Leach, Mike Richter, Petr Nedved played in New York. The whole team was great, it was very interesting to play in New York. Such a great experience, especially for me. I grew up at CSKA, in the best club in the world if you count trophies. I am a Muscovite, from a big city. I felt comfortable playing for Rangers.
— Can the New Yorkers win the Stanley Cup?
– They can, there is such a chance. But what makes the NHL interesting is that everything is unpredictable. Last season, Boston set major league regular season records, but was eliminated in the first round. Sometimes it happens. There are a lot of interesting teams entering the playoffs, each interesting in their own way. If Vancouver, Colorado or Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. Absolute unpredictability.
— “Arizona” is moving to Salt Lake City, where you participated in the 2002 Olympics. Do you think it is possible to launch a franchise there?
— I won’t tell you anything about Salt Lake City. We lived in the Olympic Village and didn’t really walk around the city itself. That’s how it felt like I was in Salt Lake City, but it felt like I wasn’t.
— Alexander Ovechkin made it to the playoffs, even though his Washington team had a rough restart and there are a lot of AHL guys on the roster. Paradox?
– That’s exactly what I was talking about. You can’t predict the NHL. Using the example of Washington, we see how competently the coach and management work there. Since specialist Spencer Carbery reached the playoffs under such circumstances, he can be among the first three nominees for the Jack Adams Trophy, the award given to the coach of the year.
— Ovechkin must score 42 goals to surpass Wayne Gretzky. Is something big awaiting us? What is Bob Beamon’s show jumping record?
“This is a historic record that will become a milestone in hockey. » We will talk about it a lot. And here the Russian takes such a height – or even such a length, if we are talking about Beamon. It’s fascinating. Ovechkin will do what others could not do. Alexander will do a great thing not only for himself, but also for the country.
— How will your friend Gretzky react when his eternal disk is taken away from him?
“Wayne is a great person, I have spoken to him over the years. You have to ask him how he will react. I think it’s okay.
For me, Gretzky will always be the coolest athlete in hockey history, even if some of his records fall. I saw Gretzky play. In addition to goals, he scored 200 points per season. And he did some breathtaking things on the ice. He could calculate the playing combination three or four steps ahead. I’ve never seen any other hockey players like them.
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.
