Goalie “Metallurgist » Ilya Nabokov told that he wouldn’t be too upset if he wasn’t selected in the National Hockey League (NHL) draft.
Metallurg defeated Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the last playoff series of the Fonbet KHL championship – 4-0. Nabokov, 21, was named the playoffs’ most valuable player.
— Have you read an interview with Yevgeny Nabokov on the site, where he talks about you?
– No, honestly, I didn’t see it. During the series, I tried not to read what they wrote about us in the press at all. But after the finale I will definitely watch it. What did Evgeniy say about me?
– That you have the fastest legs he has seen at this age.
— It’s very cool that the legends of Russian hockey talk about me like this. This makes me very happy!
— Before this season, you spent only 4.31 minutes in the KHL and were replaced even in this game by Vasily Koshechkin.
“The latch on my helmet broke and the judge said, ‘Go change and fix it.’
— You started the season as goalkeeper for the Steel Foxes. What goal have you set for yourself?
— Just make your KHL debut, play a full game, get on the ice as often as possible. Of course, in September it was unrealistic for me to dream of the Gagarin Cup and the MVP title. But now I understand that everything is possible in life.
– You have a risky style – you are not afraid of losing your stick, you tried to score the puck. Where did you get this from?
— The most important thing is to believe in yourself and have confidence. And not sure of himself. And of course, practice certain elements in training. Of course, it was difficult to manage his emotions. Get yourself in the right mindset and prepare for the game. Thank you very much to my family, my friends, my team and everyone who helped me.
— At what point in the season did you feel that confidence had come to you?
— Maybe it was during the regular season. But I won’t say when exactly. All matches were difficult and interesting in their own way.
— Are you interested in the NHL draft, where you could be selected?
– If they want it, it will be great. If they don’t choose, that’s just as well.
– Why the second?
– I don’t know! Anyway, nothing depends on me. Therefore, it makes no sense to talk about the project.
— They say it will be difficult for a goalie of your size to play in the NHL. At 184 cm…
— Already 185 cm, I’m still growing! Not all goalkeepers are two meters tall. Look at Danila Isaev from Lokomotiv – he’s not the tallest either, but he moves well. I don’t think that’s the main factor.
— Is Andrei Razin somehow connected with the theme of goalkeepers in Metallurg? Or do you only work with a goalkeeper coach?
— Andrei Vladimirovich doesn’t really mean anything to me. We work with a goalkeeper coach,” Nabokov told .
Nabokov played in 23 playoff games, winning 16 and missing 41 goals, while stopping 661 shots. He became the youngest playoff MVP in KHL history; at the time of winning the Cup he was 21 years and 32 days old. The previous record belonged to Ilya Sorokin (2018/2019 season, 23 years and 128 days).
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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.
