One of the most famous hockey players in the KHL, Vadim Shipachev, changed teams; he transferred from Ak Bars to Dynamo Minsk. Last season, the 37-year-old forward scored 46 points (14 goals, 32 assists) in 67 games, including the playoffs. And in the penultimate season, together with Ak Bars, he played in the seventh match of the Gagarin Cup final against CSKA.
Shipachev’s move to Minsk is one of the most notable events of this eventful offseason. Of course, Vadim and I immediately discussed this topic.
“Which of the centers is running like crazy? Only McDavid”
— What are your emotions following this transition?
— I am very happy to be at Dynamo Minsk. I spoke with head coach Dmitry Kvartalnov. We discussed everything, on the shore we decided what I should do there, my tasks. Everything that was discussed was fine with me and the coach.
— When did you learn that Ak Bars wanted to separate from you?
— Immediately after the season. A few weeks passed and word came out that I would be traded, sold or the contract would be terminated. It all began.
—Have you been told to look for options on where to go on your own?
“They didn’t tell me about it at all.” Apparently the agent was informed, and then two months passed. Then I met the manager and he told me: “The new coach has decided that you don’t fit our tactics. We are building a lightning-fast team. The wind will blow straight as they pass.
That’s it. I ask, “What are the options?” “If you don’t find a team, we’ll put you on the waiver draft, and someone will take you there, or we’ll terminate your contract.”
—Did this situation humiliate you? A big star in the KHL, and you became Ak Bars’ top scorer last season.
– This is an unpleasant situation. I don’t understand at all what the trap was. I don’t think I’m the only one who failed this season. As they say, several people played very badly. But that’s their opinion. I don’t agree with him.
— There were questions about your average speed, according to which you became the penultimate in the team.
— Hockey is a team sport. And that you have to run around the site at breakneck speed, and I am second to last in speed, and the last one there is Yashkin… Somehow Dima stayed and they m ‘have expelled. Can you imagine the joke? I don’t see the logic here.
Generally speaking, the role of the central forward, as my first coach told me, is to act as a link between defense and attack. I have to work in defense, in the middle zone too, and provide tools to my partners in attack.
I don’t see that all the center forwards are running around like crazy. Probably just Connor McDavid. But he plays in a different league, he was generated from a computer game. Otherwise, my excessive speed would hardly benefit my game. I have other duties, I was hired for other skills. And I think I did my job well. A speed ? That’s understandable, but there are statistics, and they’re stubborn things. You can look at the numbers to see who is in what position in terms of points and other important indicators.
“Life is such that you can be evicted at any time”
— How long did it take to choose a new club?
“I had different options and I won’t talk about them now. But we opted for Dynamo Minsk. I spoke to the head coach. I saw a lot of interest in me. The goal is to build an ambitious team that will advance beyond the first round of the playoffs. And all managers have the goal of ensuring that Dynamo plays well. The composition is very good.
We discussed all the nuances not only of the game, but even of life in Minsk. This suited me and the agent then accepted the contract. Dynamo took my contract at Ak Bars, we terminated it and signed a new one for two years.
-Have you lost a lot of money?
“Now it’s not even about the money. I want to play hockey and be happy. And not like I spent the last month, when they told me: “No, we’re not changing you. No, we will change you. The head coach doesn’t want to see you on the team. The CEO doesn’t need you. I don’t want to delve into this incomprehensible story.
I am now happy to have a contract and to be able to play and please the Belarusian fans. Ready for new challenges.
I would like to say a big thank you to the Kazan fans. Ak Bars has excellent team personnel, excellent hockey partners and excellent senior management. But life is such a thing. You can be deported at any time. And I have already turned this page.
“Kvartalnov sees me in a specific role”
— How does Kvartalnov see you at Dynamo? What did he say?
— It’s probably best to ask the coach himself, and he’ll tell you his vision. And we discussed everything between us: the training, its requirements… We will call back and discuss more details.
—The three of you really need good partners. Who will complete your passes?
— The head coach will decide with whom and where I will play. Dynamo has talented guys. Before that, they played one way or another, scored goals, gave assists. I think I will help them, create more chances somewhere. And they know how to score there. There are snipers on every team.
Yes, my partners were Kagarlitsky, Yashkin, Radulov, before – Dadonov, Panarin… The list could be long. But in Minsk there are a lot of good top players. Dmitry Vyacheslavovich said: “I will describe to you approximately how I see you, where you will play. You’ll get a great C.”
I was completely satisfied with it. The coach has the team in front of him, he understands why he is taking me, where I am going to play, what tasks I am going to accomplish. And it makes me happy when they don’t just take someone and we don’t know where to put them. And here, the person sees you in a specific role.
— An important factor is that Minsk is a beautiful city.
– Certainly. First of all, I need my family to feel comfortable. Then it will be even calmer for me to play hockey. Your soul is in place when you realize that your family is living in good conditions.
— I was surprised that hundreds of fans came to Minsk Square to see the news of your transfer on the city screen.
— Yes, I was also very impressed when I saw the video on the club’s official Telegram channel. I was really surprised! Dmitri Vyacheslavovich told me: “Vadim, here in Minsk, they love hockey.” And we ourselves, when we came to visit Dynamo, saw sold-out crowds in the 15,000-seat Minsk Arena. There is a cult of our sport here. And when we see that, we want to play even better in front of full stands.
— In Minsk you can break Sergei Mozyakin’s record in the KHL. Is this an incentive?
– Any gamer will say that he would be inspired to achieve such a serious feat. But I just want to play hockey. And then we will see how it all goes, how many points I will score.
— When will you arrive in Minsk? What are your plans?
— I plan to come on July 5 for a few days to tour the apartment and understand everyday aspects. And then – around July 25, so I can come five days before training camp and start it with the team.
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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.
