Dmitry Orlov: “I am very sad that I never played at the Olympics”

The Summer Olympics begin in Paris in July. Shortly before, I met the famous defender Dmitri Orlov . Last season, he scored 26 points (6 goals, 20 assists) in 82 games, adding 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in the playoffs. It was a pretty strong year, but we talked about much more than that.

Dima admitted that he had a big Olympic dream. 2014 – he became a world champion, but he was not taken to the home Olympics. 2018 – The NHL did not send its players to the Games in Korea, and Russia won gold there. 2022 – The NHL did not go to Beijing because of Covid, and Russia won silver there.

But Orlov is already 33 years old in July. This is a striking example of a person performing at a high level, but the Olympic Games have not yet taken place in his sports career.

And will it be Milan in 2026? Yes, the NHL allows players to go there, but will Russia be allowed?

“Nikishin will fit easily into any NHL club”

– How is your summer going?

– Yes, everything is fine. So I flew to Russia, went to Novokuznetsk, where I had not been for two years.

— Evaluate your first season in Carolina. What worked and what didn’t?

— The start of the season didn’t go as we would have liked. In the second half, I started to play better. But after rethinking everything, I was responsible in some situations for not showing myself very well, so there was no trust in the coaching. When I arrived, I felt better. But it’s hard when you end the season with a playoff elimination.

In the second round, we lost to the Rangers (2-4). I thought we could come back in the series and were leading 3-1 in the sixth game. But we finished it 3:5. They themselves lost that game. They themselves lost three games in a row in the series.

Now we’ll see what happens this summer, how the team develops. Who will stay and who won’t, many players need to be recruited – and it’s a big job for the management. But while I’m on vacation, I’m relaxing, trying not to think too much about the upcoming season.

— “Carolina” has been dreaming of Alexander Nikishin for a long time. Will he be able to play in the NHL next season after his contract with SKA expires?

– Of course, he will easily fit into any team. A very good player. The main thing is that they trust him and have confidence – then he will be able to quickly adapt and get used to the team system.

— Has the KHL come close to the NHL in terms of level?

– I don’t know, it’s hard for me to say. To be honest, I didn’t watch the Gagarin Cup final. I caught a few games during the season. But it’s a little different. Sometimes the games are boring, but that happens in the NHL too. Anyway, the level of hockey players and the quality of the selection in the NHL are higher. The best come from different countries, the competition is huge. I think the NHL is even stronger.

“We have to play harder with McDavid”

— Did you watch the Stanley Cup Final? “Florida” almost missed the cup.

— When everyone was betting on Edmonton before Game 7, I didn’t think so. Game 7 of the series is a sport in itself.

And Volodya Tarasenko rightly said at a critical moment: “Are we under pressure? But it is a privilege. So we have reached a high level.”

It was enough to win one game. Make the right analysis and prepare for this game, there is no other choice. If you think and feel sad a lot, the situation will only get worse. So you had to pull yourself together and give it your all, so as not to feel guilty later. This is the last game of the season, and that is exactly what Florida did.

— How should you play against Connor McDavid? Talk like a defenseman.

— He is now the best hockey player in the world. He has agility, skating, speed, quick hands… You have to try to prevent him from picking up speed in the middle zone so that the forwards make tackles. And in the defensive zone, you have to try to cover him faster. But it also has to be done intelligently. Because McDavid can easily go the other way – and then you run after him to catch him. It is important that the second player always provides support in the defensive zone. And a place to play harder. Because when you feel pressure and you are getting beaten, it is not very easy. You spend more energy and sometimes you get more nervous.

“Right now I prefer Spain to the EURO”

— Are you watching the EURO?

– Yes, I watch football. It’s summer now, there’s not much sport. What else can you do? I like watching the games. No personal preference. But I liked the Spanish team. Small, fast players, as they always have been. In some games, the Spanish usually dominate.

— The Olympic Games begin in Paris in July. And the attitude towards athletes who go there with a neutral status is changing.

— I understand that it’s not going to be easy for guys to play. And if we take team sports… we have money in the major leagues, but individual sports don’t get as much. But they have a goal: to get to the Olympics and win medals.

I can’t even imagine how it could be. It will be very difficult for the guys! Not even physically, but psychologically. You are constantly under pressure, waiting. Some are allowed in, others are not, everything changes every day.

Of course, our athletes need support. I want to wish them good luck and that everything works out for them.

— Do you feel sad because the NHL team was unable to participate in two Olympic Games?

– Definitely! And it’s a very strong melancholy. I’ve never participated in the Olympic Games. I would really like to play there. It’s one of the biggest dreams of any athlete. I hope it happens to me again.

— Did you meet Ovechkin in Moscow?

– Yes, we already met when we arrived. We may be in different teams now, but we communicate well. We have experienced so much together! It’s great to have friends like Sasha.

— Do you know if Evgeny Kuznetsov will fly to Russia? What are his plans?

— I spoke to him recently. He doesn’t know yet.

— The passage in Carolina gave him a second wind. And you have a good time!

– Yes, we have been friends for a long time. We have a special relationship. I was glad to see him with the Hurricanes. I think he had the same emotions. Changing a team is never easy. But I hope that next season Kuznetsov will play well and will not have any problems. The adaptation has already taken place.

— So you flew to Novokuznetsk. Could a KHL club return to the city?

— “Lada” returned to the KHL and immediately made it to the playoffs. I really hope that Metallurg will return. It would be a big plus for the city. We have a strong hockey school, there are MHL and VHL clubs. Let’s see how everything goes.

More sports news in our telegram channel .