Today, at CSKA Arena, the “Match of the Year” will take place, in which hockey players from the KHL and NHL will play. will broadcast this match live from 14:30 (Moscow time). And the day before, we were interviewed by Mikhail Sergachev, who came up with the idea of such a meeting. The hockey player told whether it is planned to hold an all-star game every year, how he reacted to the trade from Tampa to Utah and how to play against Evgeny Kuznetsov, who is about to return to Russia.
“Thanks to the organizers, it’s a real effort”
— Are you surprised that the idea of the “Match of the Year”, which literally appeared on the knee, has now gained such momentum? Tickets sold out in one day, there was a big rush, a lot of brands.
– Actually, yes. When we came up with this idea, I didn’t think there would be so much noise. I would like to say a huge thank you to the players. They all responded quickly and came together. It’s very cool that the guys jumped in like that, canceled their deal, changed their tickets and played.
And a big thank you to the organizers. This is equestrian work. I am present in all the chats and I see that the guys are constantly going to the arena to bring something, take it away, organize something. There are zoom calls every day. My friend and employee of the social project “Sector 98” simply did not sleep last night. Because you have to send tickets, communicate with the players, organize a match.
It’s something unreal! I see a huge response and love from the fans. I’m very inspired by it.
— Is it planned that the “Match of the Year” will become an annual event? And it will not be only Moscow.
– Yes, of course. Our plans are to organize games in different cities in order to attract as many people as possible to hockey and to show all our stars. And I would like to do that every year.
“I put the house up for sale even before the exchange”
—Your trade from Tampa to Utah came like a bolt from the blue. I only saw one of your reactions, as you said: “I was taking out the trash at the time when I found out.” But I want details!
— I was in Moscow. My agent called me and handed the phone to the general manager of Tampa. And he made his speech. I also made a speech to him. We thanked each other. That’s the whole exchange. Then the general manager, the coach and the players of Utah started calling me. And I understood that I was already in another club.
— Did the trash can fall out of your hands?
“My agent Dan Milstein called and said, ‘Sit down.’ ‘I can’t. I’m on the street.’ It wasn’t really a shock, actually.
– After all, nothing suggested it.
– Like it was announced. I thought this: Either me or two other guys would be traded. Because Tampa’s payroll had to be settled.
– Under whom?
— At first I thought it was for Steven Stamkos. Now I see it under Jake Guentzel. But it’s not my business anymore. I don’t care who they sign. Now it’s Tampa’s desire and business. I think sharing is good for everyone.
— Is there any resentment left?
– No. So what? It’s a business first. I knew where I was playing. And the NHL is not about love. It’s just money, organizations, bosses. There can be no offense here.
— Don’t you think that two terrible injuries let you down? That’s why the season went badly, the statistics weren’t the same and you were traded.
— My stats are normal — 19 (2+17) points in 34 games. Generally good. I can’t speculate on what the GM was thinking. That’s their business. But I recovered from my injuries, made the playoffs and showed I was ready to play. I don’t think my trade had anything to do with injuries.
— But you just furnished your dream house in Tampa. What should we do with it now?
— Actually, we put the house up for sale even before the exchange.
– For what?
– Because it’s too big for us. We realized that the three of us didn’t need such a house.
— You immediately went to Utah. For what?
— First of all, I wanted to look at houses. To arrive in your finished house in September. However, it is difficult with a small child. If we had to stay in a hotel, do we have to cook or is there a bathtub in the hotel? There are many nuances in everyday life.
They called me from Utah and said, ‘Please fly out by Friday. We’re going to have a two-way game between the kids.’ I got there, got introduced to the fans, got shown around the arena and the whole city. And I just had a blast.
— Salt Lake City will be playing in the NHL for the first time. What got you hooked?
– Something very clean. All the people I talked to on the street were very nice and helpful. It’s like that everywhere in the United States. Except New York, probably. Because there, everyone goes shopping, like in Moscow. It’s a characteristic of big cities.
But I really liked the cleanliness. How people take care of their city, how they clean the streets and care about order. In general, it’s not New York, it’s a little dirtier. But Utah is super great. From home, the canyon is only 10 minutes away. Ski resorts, nature, beauty! I don’t ski myself, of course. But it’s still cool.
— Who did you meet in Utah? Who impressed you?
— Dmitry Simashev — we just talked before their rookie match. Damn, the whole defense of the youngsters, I admired them. I thought I was pretty tall myself with a height of 190 cm. And there, in general, all the grenadiers are two meters. Powerful and everything is going well. It was interesting to watch them. And Simashev is a nice guy.
“Kuznetsov is like Shipachev in the KHL, but faster”
— The Olympic Games are about to begin in Paris. What do you think of her?
“I’m interested and I’m going to watch it.” Swimming first. Because we swim every week, it’s part of our preparation for the season. It’s a crazy sport. What energy it takes!
Running, especially the marathon, is generally very interesting… The Olympics are for me the triumph of sport in absolute terms. The same basketball team Dream Team. The best athletes gather. Unfortunately, our guys do not participate.
— There will be 15 people in neutral status.
— But it is not about 336 Russian athletes, like in Tokyo. I would like everyone to play. Many athletes are just preparing for the Olympics. It is like the playoffs for me. Very disappointing. But I think ours will perform well in the future.
— Evgeny Kuznetsov returns to Russia. What is your reaction?
– Exactly? I saw that his contract with Carolina was terminated. This is a very unexpected event. And I don’t know if he will sign in Russia. Maybe Kuznetsov will stay in the United States. His transfer to the KHL is just a rumor for now.
But if Evgeniy finally comes to Russia, it will be a triumph for the fans. Player of the highest level. It’s a pleasure to watch him. You’ve seen his highlights.
— How can a defender play against him?
— I haven’t played against Kuznetsov that often. But you have to be closer to him. Don’t let him go out, pass the ball. We know he doesn’t score very well. He gives more, like Vadim Shipachev in the KHL. But he skates a little faster.
For KHL fans, it will be just a bomb if Kuzya arrives. He is always at a high level. A very interesting player who can teach the guys a lot.
The meeting between the stars of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and the National Hockey League (NHL) will take place on Saturday in Moscow and will start at 15:00. Watch the live broadcast of the match from 14:30 on the channel, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
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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.
