Stanley Cup winner and forward SKA Evgeny Kuznetsov admitted that he had long wanted to return to Russia from North America.
SKA announced on Wednesday that it has signed Kuznetsov to a four-year contract.
— We were very tired, it took 30 hours to get there. I read on the Internet that I have an apartment and everything else, it turns out. There is really nothing. Therefore, there are many things that need to be resolved in a few days, so that you can calmly go to the training camp and leave your family behind.
— You played abroad for 10 years, now you are returning to the KHL. Have you followed the development of hockey in Russia?
– Certainly. I understand. In principle, I know who plays and how, I know many players. Maybe they will be surprised, but to be honest, I have long wanted to return with great pleasure. I hope everything works out. Now we need to improve our daily life faster and focus on training, work, the team and the game.
— How did you decide to join the club?
“It was quite a difficult decision. We thought and thought. As a result, many factors came together and the balance tipped in Peter’s favour. I hope it’s the right decision.
— Did the players write? Did they say anything?
– No. I really couldn’t even write to anyone. And there is no one for housing. If you ask one person, everyone will start chatting. I talked with Nikita Zaitsev. He was probably the first to know about it; we have been friends since we were 17. It is the most pleasant feeling to be with him, to “smother” him a little.
“I wish everyone a successful season. Be patient, not every match will go the way we want. There is only one goal: we will try to win every match,” Kuznetsov said in a video posted on the SKA Telegram channel.
Kuznetsov graduated from Chelyabinsk Traktor. For the team, he played 251 games in the KHL and scored 167 points (78 goals and 89 assists). He made his NHL debut in March 2014 and won the Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018. In March of this year, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. In total, he played 743 games in the NHL regular championships and recorded 575 points (173+402); in the playoffs, he scored 73 points (33+40) in 97 games.
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Source : MatchTV
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