Arseniy Gritsyuk has already entered the history of Russian hockey because he gave up a significant part of his salary – just so that Evgeny Kuznetsov could play for SKA. According to insiders, Gritsyuk’s salary has been reduced, while Arseniy could receive much more if the team wins the Gagarin Cup.
But it’s not just about money. Gritsyuk is one of the most exciting young forwards in the league. It’s always interesting to talk to him, which is what we did at SKA’s open day in Novogorsk.
“I want to gain experience from Kuznetsov”
— What do you think about a SKA partner like Evgeny Kuznetsov?
– And you took a picture of me right on the field, where we were training. I will now post this photo on social networks, where I am next to my childhood idol.
This is a very important moment for me. When Zhenya first arrived, we happened to go out for a walk together. You can see right away that the guy is gifted, that he is equipped a little differently. He has a very high level and I want to remember some details and moments from him. I will try to work with him more. Kuznetsov has already seen a lot. I think he can teach us a lot. And give us a lot of experience as a team.
— You became the hero of the summer when you donated the lion’s share of your salary so that SKA could sign Kuznetsov. A unique case! But what really happened?
— There was an option for Kuznetsov to come to our team. And it turned out that I agreed to a pay cut. This is probably a good thing for the club. And I hope that in a year it will come back to me. Because I think I could leave. And so that everything goes well.
— Is it true that if SKA wins the Gagarin Cup, you will receive even more than originally planned?
– Certainly. God willing, we will become champions this year. You see what kind of reinforcement has come to us. So many experienced guys from CSKA, two NHL players – Kuznetsov and Nikita Zaitsev. If we reach the trophy, I think that in the end I will be able to earn a little more than I could earn under the contract.
“The Cooper test was the hardest I’ve ever had”
— You are in very good shape. They have become one of the best in the Cooper test, when you have to run 3 km faster than 12 minutes. How did you prepare this summer?
– Actually, the Cooper test was the hardest for me in the world, in my life. I have only performed it a few times. Once, it was last summer. I barely passed. And this year I ran with Khairula (Marat Khairullin), Glot (Vasily Glotov) and Tolchok (Sergei Tolchinsky). And here I am, I got up at their pace. And it is easy for me to run when the boys are leading, and you run and fight with your head. Because the legs seem to work, breathing is still working. But the leader says: “It is already too hard, let’s stop.” And you told him: “No, the boys are running, and I will run too.”
I ran well, in 11:34 this year. I am happy with my results. And now I want to get on the ice quickly, because SKA is a strong team. I want to start this work in which everyone demands the maximum from themselves and their partners. We have such a team that you really want to work for it.
— You said you could leave in a year. How interested are the people of New Jersey in you?
— We called each other several times during the summer. We were just discussing my plan for next year and what I plan to do in the next offseason. It is clear that they are still interested in me. But I do not really understand their interest yet. My agent Shumi Babaev is more in touch with them. Of course, if there is interest from the NHL, I would like to go there and try myself in this league. And if they are not particularly interested in me, we will decide next summer.
“What they are doing for Michkov in Philadelphia is great”
— What do you need to improve next season to reach the NHL level?
— I skated at a camp at the Arktika complex, where many NHL guys came. You always see where they are stronger and what they are better at. I think everyone has their own qualities. Basically, Yegor Chinakhov has a crazy shot. Marcello (Kirill Marchenko) skated with us, and it is clear that his dribbling is at the highest level. There were also defenders – Sergach (Mikhail Sergachev), Sanya Romanov. You look at them, they are the same guys. But each one surprises you with something of his own. The defenders, of course, are at a high level in skating, they work a lot on it this summer.
I understand that next summer I will have to slightly modify my season preparation. Because in the NHL, there are no pre-season camps, in mid-September you are just preparing for training camp. In general, yes, I understand roughly in which direction I have to go.
— What is the style of “New Jersey” now? This team was led by Sheldon Keefe, who was called up from Toronto.
— To be honest, I don’t really understand yet what kind of team it is. However, you need to spend at least some time with the team to understand what’s going on inside. By last names – yes, there’s a good composition there. And now an interesting forward, Michael MacLeod, who played in New Jersey for the last four seasons, is coming to our league in Barys. Chinakhov told me about him that he’s just a crazy center, at the end of games he always comes out for throw-ins. I’m interested in playing against Barys to see him in action. And he played a lot for the Devils. Yes, on the third and fourth lines, but Chinach says MacLeod has done a lot of work. How does he move? How does he think on the ice? Playing against him is something that interests me a lot.
— Do you watch highlights of New Jersey games?
— I mostly watch when our vacations start. It gets harder to do that as the season goes on, and in the playoffs, it’s almost impossible. I hope I’ll watch more clips of the Devils’ highlights now. But I’ll be honest, I’ve never watched full games.
— Are you surprised that Matvey Michkov has never played in the NHL and is greeted at the airport like a prince, with the general manager carrying his hockey sticks behind him?
– Yes, yes, it’s very cool. It’s amazing to see this in Russia. Now Zhenya Kuznetsov came to us, and it’s clear that there is also a lot of enthusiasm around him. But he is an honored guy, everyone knows him. And then Mitch came to America. Yes, he is their hope, the seventh pick in the draft. But what they are doing for Matvey in Philadelphia is great. For a young boy, to experience this is priceless. You immediately understand how much they count on you. Of course, it’s inspiring. God grant that everything goes well for Michkov in the NHL.
– Will it work?
— Mitch is the tip of the attack, which will appear especially often in moments when you need to decide the outcome of the match or take non-standard actions.
It is clear that he is unlikely to do a job that requires a lot of energy and emotions. But if you give him the puck, he knows what to do with it. You just need to give Michkov competent partners who understand that he is not particularly fast. But on an area of a few square centimeters, he can twist a defender and create a dangerous moment for his teammates.
— Did you easily integrate into the work routine? What will your life in St. Petersburg be like now?
– Yes, okay. I already know Peter, I stopped by the apartment. Before that, I flew on vacation and visited Omsk a little. With the new KHL schedule, we will have a schedule with more days off. And I will change my preparation between matches a little. There will now be more time for gym and physical training. And the day before the match, I will give up hard work and prepare for the match. We have an adult team, a friendly team. I believe that we will become one and everything will work out for us.
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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.
