The loss of Magnitogorsk “Metallurgist” center forward Evgeni Malkin, who secretly left the team at Helsinki Airport, resembles an action-packed detective story. It features “people in black”, a private jet to America, perplexed fans and the promise of Magnitogorsk management to sue the fugitive with the Pittsburgh Penguins club. Izvestia correspondent Boris Titov on Monday evening asked for comment on the situation of hockey player’s father Vladimir Malkin.
Question : Vladimir Anatolyevich, two days have passed since the disappearance of your son. Did Zhenya get in touch with the house?
answer : He hasn’t called me yet. The wife says that she did not receive a signal, although the answering machine is always on. We wait.
Q: Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins club claim to have seen Eugene in a restaurant along with team owner Mario Lemieux and other hockey players.
A : I can confirm or deny this version only when I hear his voice. I do not exclude that he is already in America, as well as the fact that his son is still in Europe.
in : Restore the chain of events preceding the escape of Zhenya.
A: Almost all summer he was tormented by a sore leg. After two operations, the wound did not heal. Because of this, the son could not begin full-fledged pre-season training with Metallurg. And then the agents call almost every half an hour, describe how talented he is, persuade him to go to the States, and say that he is able to become an NHL star. He flew to Toronto in June, signed a contract with the Penguins. If a week ago, the club’s president and owner of MMK Viktor Rashnikov had not personally persuaded him to stay, he would not have entered into a new agreement with Metallurg.
Q: Did you have any psychological pressure during the meeting?
A: There was no pressure and no threats. A male conversation took place. Viktor Filippovich convincingly asked Eugene one more season to work for his native club, plant, city and the Russian team. He reminded that a new palace was being built specifically for the club, that the fans were waiting for the Metallurg season for the championship, and without it the team would have a hard time fighting for the first place. And Zhenya decided to stay.
Q: Why did he break his promise?
A: I myself still can not understand his act. But I don’t want to blame either. Very accurately his condition was expressed by agent Sergey Isakov, who said that Zhenya has been under hypnosis in recent days. And in general, on ice and in ordinary life, our son is like two different people. In the game, he is persistent and purposeful, and outside the site he is an ordinary young guy of twenty years old, carefully listening to the advice of strangers. They advised to run away, since the legal way fails.
Q : Are you not afraid that because of his act your family may have problems in his hometown?
A: I think it will not come to this. Most metallurgists are normal people. And no one is safe from chance and fools.
Q: To whom did Eugene leave his VIP-zone restaurant?
A: We are managing this business with my wife. There are still visitors.
Q: And when did you realize that a real diamond sparkled in your family?
A: Almost from the first steps of the son. I myself once played hockey and put Zhenya on ice skates at the age of three. He quickly progressed and already in childhood and adolescence he could beat a whole five of his rivals alone. Our eldest son Denis went to hockey after Eugene, but did not succeed. And Eugene became a star.
Who else from hockey players fled from Russia to the NHL
Alexander Mogilny
How it was. During the 1989 gold medal for our national team in Sweden, Mogilny escaped from the hotel where the Soviet delegation was located and asked Americans for political asylum, then left for the States.
What surfaced. The hockey player was first deprived of Soviet citizenship and declared a traitor, and a few years later they were allowed to obtain a Russian passport and after he was the first Russian legionnaire to become the best NHL scorer in the Buffalo Sabers club, he was considered a hero.
Sergey Fedorov
How it was. In 1990, he was “lost” in Portland, where the USSR team held an exhibition match before the summer Goodwill Games. The 20-year-old hockey player has been communicating with the leadership of the Detroit Red Wings NHL club for a year and decided it was time to try his hand overseas.
What surfaced. Fedorov made his brilliant debut as part of Detroit, becoming the prize winner of the league’s best newcomer and scoring the highest number of points among Russians - 79 (using the goal plus pass system).
Nikolay Zherdev
How it was. In December 2003, the 19-year-old striker of the CSKA hockey club, Nikolai Zherdev, unexpectedly requested an American visa in Ottawa to act as a member of the local Columbus Blue Jackets club.
What surfaced. Having spent several brilliant matches in the NHL, Zherdev essentially did not become a star of the first magnitude there, having arrived to “stay” during the lockout in CSKA. Now the 21-year-old striker has returned to Russia, in the Chemist near Moscow.
Boris TITOV