- You really failed to play in America. Problems of adaptation in the team?
“There were no problems with that.” The guys supported, helped. Yes, and communication was quite simple. The language barrier was not so high.
- Joked with partners?
- Why not? They will say something, I will answer something.
- From Ottawa you were exchanged to Phoenix. Experts say that the coyotes deliberately went for it. Like, in the manner of the game you resemble Wayne Gretzky. So he took a hockey player who looked like him.
“I don’t think that Gretzky noticed something in me.” I am very far from him. I can’t even imagine who compared us to this.
- After the NHL, it was probably difficult to get used to the Russian championship again?
“I won’t say that I felt freer and more confident here.” If only because it hadn’t been stewed before. But, of course, I felt the difference. In America, hockey is faster. Everyone always runs forward. Our style is different, combinational. There are peals when we select the puck and prepare something new. Everyone knows where to roll. And in the NHL they are constantly throwing on goal. Apparently, this is due to the small size of the sites. Sometimes such crazy throws come in that you grab your head. This does not happen in Russia. Yes, it would never occur to us to threaten from such positions!
- In your absence, Metallurg survived not the best days. Now, everything seems to be working out ...
- I do not think that the team’s problems were related to my departure. The guys had a hard time. There was psychological stress. The coach did not understand hockey players, and they did not understand him. A common language was not found. Apparently, because of this, King resigned. And in such cases, the team spends several matches not emotions.
- A few matches. But not the whole circle!
- It happened. There was a pit, and then the guys got together and started pushing for their own. Now everything is ok.
- Although it’s too early to talk about stability. At Vityaz, for example, you only won in overtime. Not easily defeated Dynamo. But this is the fifteenth and fourteenth teams of the country.
- It's not about stability, but in every single game. We showed good hockey in these matches, but we did not realize many points. Vityaz is an uncomfortable opponent for us. And after “Dynamo” they played both 5 on 4 and 5 on 3. But they didn’t score, got nervous and started to foul themselves in simple situations. Because of this, it has become so tense. Dynamo really wanted to recoup, pressed us, but goalkeeper Scott acted without errors.
- There also the judge Vyacheslav Bulanov was nervous. Do you have a complaint to him?
- There is. But such claims exist after each game. I will not say that he influenced the outcome of the match. If you play at your level, then no referee will interfere.
- To see three thousand spectators at the games in Moscow after the NHL is probably quite sad?
- In Moscow it’s not good to go to hockey, I agree. But in America, by the way, the situation is not always perfect. Canada is a hockey country, they worship this game there. But you will come to some Boston, so the stands there are also half empty.
Alexey Shevchenko