"Columbus" constantly tried to conclude a contract, even after the removal "
- When did the discord in your relationship with Blue Jackets come about and what was the starting point?
- Probably after the playoffs with Washington. I do not want to delve into the dirty laundry, for me this is an inverted page, now I look forward, my heart belongs to Florida. As for Columbus, I am grateful to both the guys and the organizations for the seven years I have spent there. We had both ups and downs. All that was, that was. We shook hands with the general manager, with the head coach and our paths diverged.
- Was there any chance for you to extend the contract with the club?
- To be honest, no. I felt that I needed a change. This is not only because of the friction with the club or the team, my heart just said that it was time to open new horizons.
- Was it difficult to withstand last season - all the attacks of journalists, daily questions, negotiations?
- Psychologically it was hard, especially at the beginning of the season. It was not a comfortable situation, there were conflicts within the team, a lot of meetings, meetings because of me, disqualification, there were still a few stories. But, I am a professional, I worked in good faith on myself and tried to win every game.
- Do you regret that you said before the beginning of the training camp that you might leave the club? The same Panarin never directly said that he would not renew the contract with Columbus, and they did not pressure him so.
- Artemy also hinted that there would be no more in the summer. Maybe I got more, but I was honest with myself. I told the management after the 2017/18 season that I wouldn’t stay at the club, they didn’t react to that, on the contrary, they began to talk more about contract renewal. Of course, you might think why I created the problem for myself by informing everyone in advance about the solution. But, on the other hand, I am such a person, honestly informed about my plans and did not play any backstage games. It would be harder for me to look in the mirror if I told everyone that I would stay first, and at the end I was leaving.
In January, everyone was struck by the incident when you were not declared for the match with Nashville, arguing that you could not meet the values and standards of Columbus. How did you perceive that situation and what was your reaction to it?
- You know, for me it was funny. And the press release was some kind of frivolous, and in general the whole situation seemed funny to me. Yes, I acted emotionally in that situation.
- Are you talking about the episode when you left the bench after replacing the match with “Tampa”?
- Yes. Attitude leaves its mark. On that trip we played with “Caroline”, I was changed when the score was 1: 3. Moreover, the rolls were 25-8 in favor of the opponent, they constantly played in our zone. Usually, when the score is 1: 3, the goalkeeper does not change. Tortorella does not change the goalkeeper at all, even with the score 4: 0, gives play. This is a plus and a minus for him - when eight are scored, he does not change. Haha And there it is time. With a score of 1: 3 replacement for me was wild. But okay, he endured, did not react at all. In the next match, we beat Florida, and then there was the game with Tampa. I scored the fourth goal, until the end remained eight minutes, and after the replacement I went to the locker room. Plus, we should not forget that not everything was smooth before this trip.
- There were rumors that the club publicly told about the incident, so that you remove the point on the ban on exchange. Is it so?
- The most interesting thing is that the club constantly tried to conclude a new contract with me. Even after this situation there have been attempts. About the item on the ban on exchange, why should I take it off? I worked for this status, I trained a lot. Why should I refuse this item and allow the club to exchange me where they want? It was not profitable for me, so I didn’t understand the logic of Columbus for a bit.
“Your agent, Paul Theophanos, then flew to the meeting with Jarmo Kekäläinen.” Just had a discussion of this incident?
- I think they talked about this situation and the future. The temperature there was quite high. Especially in this period. There was plenty of stress.
“With Tortorella more than once there were hilarious conversations on high tones”
- How did you manage to make the best playoffs in your career after so much stress?
- After the deadline, when nothing could be changed, the situation was discharged. We had a series of defeats in March, we couldn’t get to the playoff zone until the last moment, we had to mobilize all forces. Plus, I kept in mind the Columbus fans, who were nothing to do with, for their sake it was necessary to play decently.
- Are you proud of how you played this playoff?
- The goalkeeper is always in sight. Sometimes he gets the most criticism, and sometimes more than all the glory. But hockey is a team game. No goalkeeper will look great if the team in front of him does not play well in defense. I would note all the guys, they were all great: they fought hard, closed the most dangerous guys from Tampa (Kucherov, Stemkos), allowing me to focus on one roll. A reliable game in defense relaxes the goalkeeper’s head, it becomes calmer. It happened to me.
- When I spoke with the Russian guys from Tampa, they said that they were not ready for the playoffs, and the Columbus players went hungry to win. Did it help you get past your favorite?
- Do not forget that we have been fighting for the last month, we all had games like in the playoffs. “Tampa” for the month knew that it would be the first, and for us every point was worth its weight in gold. I think it left its mark. Plus, all the pressure was on them, well, I do not detract from the merits of our guys who deserve to win. We all rallied. It was a memorable victory.
“This is the best I've seen in his performance since I work here. And it certainly happened at a very important time, ”such a compliment was from Tortorella. Were such words important from you to the coach, who rarely says good things about his players?
- Torts has its advantages and disadvantages. He is what he is. Impulsive. He says he thinks. At its position, it behaves as it considers correct. There were moments when, in the regular season, he praised. There were moments when he criticized, could do it at a press conference or in the locker room with a team. I did not agree with his opinion and because of this we often had cheerful conversations on high tones.
- Did you have any friction because of this?
- We had different situations, but I do not want to take it out of the locker room.
“Did Tortorella have this to everyone?”
- He behaves with everyone like that. If he does not like the behavior of a player, then he will put pressure on him. But he has many advantages. It was with the arrival of Tortsa that the team began to play in a new way. He set discipline. He demanded the maximum from each player. We began to constantly go to the playoffs. He is also a subtle psychologist and a very strong motivator.
After the series with “Washington” there was talk that you need a psychologist. You then reacted very keenly to this. You do not need a psychologist?
- Not that sharp. It was just strange for me. It's one thing when you are criticized from the outside, people from the outside, and another thing when your own club is raising a wave of criticism in your address. From the age of 21 I have my own psychologist, my physiotherapist, and so on. Every season I surrender to the maximum. And the statements of Columbus showed their insecurity in me. Of course, I did not like it. In general, I am good about constructive criticism, but when do people put a finger at you and try to justify themselves to the fans, instead of supporting them? This position is incomprehensible to me, especially since we are sailing further in the same boat for the next season.
- Did firing goalkeeping coach Ian Clark spoil your relationship with the club too? You did not want him to leave. - I don’t know what happened to the club with the coach, they didn’t explain to me, and I couldn’t influence the situation.
“Originally wanted to go to one club with Panarin”
- In Columbus, Panarin was lured by free vodka and dentistry. Sad that billboards didn't prepare for you? - No, people in Columbus treated me very well and paid me enough attention. Therefore, I was absolutely normal about this, was happy for him and laughed with everyone.
- Did you really at a certain stage want to go with Panarin to one club?
- Yes, we initially had such thoughts. But again, life has put everything in its place. I think we both did the right thing. Artemy is happy at the Rangers, and I'm at Florida.