Igor: so he still needs an interpreter after 3 years here?

[The Worst One]

I know russians. They aren't very good at learning foreign languages. But there are some exceptions of course.

Nah, man. They simply do not want to learn another language. They want everyone to speak their language.

 

[TheRarestDangles]

Nah, man. They simply do not want to learn another language. They want everyone to speak their language.

Like most Americans?

 

[Taluss]

Don’t mind at all. It’s tough for some to learn a language, especially if they aren’t fully motivated to learn it.

 

[Kshahdoo]

He lives in NYC where there are more than 500k Russians. He doesn't need to speak English that much.

 

[The Worst One]

Like most Americans?

The same also applies to Americans.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

File this one under: who cares?

 

[Taluss]

If he continues to do his job on the ice that’s what NYR cares about most but he should probably learn the language for his teammates benefit.

There’s not really a great reason to not know enough 3 years in when you still need a translator. Also I don’t know Russian education but I know a lot of countries teach English growing up, similar to us where we have to pick Spanish or French.

3 years is not that long of a time to learn a language. Especially when Russian is a Slavic language and English isn’t. Makes it even harder to understand the grammar, alphabet, & on top of that learning all the words. That’s all really underrated at how difficult it is.

 

[2014nyr]

Hmm...on ESPN's game 7 NYR-Carolina game, I learned that Igor has been here about 3 years, yet still needs an interpreter. I don't closely follow the Rangers, so wasn't aware.

Is this disappointing, or only somewhat disappointing (if at all) to the Rangers, their fans and the NHL that any player, esp. a star, hasn't learned enough English after 3 years to engage in a quick intermission interview?

I realize some or many Russian NHL players (and maybe others?) have thick accents even after many years in North America, but after 3 years, don't most or all seem to be able to function in simple interviews without an interpreter?

Is this common in MLB or the NBA? I do recall interpreters, maybe even currently, in other sports, but isn't it usually for the player's first year or so, not three years later?

I am American, and sadly only know English despite foreign language courses in high school and even a few advanced French courses in college, decades ago. I do realize how hard it is as an adult to learn a new language if not immersed in it, which I never was. But hockey players are indeed immersed in English in the NHL, so isn't three years too long to still need an interpreter?

Any current pro stars in other North American sports require an interpreter?

...

Oh, and Canes fans never serenaded Igor tonight (or all series?) unlike Pens fans. They should have started at puck drop! No excuse.

what is this? i mean russian to english is one of the toughest language transitions in the world. but he does speak english and understand for the most part. he can effectively communicate he just isnt comfortable in media since he doesnt always catch every word of a question and im sure is terrified of speaking it because his english is imperfect and im sure he doesnt want to say something dumb or god forbid something that breaks one of 2022s rules. you see him talking to refs, teammates, and opponents on the ice though, so you can see it. panarin still uses a translator after how many years but also speaks english pretty well, just isnt comfortable on camera. sure theres others around the league, especially with russian with how different the languages are. some guys it comes more naturally too, and some are just uncomfortable speaking publicly in a different language or are until they feel fluent.

 

[Absolut]

Both Shesterkin and Panarin speak English. Some guys are ok with not being perfect when speaking a foreign language. Some guys want to make sure they can fully express themselves, and do so correctly. WHO CARES ANYWAY?

 

[beowulf]

He may simply not be comfortable enough with his ability to do an interview. What's more important is that he has enough english to be able to communicate with teammates.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Do you have any idea how hard it is to learn English? Also, maybe he’s been busy doing other things like becoming one of the leagues best players

 

[MoneyManny]

Hmm...on ESPN's game 7 NYR-Carolina game, I learned that Igor has been here about 3 years, yet still needs an interpreter. I don't closely follow the Rangers, so wasn't aware.

Is this disappointing, or only somewhat disappointing (if at all) to the Rangers, their fans and the NHL that any player, esp. a star, hasn't learned enough English after 3 years to engage in a quick intermission interview?

I realize some or many Russian NHL players (and maybe others?) have thick accents even after many years in North America, but after 3 years, don't most or all seem to be able to function in simple interviews without an interpreter?

Is this common in MLB or the NBA? I do recall interpreters, maybe even currently, in other sports, but isn't it usually for the player's first year or so, not three years later?

I am American, and sadly only know English despite foreign language courses in high school and even a few advanced French courses in college, decades ago. I do realize how hard it is as an adult to learn a new language if not immersed in it, which I never was. But hockey players are indeed immersed in English in the NHL, so isn't three years too long to still need an interpreter?

Any current pro stars in other North American sports require an interpreter?

...

Oh, and Canes fans never serenaded Igor tonight (or all series?) unlike Pens fans. They should have started at puck drop! No excuse.

I speak 3 languages fluently and 3 years to learn a language isn't much, immersed or not. Especially if you come from a super foreign language structure such as Russian.

It's not as if hockey players were known to be smart.

Didn't Stephen A Smith go on a rant last year about how Shohei Ohtani in baseball needed an interpreter too?

 

[MoneyManny]

If he continues to do his job on the ice that’s what NYR cares about most but he should probably learn the language for his teammates benefit.

There’s not really a great reason to not know enough 3 years in when you still need a translator. Also I don’t know Russian education but I know a lot of countries teach English growing up, similar to us where we have to pick Spanish or French.

So since you've learned spanish and french at school, you're probably comfortable having a full public discussion in front of an extremely large audience in either language right?

10 bucks you have trouble forming a sentence in either language. Why expect more from other people?

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

If Igor knows "One on!" and "Wheel!", he's all set.

 

[Icarium]

Makes it even harder to understand the grammar, alphabet, & on top of that learning all the words. That’s all really underrated at how difficult it is.

This is the second time I see people mentioning alphabets in this thread. Please stop it. Every literate person in countries with Cyrillic alphabet knows the Latin alphabet too. It's not an impediment to learning foreign languages in the slightest. The shitty education systems in some of these countries, however...

Not that anyone should be giving a f*** in this particular case, mind you, clearly Shesterkin's teammates understand him just fine and all interviews of hockey players are a waste of time anyway, interpreter or no interpreter.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

He's here to play hockey , not doing interviews in english.

Andrei Markov was like 20 years in Montreal and still was barely speaking english.

Thats my PoV

 

[SeanAveryTheGreatOne]

Hmm...on ESPN's game 7 NYR-Carolina game, I learned that Igor has been here about 3 years, yet still needs an interpreter. I don't closely follow the Rangers, so wasn't aware.

Is this disappointing, or only somewhat disappointing (if at all) to the Rangers, their fans and the NHL that any player, esp. a star, hasn't learned enough English after 3 years to engage in a quick intermission interview?

I realize some or many Russian NHL players (and maybe others?) have thick accents even after many years in North America, but after 3 years, don't most or all seem to be able to function in simple interviews without an interpreter?

Is this common in MLB or the NBA? I do recall interpreters, maybe even currently, in other sports, but isn't it usually for the player's first year or so, not three years later?

I am American, and sadly only know English despite foreign language courses in high school and even a few advanced French courses in college, decades ago. I do realize how hard it is as an adult to learn a new language if not immersed in it, which I never was. But hockey players are indeed immersed in English in the NHL, so isn't three years too long to still need an interpreter?

Any current pro stars in other North American sports require an interpreter?

...

Oh, and Canes fans never serenaded Igor tonight (or all series?) unlike Pens fans. They should have started at puck drop! No excuse.

If it means avoiding American media and the weirdo extreme politics they force into everything, I wouldn't learn the language either.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

If it means avoiding American media and the weirdo extreme politics they force into everything, I wouldn't learn the language either.

...yeah, that's it.

 

[Stuzchuk]

English is a very hard language to learn

I seriously hope that this was a sarcasm...

 

[God]

Soccer players move around Europe all the time and aren't expected to learn the language of the country in which they play. I feel like this is only ever brought up in North America for English, and to a lesser extent the Montreal media with their francophone 'requirements' for a GM.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Hmm...on ESPN's game 7 NYR-Carolina game, I learned that Igor has been here about 3 years, yet still needs an interpreter. I don't closely follow the Rangers, so wasn't aware.

Is this disappointing, or only somewhat disappointing (if at all) to the Rangers, their fans and the NHL that any player, esp. a star, hasn't learned enough English after 3 years to engage in a quick intermission interview?

I realize some or many Russian NHL players (and maybe others?) have thick accents even after many years in North America, but after 3 years, don't most or all seem to be able to function in simple interviews without an interpreter?

Is this common in MLB or the NBA? I do recall interpreters, maybe even currently, in other sports, but isn't it usually for the player's first year or so, not three years later?

I am American, and sadly only know English despite foreign language courses in high school and even a few advanced French courses in college, decades ago. I do realize how hard it is as an adult to learn a new language if not immersed in it, which I never was. But hockey players are indeed immersed in English in the NHL, so isn't three years too long to still need an interpreter?

Any current pro stars in other North American sports require an interpreter?

...

Oh, and Canes fans never serenaded Igor tonight (or all series?) unlike Pens fans. They should have started at puck drop! No excuse.

Have you ever tried to learn a new language? And got to the level where clearly understood my native speakers?

 

[Hockeyholic]

Vladimir Guerrero Sr never spoke a lick of english. 15 years in MLB.

I do wonder if the translator is there to support him besides media interviews. For instance, when he communicates with english speaking teammates in the locker room or at dinners.

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Why?

So he can sniffle and say “pucks in deep” 14 times?

Who cares

 

[Price is Wright]

He's here to play hockey , not doing interviews in english.

Andrei Markov was like 20 years in Montreal and still was barely speaking english.

Thats my PoV

All that matters to me is that his teammates understand him. If the team is fine using a translator that's okay to me. There's a lot of technology and resources now that players in the 70s and 80s didn't have.

I think players should make an effort to speak the language of their fans but all I'm asking is an effort.

 

[Dr Pepper]

I think Ichiro went around 20 years in MLB with an interpreter, either because he never bothered to learn conversational English or because it thought it was funny to troll the reporters at all times.

If IGOR follows that same path, you'd be foolish to hold it against him. His English is still no doubt worlds better than my Russian, anyway.