AFTER NEW YORK - CHERRER. And WHAT?
- The season at you has ended for a long time, and in a national team you have arrived not at once.
"I was at home in Cherepovets."
- After New York - Cherepovets?
- And what? I missed my family, the dog. You would have seen me meet a labrador! It is a pity that it was impossible to transport it across the ocean, but, perhaps, in the next season everything will grow together.
- I would love to. I looked carefully at your club after you suddenly decided to "reboot" and you were removed all the tasks for the season. I expected to see a fun, crazy game, but nothing like that happened. Both from partners, and from your side.
- We began to play strange. The combinations changed daily, sometimes it seemed to me that they were created in a random way, as the cards from the deck get out. In addition, we did not have a very good calendar. Most often we fell under the contenders, who are fighting for a place in the playoffs. With us, all the tasks were removed. Twenty points of separation from the eight. It was difficult to adjust. Played as it goes.
- You played a couple of matches in the center. At least, everyone in the protocol was defined as the central striker.
- So I never played in the center, and I wanted to try. Maybe they did not trust me. We had a deficit of players, but from the "Hartford" raised two guys. In my link
Vladislav Namestnikov played in the center.
- Your head coach Alain Vinho was fired very unusual. In the morning he said that he would not be dismissed, and in the evening it happened. Did you feel that changes are coming?
"I did not feel anything." But in fact it turns out that if the organization decided to start perestroika, then it should be in all lines, including in coaching. But with the players such questions are not discussed at all. We learned from the news.
- Did it surprise you that the reboot started at all?
- Yes. The leadership, of course, is more visible, but at that moment there were only three points to the playoffs.
- Did you somehow explain?
- They said that there is a feeling that this team will not win the Cup. And in the playoffs go out ... Seven or eight years, "Rangers" falls into the playoffs and does not go beyond the second round. It is necessary to change something.
- After such words it was possible not to strain especially.
- It's different. In the same place there was some time before deadline and everyone experienced, will exchange them or will leave. It was hard to even think about hockey. You wake up and watch the news, you constantly update the tape. Left at the club? Have not left?
"It seemed to me that agents could certainly warn you, there are rumors or not.
"What about the agents?" I'll tell you how they exchanged JT Miller, and in fact there were not any rumors about him at all. Not the slightest. We fly to Vancouver, there is a wy-fie - the whole team looks at how trades go. Perhaps, only Miller did not look. And then the news - JT was exchanged.
"Right on the plane?"
- Yeah, we fly to Vancouver and he's no longer allowed to enter the bus to get to the hotel. I had to go to the hotel by taxi and there to wait for the return flight.
- That's great.
"So if there were no rumors about me, it did not mean anything at all." When it was over, everyone sighed. After all, after the deadline, we won four games in a row.
RUSSIAN-CANADIAN FIGHT IN NEW YORK: STAMKOS STOOD UP FOR KUCHEROV
AFTER OVERLOADING, I HAVE NOTHING
- I still do not understand how to evaluate your season. It seems to me that you have become more confident, but the playing time has not increased.
- The game time is not my question. It was hard. Have you seen any of my games?
- Many.
"Because everything depends on my confidence. When you do not think that the error will lead to consequences in the form of a reduction in playing time, then it is much easier for me. But everything turned out differently. A couple of matches you are doing well, in the third you do not show yourself and instantly find yourself in the fourth link with a five-minute playing time. It's hard. Moreover, you are still told, they say, where are your qualities, show me. And you're doing ten minutes with the majority on the ice.
- Yeah.
- I am very pleased with how the championship began. But after rebooting, I did not succeed at all. But I already explained why this happened. You are constantly sitting frightened, you do not know what awaits you in an hour.
- How did you build relations with the head coach?
- Yes, he did not talk to the players. Something to me at the meetings talked about the "fight for the puck", but that's all. Once I was on the rostrum, although I did not understand the reason. There was a strange moment. If the team conceded, then in the third period I played a lot. And if she won, then all the time I sat on the bench.
- Why do you think?
- I think that these are stereotypes about Russian players. Type, if you are from Russia, you do not know how to play on the defensive. But it seems to me so. At the end of the season, I was entered into the minority.
- How did it fit in?
- When combinations are announced, then the links are called for the majority, for the minority.
- And you played in the minority.
- That's just the point, that no. The team plays half the period in the minority, I'm inscribed in the second stream, but never once appeared on the ice.
- Here you come home, hugged the dog, went with her to walk. For sure, thought, but how did I play something this season.
- And there is no unequivocal assessment. Probably, after a concussion and a "reset", I looked unimportant.
- This season you have had two fights. I did not expect this from you.
- The rivals are the same as me, from my weight class.
- But you clearly understood that you are not fighting with any Reeves or Bieksa.
- Yes, did not look at all. I did not offer anyone to fight, everything turned out spontaneously. Take the match with
"Philadelphia" . He played against the opponent in the body, but he did not like it.
- It was Shane Gostisber .
- Yeah, he tells me: "Let's fight." Well, I think, come on. I really got it from the doctor. I'm just after a concussion and get into a fight. I come to the locker room, and he to me: "What are you doing?".
- And the truth.
- Yes, with "Philadelphia" always such cuts. True, then everyone laughed at the fight. Type, met two heavyweights.
Gira drove up and said: "You're a heavyweight champion." In general, these fights are so calmly treated there. Do you remember we fought
Steven Stamkos ?
- Still would.
- In the third period on the change, he is interested in my state. I answer that it is normal, in the answer I ask, that at it or him. Stephen says, but something's neck aches. Maybe I tore my skin. There is no such anger, like, yes you're going to die here, but I'll wait for you after the game.
- Not everyone will fight with Stamkos. Star.
"I did not initiate." Although the moment was really serious. I sometimes wedge in my head - in the game with
"Tampa" was just such a case. I played very hard against
Nikita Kucherov . No, I did not want to hurt him, nothing like that, but he played hard. Stephen intervened.
- And what are you?
- Yes, I was without a washer, and
McDonough hit me . Well, I answered. It's good that Nikita did not suffer.
KOVALCHUK AGREED WITH THE "RANGERS". IN THE NHL, HE WILL RECEIVE SIX MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR
I REMOVE AN APARTMENT FOR SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS
"How is your English now?"
- I've known all the hockey terms since the first season. It was difficult to communicate. But now I pulled it up, although I'm not doing the right phrases, I sometimes confuse words. But now everything is much better. I can already chat outside the locker room. Even
Henrik Lundqvist was somehow surprised: "Wow, you speak English". We began to communicate more, and with other guys too. But we, the Europeans, are still somehow more together.
"You do not call for Russia?"
"They're afraid." Listen, I myself am surprised, but for them, until now, Russia is something terrible, up to a bear with a balalaika and a bottle of vodka.
- Come on!
- And video in social networks, some wild incidents show. They think that we have this everywhere. The same Mats Zukarello, when he played in Magnitogorsk, almost got into a fight on the street. All are afraid.
"Do you still live in Manhattan?"
- It's big. Just before I lived closer to the center, and there is very noisy. Near the police station and a feeling that at six in the morning the shooting began. Sirens, squealing brakes. Now moved to another place, near the area where there were twin towers.
- How much do you rent an apartment?
- Is it worth it to say? I'm telling my father about the cost of housing, he always spoils the mood.
"Tell me."
"Seven thousand dollars." It's a little cozy, but the prices in New York are just awful. My partners, however, are being removed for much more serious money.
- Maybe in another area to move?
- Yes, and spend on the road for two or three hours in one direction?
- I know that for some of our hockey players it is important who will be the coach of the team. Are you worried about this?
- I'm not worried at all. In the sense that I have another year of contract and I still need to hold it in the Rangers. The meaning of this thinking?
What is it like living in the capital of the world?
- You know, I really like it. I like to walk along the Hudson's embankment, there are always some scenes from famous films being shot. Only in the winter uncomfortable. The wind is terrible. But I really like it.
- In the first year there was a big problem in that you lived alone.
- Now my girlfriend came. She was three months old, and then she had to leave the US and re-enter. But until the end of the regular season there was a month, and everyone already understood that we did not get into the playoffs. So she stayed to wait for me at home.
- In the "Rangers" there were other Russians. It became cheerful.
- Much more fun.
The governors came to us,
Alexandra Georgieva was raised.
"The governors are not very sociable."
"He's normal." He has no family, he walks with his dog. He has a French bulldog. He is a very correct guy, he follows his food.