Larry Brooks: Vitaly Kravtsov headed back to the KHL

[Edge]

LOL.

Ladies and gentlemen, a teenager went home, on the other side of the planet.

It sucks, and it’s not what we wanted. But he didn’t get drunk and assault someone.

Let’s view this with some degree of perspective.

 

[Ghost of jas]

LOL.

Ladies and gentlemen, a teenager went home, on the other side of the planet.

It sucks, and it’s not what we wanted. But he didn’t get drunk and assault someone.

Let’s view this with some degree of perspective.

You don’t believe someone needs to go old school on his ass?

(I can’t believe I just typed that.)

 

[Edge]

You don’t believe someone needs to go old school on his ass?

(I can’t believe I just typed that.)

Good thing he is Russian. If his grandma was Italian, she’d break out the wooden spoon.

 

[FIRE DRURY]

Good thing he is Russian. If his grandma was Italian, she’d break out the wooden spoon.

Poor kid is being waterboarded by Putin as we speak...

But, with Vodka.

 

[FIRE DRURY]

I'm 67.

Yes but you can still make that dance floor your Beeyotch.

 

[Matz03]

This season is far from lost for him, I’m not sure how you can think that with a 19 year old. He can simply grow, mature, play in a men’s league where he’s comfortable. His khl team will still likely miss the playoffs and he can be recalled to Hartford, or the Rangers, but hopefully Hartford who will hopefully make the playoffs. That sounds like a decent development year to me.

 

[FIRE DRURY]

This season is far from lost for him, I’m not sure how you can think that with a 19 year old. He can simply grow, mature, play in a men’s league where he’s comfortable. His khl team will still likely miss the playoffs and he can be recalled to Hartford, or the Rangers, but hopefully Hartford who will hopefully make the playoffs. That sounds like a decent development year to me.

You don’t post much, but when you do I usually enjoy reading your thoughts.

You get 1 like. Use it wisely.

 

[JCProdigy]

Frankly, I expect 19-year-olds to be irrational and impetuous and don’t hold them to high expectations. So yes IMO it does excuse him.

I'm 67 and I'm irrational and impetuous and don’t want to be held to high expectations.

Funny enough, I was gonna say, that's what I expect from humans in general.

 

[EdJovanovski]

 

[FoxyClean]

Spasiba, but what is he saying?

 

[EdJovanovski]

Spasiba, but what is he saying?

He said the coaches in Hartford were dicks, he got into a drunken bar fight with Adam Huska, and he's never coming back to North America.

He just talked about how quickly he acclimated back to Traktor and how he didn't get any training in and was just playing the first game off of adrenaline, talked about eating Russian food and getting a haircut, his family being in the stands, and not focusing on points but the things that help the team win

 

[egelband]

Putting the situation in Hartford aside, in theory there's nothing wrong with Kravtsov continuing to hone his high-end hockey skills at this age in the KHL because learning to simplify his game is easier and could be done later in his professional development.

Hard to ignore it, but yes. True. If he came over for camp with the stated intention of returning to Russia for another season, we’re disco. But of course there’s the acrimony. And potentially the specter of him being a weak minded diva.

 

[Sockosensei]

I don't understand a word, but it's good to see him looking relaxed again.
Get your mojo back, kid.

Even though it ended poorly, the experience of being in the US for a few months should help him the next time he comes over.

 

[kovazub94]

I don't understand a word, but it's good to see him looking relaxed again.
Get your mojo back, kid.

Even though it ended poorly, the experience of being in the US for a few months should help him the next time he comes over.

https://hctraktor.org/media/news/?id=23387

Mostly fluff. Wanted to join the team as quickly as possible, a lot of familiar faces, warm reunion with the team, coaches and fans. First games was mostly on emotions after long travel and barely a practice with minimal familiarity with his linemates in terms of where they’re expected to be on the ice in certain situations. Got better as the game moved along and happy that the team got a win. Said everyone should stop thinking about personal stats and concentrate on wins and earning points in teams standing.

Kravtsov mentioned that his parents arrived whom he had not seen in awhile and was missing. His dad could not even come to see him in US because of visa issues.

A couple of talking points that give an indication (at least to me) of him having a difficult transition to a new environment while on his own as a kid. First, there was something in the discussion about “American humor”. Said he heard jokes that were on a pretty personal level and he asked not to be included. Second, he went to get a haircut and a women pulled out an electric trimmer so Vitaly thought she was going to cut it all off and told her he changed his mind and left. We could think these are not a big deal but these things add up to an emotional discomfort for kid if there’s no adult to help address and explain.

 

[FIRE DRURY]

First, there was something in the discussion about “American humor”. Said he heard jokes that were on a pretty personal level and he asked not to be included.

 

[NYR Viper]

https://hctraktor.org/media/news/?id=23387

Mostly fluff. Wanted to join the team as quickly as possible, a lot of familiar faces, warm reunion with the team, coaches and fans. First games was mostly on emotions after long travel and barely a practice with minimal familiarity with his linemates in terms of where they’re expected to be on the ice in certain situations. Got better as the game moved along and happy that the team got a win. Said everyone should stop thinking about personal stats and concentrate on wins and earning points in teams standing.

Kravtsov mentioned that his parents arrived whom he had not seen in awhile and was missing. His dad could not even come to see him in US because of visa issues.

A couple of talking points that give an indication (at least to me) of him having a difficult transition to a new environment while on his own as a kid. First, there was something in the discussion about “American humor”. Said he heard jokes that were on a pretty personal level and he asked not to be included. Second, he went to get a haircut and a women pulled out an electric trimmer so Vitaly thought she was going to cut it all off and told her he changed his mind and left. We could think these are not a big deal but these things add up to an emotional discomfort for kid if there’s no adult to help address and explain.

And this is why the team should hire a dedicated person to be wit him at all times. Someone who also speaks his language. I get the feeling that he became closer with guys like Kakko, Buch, Panarin, Namestnikov and then when he was sent down away from these guys he had no one to lean on. That's tough

 

[nyr2k2]

Again, I'm Mr. Liberal over here, usually incredibly sensitive to the needs, wants, fears, etc., of others. Some of this Kravtsov shit makes my eyes roll out of my head. He didn't understand how a haircut worked here so he got scared and left? Ok, sure, seems a little bit of an overreaction but I get it. But then you ask someone, an "adult" since apparently VK isn't one himself, and then you laugh about it afterwards. Guys need to be willing to learn, they can't just hide or run away from everything that's new and challenging.

I hope this kid grows the f*** up (and lightens the f*** up) because if he doesn't, he's going to run into the same stuff next time around. And that's ignoring the fact that his game itself ALSO needs some serious adjustment to North America.

 

[nyr2k2]

And this is why the team should hire a dedicated person to be wit him at all times. Someone who also speaks his language. I get the feeling that he became closer with guys like Kakko, Buch, Panarin, Namestnikov and then when he was sent down away from these guys he had no one to lean on. That's tough

I don't like that. I don' think these guys need babysitters. Get him a translator. That's it. The team has resources to help guys find housing and language classes and all that other stuff. He's going to be 20 in a couple months. Show some mental fortitude.

There are literally millions upon millions of people that have come over here (or moved from their country to some other country) knowing nothing about the language or culture or any of that, who go on to lead great lives. I'm not saying we need to throw our prospect to the wolves, but we don't need to pamper him like a baby. Overcoming some adversity is good. Him taking some knocks while learning about how to operate in North America is healthy.

 

[NYR Viper]

I don't like that. I don' think these guys need babysitters. Get him a translator. That's it. The team has resources to help guys find housing and language classes and all that other stuff. He's going to be 20 in a couple months. Show some mental fortitude.

There are literally millions upon millions of people that have come over here (or moved from their country to some other country) knowing nothing about the language or culture or any of that, who go on to lead great lives. I'm not saying we need to throw our prospect to the wolves, but we don't need to pamper him like a baby. Overcoming some adversity is good. Him taking some knocks while learning about how to operate in North America is healthy.

I don't think what I'm recommending is pampering him like a baby. Look around the NHL. It's not that unheard of. Hell Crosby had Lemieux and many other in his young years around him in Pittsburgh and he was from Canada!

 

[LORDE]

Good thing he is Russian. If his grandma was Italian, she’d break out the wooden spoon.

This is no joke. At my aunt’s house once, my Mom broke a wooden spoon hitting me so hard. She started to cry and I thought ‘good! U should feel awful for hitting me so hard’

Then she ferociously apologized to my aunt about breaking her spoon.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Again, I'm Mr. Liberal over here, usually incredibly sensitive to the needs, wants, fears, etc., of others. Some of this Kravtsov **** makes my eyes roll out of my head. He didn't understand how a haircut worked here so he got scared and left? Ok, sure, seems a little bit of an overreaction but I get it. But then you ask someone, an "adult" since apparently VK isn't one himself, and then you laugh about it afterwards. Guys need to be willing to learn, they can't just hide or run away from everything that's new and challenging.

I hope this kid grows the **** up (and lightens the **** up) because if he doesn't, he's going to run into the same stuff next time around. And that's ignoring the fact that his game itself ALSO needs some serious adjustment to North America.

At least he's focused on learning a team-oriented game and doing the little things to help his team win with Traktor

 

[nyr2k2]

I don't think what I'm recommending is pampering him like a baby. Look around the NHL. It's not that unheard of. Hell Crosby had Lemieux and many other in his young years around him in Pittsburgh and he was from Canada!

I don't mind having people associated with the organization in his ear. We've beefed up player development and hockey ops in recent years. There are established players all around. Do we need to hire a Russian guy to have in-house? Maybe? I don't know. I just don't think he needs a dedicated person who is literally just assigned to him. I don't think that's helpful. It helps to a degree, but then when you're forced to cope without that person you're just as lost, if not more lost.

I feel like some people (not you) talk about the cultural adjustment as if he's some guy from one of those hidden Amazon tribes that have never seen other people. He's a guy (not even a kid--almost 20) from Russia. He has grown up with most of the modern amenities he'll have here. Jokes were of too personal a nature? That doesn't seem like something limited to North American culture. I know quite a few guys from Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, etc. They like to bust balls just like any other. Sometimes I'd have to have the jokes translated. Salty shit! They had been making jokes about me going bald for the past five minutes while I just laughed along! Toughen up. The haircut thing? Sorry, IMO that's absurd. I mentioned fortitude earlier--the guy needs to develop some of it. If this kind of stuff is intimidating to him, man, I don't know.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I don't think what I'm recommending is pampering him like a baby. Look around the NHL. It's not that unheard of. Hell Crosby had Lemieux and many other in his young years around him in Pittsburgh and he was from Canada!

Maybe he can live with Dolan and join his band

 

[I Eat Crow]

What's Alexei Kovalev up to these days? Have him call in and check on Kravtsov semi-regularly and hang out with him a few times a week to help him settle in. In defense of the kid, it looks like he was dropped here in the US with little to no support system.

On the other hand, reading about him freaking out about a pair of electric clippers makes me even further question his maturity and fortitude. Man.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

What's Alexei Kovalev up to these days? Have him call in and check on Kravtsov semi-regularly and hang out with him a few times a week to help him settle in. In defense of the kid, it looks like he was dropped here in the US with little to no support system.

On the other hand, reading about him freaking out about a pair of electric clippers makes me even further question his maturity and fortitude. Man.

To be honest, the current system of crazy barbershops where people just go to hangout and talk shit is slightly intimidating and weird.