The forward of the Sailors recalled some of the most emotional moments in his career, talked about last year's trade from Sochi and shared his impressions of being a part of Admiral.
“I was sitting in the locker room in my uniform for three hours after the last game. Everyone had already changed, said goodbye and left.”
- Kirill, for the first time in your career summer training camp was held in your motherland. Tell us what city you're from and how you got involved in hockey.
- I was born and grew up in Gomel, Belarus. I had asthma as a child, and playing sports, especially hockey, was a good way to fight it. So my parents took me to the local club at the age of three. I have a vivid memory of my first training session. I am alone in the arena, the lights are dimmed, and I just walk along the board, holding on to it. My first coach was Oleg Vladimirovich Violentiy. I started playing on the team with my peers. Over time it became one of the best teams in Belarus. We used to go to tournaments in Russia, where we played with local teams. I became popular at these tournaments, and I was invited to Silver Lions from St. Petersburg. At that time I was 11 years old.
- Did you go alone?
- No, my parents moved to Saint P as well. And five players from my team and the coach too. At first, I was helped by the coach that invited me to the team, Valery Vasilievich Afanasyev. He helped my parents to find an apartment, took me to trainings - in general, he spent a lot of time on me.
- In St. Petersburg you reached the JHL finals two times, and also played in the VHL final. Which one of these events is the brightest in your career?
- Every season is bright. Every year there was something that left its imprint and was memorable. I had great emotions after losing the JHL final. I was sitting in the locker room in my uniform for three hours after the last game. Everyone had already changed, said goodbye and left. And I was sitting there, almost crying. Actually, I was crying. And then the VHL team officials come to the locker room, they say: “Tomorrow you’ll play in the finals for us, we’ve ordered pizza to the hotel, get ready”. I came to the hotel, the mood was blue, the pizza was cold, everything was bad. The next day we played a record match - 164 minutes. I was on the ice for half an hour. We won that game. A day later I lost my second final.
- Did you come to the locker room as low as the last time?
- No, the emotions weren't so strong that time. But that doesn't mean I didn't care. I played 20 matches for the VHL team. I guess I just didn't have any emotions left. I lost two finals in three days.
- That season when you were sitting in the locker room for three hours, you were the top scorer of SKA-1946. A little bit was not enough for the “point per game” schedule. Didn't it hurt that you weren't promoted to the first team?
- I was invited to training camp once. But that was a year earlier, I had a very unremarkable season. Back then, Max Chudinov and Ilya Kovalchuk played for SKA. They went to the national team, and I was picked up, but not for long. Of course, it's a bit frustrating, I had good results in the VHL and in the JHL. It's sad, but let it be. I wanted to, but it means that I didn't reach the level. There is no offense to the club. On the contrary, I spent my best years in the SKA system, I was able to start in the KHL after a good season for the Army Men.
- When did you realize that hockey is not just a sport, but a future occupation?
- Until I turned 15, I didn't know how the hockey hierarchy line was structured. I trained at the Junior School and thought that I would play in the KHL with this team. I didn't know what the VHL and JHL were. The guys took me to the first JHL game, it was the playoffs, Russian Knights and SKA-1946 played. A great fighter Alexei Kudreman played for the Knights. And I got to see the fights with him. I thought it was cool. And at the end of the season I was invited to train with the juniors.
- Was it this moment when you realized it all?
- Honestly, I never thought it was a profession. I was just training, playing hockey - doing my favorite thing.
- Before moving to Sochi, you played a full season in the VHL, back than you scored 20 pucks and became the team's second-leading scorer. At that time, Daniil Miromanov, Kirill Marchenko, Vasily Podkolzin played with you. Now the guys are playing in the NHL. What's the secret?
- They are good hockey players. Marchenko and Podkolzin are younger than me. At that time there were many older guys playing in the league. They were already being invited to the KHL at that time, the guys had both confidence and experience. Miromanov spent a few years in North America and knew what was waiting for him there when he went back.
- You said that you had the chance to play in the VHL without a strict limit on older players. How do you assess the changes in the league after a few years?
- There are not enough professional leagues in Russia to impose restrictions. What should the 30-year-old eager to play guys do? And I think that's why the level of the league is dropping low. There is the similar situation in the JHL, the level used to be a little stronger, now guys finish playing in the Junior league. Earlier, the situation when you play against guys 3-4 years older than you was normal.
- You remembered the VHL final, when you played in SKA-Neva against Dynamo SPb, which was headed by Leonids Tambijevs, did you talk to Leonids Grigorievich about those brilliant matches?
- Yes, they were crucial matches, even in the preseason, the tickets for games of St. Petersburg teams were sold out. We once talked with Leonids Grigorievich, we remembered the final, the coach said that he remembered me. Of course, we have different emotions, because my team at that time lost.
- Do you remember Sasha Shevchenko in those matches?
- Sheva, of course, is a bright player, but I've had acquaintances who played just as brightly.
“I don't argue anymore, I won’t go down this road again. I believed in myself and bet. The aim was 25 goals.”
- Was the trade from Sochi expected for you?
- Yes, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. I took the trade well. There was certainty. I knew that Admiral was waiting for me, that the team needed me. It was time to get out of my comfort zone, I was stuck in a resort town.
- Was it hard to play in a resort town, did you often go to the sea?
-It's fun to play there. The first year I probably went every other day, but in the last season I haven't been once. You get used to everything. In the first year it was psychologically difficult. It's hot in October, +30, and you have to think about hockey. Then, on the contrary, I started to look for the advantages. You can lie in the pool on a day off, recover, look at palm trees. But you have to know where the border line is. It's convenient, it's a small town. You can go to the arena or ride a scooter. It's an interesting experience.
- Did it bother you that you would be playing on the other end of the country?
- No, not at all. It didn't matter to me at that moment where I was going. And when I got to know the city, learned that it breathes hockey, I realized that it was the right decision. By the way, it's the first time in my career that I've encountered such love for hockey. Both Sochi and SKA-Neva have fans, but not as many as Admiral.
-Do you have a favorite place in Vladivostok?
- I can't choose. My wife and I have been to many places. I liked the Tokarevsky lighthouse, I was at the Mariinsky Theatre for The Nutcracker, and at the end of the regular season I spent my weekends at a computer club. I like to play CS.
- Do you think you managed to reboot in Admiral?
- Yes, as soon as I got physically fit, I started scoring points and helping the team. It took time, I had no game practice for almost two months. It's a shame that we didn't make the playoffs, but we tried our best.
- You moved together with Dmitry Zavgorodny, and now you are roommates...
- It was easier for us to adapt to the new team, we stuck together. And in Sochi we didn't play together that often. In Vladivostok, Clifford Pu matched with us, and I think the three of us looked great.
- I know you and Max Chudinov had a puck-scoring bet, tell me the details.
- That's history. I don't bet anymore, I don't make mistakes. I believed in myself, and I bet. The aim was 25 goals. Max caught me when I was excited. And we made a bet before the season even started. And so the championship started, I had 16 games and 0+0. When the season ended, he and I calculated that if I had played in Admiral right away and had such a pace from the first games, I might have won. And so I had to pay a lot of money. I don't bet anymore, I keep my mouth shut.
“I already want to finally make the playoffs. We've got everything we need.”
- You wear a mustache, why?
- When I was still in Sochi I came with a mustache, the guys said I should keep it, so I did. I was having fun. Now the mustache has become thicker, before it was like a cat's, barely noticeable. I don't know why. I like it so far.
- You have crossed paths with many guys in other teams - Zavgorodny, Nikolayev, Solyannikov, Starkov, Shen. Is it a good squad now?
- Shmel too (Sergei Shmelyov), I helped him in Sochi to break his personal record at that time. The atmosphere in the team is good. And it's good that a lot of people have known each other for a long time, there's no need to get acclimated.
- At the training session I noticed you in the penalty kill special unit. Last year you didn't play in the penalty kill, although in Sochi you were the leader in this aspect. Will you be doing something different this year?
- So far, it's only during trainings. I've never played in a penalty kill special unit on matches. I played a lot of games in Sochi, and they let me play 3-on-5. We had an active style of play. We used to run everywhere. Due to this we had a lot of opportunities in the penalty kill. We’ll wait and see. If we need new blood, add more active actions, maybe I'll be useful here, too. - Special teams decide a lot of things in modern hockey, do you agree with that?
- Mostly yes. Hockey has become dynamic. And there are a lot of goals on even strength, too. But the power play, especially in the playoffs, means a lot. It seems that way from the outside, I haven't played there yet, but I would really love to.
- How many points in the season will you consider a good result?
- Let's not answer that question right now. I've already made a bet once. At the end of the season I will tell you whether I achieved the desired numbers or not.
- What about the team goals?
- I want to finally make the playoffs. We've got everything we need for it. It all depends on us.
- And lastly, the three most memorable transfers of the offseason?
-Of course, Evgeny Kuznetsov, CSKA's American delegation (Prosvetov, Dryagilev, Okhotiuk, Samorukov, Guryanov, Iskhakov, Afanasiev) and Sheldon Rempal from Ufa.
