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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.
CSKA's first home game of the season was against Admiral from Primorye.
The visitors opened the scoring. On 3 minutes, Pavel Shen was in the right place at the right time after Sulak's shot and put the puck into the net 1:0. Ten minutes later, the Army team equalized the score. The same Shen was sent to the penalty box for hooking. The Moscow team used their attempt to convert the many men advantage for 100% - 1:1. Toward the end of the first period, the Sailors got another penalty. And this time CSKA found a gap in Admiral's defense and played competently against Ilya Konovalov, 2:1. In the 31st minute, Ruslan Iskhakov may have scored the puck of the month. In a fall, he managed to pass the puck into the corner of the net. The goalie of the Primorye team had no time to react, 3:1. Two minutes later, Nikita Sedov handled the puck a bit sloppy, hitting Shen's face with his stick. He got a two-minute penalty for that. It was Admiral's turn to convert the many men advantage. Libor Sulak did so, sending the puck into the Army Men's goal from afar, 3:2.
The difference in the score is minimal. There was hope for a comeback, as it was in the game with Kunlun RS. But it was another game. As Andrei Arshavin said: “Your expectations are your problems.” CSKA scored three goals in the third period, Admiral scored none. Abramov and Sorkin scored. Sorkin made a hat trick in this game. Final score 6:2
CSKA - Admiral 6:2
Venue: CSKA Arena (Moscow)
6170 spectators
Chief referees: 41. Dmitry Belyaev, 13. Sergei Kulakov
Line referees: 73. Sergei Yegorov, 66. Parikov Yaroslav
About the game:
0-1 (Admiral).16 Shen Pavel, assistants: 73 Sulak Libor, 18 Starkov Stepan; 1-1 (CSKA).11 Abramov Vitaly, assistants: 71 Okulov Konstantin, 89 Nesterov Nikita D. PP; 2-1 (CSKA).27 Sorkin Maxim, assists: 89 Nikita D. Nesterov, 71 Konstantin Okulov PP; 3-1 (CSKA).43 Ruslan Iskhakov, assists: 98 Mamin Maxim V; 3-2 (Admiral).73 Sulak Libor, Assists: 93 Sergei Shmelyov, 20 Giovanni Fiore. PP; 4-2 (CSKA).11 Vitaly Abramov, assists: 13 Poltapov Prokhor, 27 Sorkin Maxim; 5-2 (CSKA).27 Sorkin Maxim, assistants: 94 Kamenev Vladislav, 11 Abramov Vitaly. PP; 5-2 (CSKA).27 Sorkin Maxim, assists: 94 Kamenev Vladislav, 11 Abramov Vitaly. PP; 6-2 (CSKA).27 Sorkin Maxim, assistants: 13 Poltapov Prokhor, 11 Abramov Vitaly.
Press conference of head coaches
Ilya Vorobyov, CSKA head coach:
— The start was average, then we gained strength, everything got better. I was pleased with today’s power play. Guys’ performance wasn’t so active in the first period, maybe because this was the first home game, this is a new roster. But then we got going.
— Dmitry Samorukov was the assistant captain last game, today Konstantin Okulov was in this position. How can this be explained?
— A lot of people do that now, they have four assistants. Someone plays with assistant captain patch in home matches, someone in away matches.
— Can you say that today the team played well on offense in all three periods?
— I didn't like the first period very much. Maybe it's because it was the first game at home.
— The team had three converted many men advantages today - how did they manage to prepare guys so well?
— We were supposed to have a day off on September 6. But in the end, we had a training session and practiced power play.
— What can you say the game of Ruslan Iskhakov?
— He has great hockey intelligence. Self-made people, played in different leagues and countries, are usually very competent.
— The third five, except for Iskhakov, was not active today. Are there no concerns that the guys who came from overseas will have a long acclimatization period?
— As I said in the summer, I hope this period of acclimatization will be short, and they will play to their full.
— What was the reason for the breakthrough in the third period? Before that it was an even game.
— We’ve prepared everything for it in the second one. Admiral even had a slight advantage in the first period, but then we started to play our own game, aggressively.
Leonids Tambijevs, head coach of Admiral:
— The opponent showed us where we need to progress. We failed in the penalty kill, we took a lot of penalties, and that decided the outcome of the game. The skill of CSKA players allows us to convert such opportunities. I liked the game in terms of offensive content until the score was 3:2. The fourth goal broke us. We'll adjust what we need.
— Why don’t you put young players?
— We don't have well-prepared for the KHL level young players. We have to raise them ourselves. They have to be competitive, not thirteenth forwards or seventh defensemen.
— How much has CSKA changed compared to last season?
— I follow my team more. CSKA has a strong selection, the goal is to win the Gagarin Cup, and that it. It's a high level. How much has changed is not the question I can answer.
— Will Admiral be able to fight for the playoffs this season?
— I'd say we're ready. We're rebuilding the game considering what I have in my hands. There are details that need to be corrected. There's a group of players that I believe in and that believe in me. I wouldn't mind a couple of quality players, but they cost a lot of money.
— Does Admiral want to add experienced free agents?
— You have to understand what you're hiring a player for. Nowadays, names don't mean anything. You need speed, sharpness, youth and energy. But there aren't many guys like that. The League lays down the rules.
The teams started the match very actively. It seemed that the home team decided to play with five forwards. Goalkeeper Kunlun RS, Jeremy Smith, had a lot of work to do, which he did well. It's worth noting that the teams played for almost 6 minutes without stops. On 10 minutes Georgy Solyannikov rained on their parade. Tomas Jurco went up for a rendezvous with Demchenko, and Solyannikov had no choice but to foul. The referees announced a penalty shot in the Admiral’s goal, and Jurco converted the penalty shot - 1-0. A minute and a half later, Stepan Starkov equalized the scores. The new forward of the Sailors made a turn behind the home team's goal and sent the puck into the near corner - 1:1.
Honestly, Admiral slept through the start of the second period. Within two minutes, the puck was in Demchenko's goal twice. First Colin Campbell scored 2:1, and then Nail Yakupov fired a bullet that no one had time to react to - 3:1. The coaching staff replaced Demchenko with Konovalov. Yegor Petukhov cut the deficit, who tucked the puck just a little bit on the goal crease after Solyannikov's shot - 3:2.
In the third period, the Stars scored twice on Konovalov's goal, but one puck was not counted, because of high-sticking, 4:2. Match commentator Anton Vasyatin said, “Admiral is famous for not letting up even with this score.” And he was right. Yegor Petukhov scored twice on Smith's goal to make it 4-4. The game went into overtime. There, Nail Yakupov, the 2012 NHL Draft number one, showed all his skills again, scoring a double and bringing his team a victory. 5:4(OT) - Kunlun RS pulls out a win, and Admiral earns one point.
1-0 (Kunlun RS).92 Jurco Tomas, penalty shootout. 1-1 (Admiral).18 Stepan Starkov, Assists: 78 Gutik Daniil, 16 Shen Pavel; 2-1 (Kunlun RS).71 Campbell Colin; 3-1 (Kunlun RS).65 Yakupov Nail, Assists: 74 Tyler Graovac; 3-2, (Admiral).15 Yegor Petukhov, Assists: 62 Georgy Solyannikov, 16 Pavel Shen. PP; 4-2, (Kunlun RS).92 Jurco Tomas, Assists: 8 Chartier Rourke, 11 Wilkie Chris; 4-3 (Admiral).15 Petukhov Yegor, assists: 78 Gutik Daniil, 16 Shen Pavel; 4-4 (Admiral).15 Petukhov Yegor, assists: 62 Solyannikov Georgy, 78 Gutik Daniil; 5-4 (Kunlun RS).74 Graovac Tyler, assistants: 65 Yakupov Nail.
Venue: Mytishchi Arena (Mytishchi).
1004 spectators
Chief referees: 20. Anton Gofman, 14. Lazarev Gleb
Line referees: 72. Buturlin Vladimir, 48. Bukharov Nikita
Press conference
- I want to thank the guys for their character, they played till the end, pulled out a difficult match: they got back from 1:3 and 2:4 and took it to overtime. However, apparently, we gave a lot of energy and emotions during five-on-five, we lacked freshness in overtime. In the third period, we switched to three lines, the guys gave everything they had. Well done, they pulled the game out, thank them very much for the breakthrough, it's important for the formation of the team and the microclimate. I am satisfied with the guys for such an attitude to the business and the game. Quick goals that were conceded in the second period? I didn't like the third goal from the lost faceoff, because we sort them out a lot and work with them. We have to block such a shot, and Yakupov just shot there at point-blank range. Such a goal can break any team, we had to replace Demchenko not because he played poorly, but to shake the guys up. There will be changes in the lineup for the next match. Anton Sagadeyev, who returned from the waiver, is in the team. I think he will play for us in the near future.
Mikhail Kravets, head coach of Kunlun Red Star:
- We are glad that we won in overtime, it was not an easy game. We probably didn't play very well in the first period, thanks to our goalie Jeremy Smith for keeping us in the game. Then started to play more active, in the second period we let only three shots on our goal. I think we played good defense in the third frame, but we made some mistakes, so our opponents caught up with us. Admiral is a good team, they keep pushing, doing their job. We had a slightly different mindset compared to the game against Dynamo Moscow. But we decided that we were going to build on the good things, there are always mistakes, the main thing is how we correct them and what we accomplish. The team won, so we will take the best from this game and move on.
Admiral began the new season of the Fonbet KHL Championship 2024/2025 with an away game against Vityaz. The meeting was held in Balashikha, on September 4.
At the start of the first period, the teams flew at the opponent's goal, but no one managed to bring it to a goal. The home team performed sharper. Several attacks by the Vityaz team could have resulted in a goal. Vasily Demchenko saved. In the 8th minute the teams exchanged with penalties. First, Stepan Starkov was sent to the penalty box for blocking, and 6 seconds later Dmitry Buchelnikov was sent there as well. The young forward was penalized for slashing. The teams failed to score, but the fans still were lucky enough to witness one puck in the first period. Leonid Metalnikov threw the puck out of his zone, and Pavel Shen picked it up in the center circle. After reaching the opposing goalie, he made a pass to Daniil Gutik at the last moment. Last season's top scorer played without mistakes, 0:1. The score remained the same before the break, although Rodewald had a great moment, but the puck froze on the goal line.
In the second period, Admiral managed to solidify their lead. First, Sulak sent the puck into the net with a wrist shot - 0:2, and five minutes later, another legionnaire, Jack Rodewald, made the numbers on the scoreboard more than comfortable - 0:3. The Vityaz coaching staff took a timeout to catch their players' breath, and it paid off a minute later. Dean Stewart closed the gap, and at the end of the second period Dmitry Buchelnikov made the difference even smaller - 2:3. Before the second goal of Vityaz, a home team defenseman threw the puck out of his own zone. The puck hit Leonids Tambijevs. The head coach left the bench in the back room with a bloody head.
After the break, the Sailors' coach stood behind the bench as if nothing had happened. The team started to play according to strict instructions. Vityaz made numerous attempts to take Demchenko's goal, but Vasya didn't let his team down. Final score 2:3 - Admiral earns the first points in the season on away game.
About the match:
Venue: Y. Lyapkin Balashikha Arena
2112 spectators
Chief referees: 35. Belyaev Sergei, 3. Morozov Sergei
Line referees: 98. Galimov Ilnur, 50. Kanifadin
Goals: 0-1 (Admiral).78 Gutik Daniil, assistants: 16 Shen Pavel; 7 Metalnikov Leonid, 0-2 (Admiral).73 Sulak Libor; 0-3 (Admiral).12 Rodewald Jack, assists: 17 Dmitry Zavgorodny; 1-3 (Vityaz).18 Stewart Dean, assists: 41 Daryin Alexander, 72 Buchelnikov Dmitry; 2-3 (Vityaz).72 Buchelnikov Dmitry.
