Added: 03/21/2018 11:40
Source: Dmitry Erykalov, "Championat.com"
The fourth match of the series between SKA and Lokomotiv will be remembered not for the confident victory of the St. Petersburgers, but for the incessant carnage. Playing perhaps the last home match of the season, the “railroad workers” did not let the champions down. For their display of character they deserved a choral chant of “Well done!” from the crowded Arena 2000. And what’s noteworthy is that it was mostly young guys who fought, including even a junior mask fighter. Who are they?
Grigory Denisenko, 17 years old
Every year the Yaroslavl school produces a number of good players who later rise to the Russian national team, but there have not been potential superstars among them for a very long time. Grigory Denisenko is exactly the long-awaited Yaroslavl Next One. In all kinds of ratings, he is given a place in the first round, or even in the top 15 of the upcoming NHL draft. In April he will go to Chelyabinsk for the World Championships as the leader of the junior team. After all, he became only the second player born in 2000 to make his KHL debut this season. Denisenko played his first match for the main team of Lokomotiv against SKA, coming out, no less, in the place of Brandon Kozun in the first line.
However, like many Lokomotiv graduates, Denisenko was not born in Yaroslavl. Together with his older brother, he began playing hockey in his native Novosibirsk, and then they moved to Tyumen, where Nikolai’s children’s coach moved. And from there the Denisenko brothers were recruited by Lokomotiv scouts, who traditionally scout Russia and neighboring countries for hockey talents. The same Egor Korshkov at one time traveled the route Novosibirsk - Kazakhstan - Yaroslavl. And what are the examples of Ust-Kamenogorsk resident Konstantin Rudenko or Kiev residents Vitaly Anikeenko and Daniil Sobchenko worth? Denisenko’s story is quite typical for Yaroslavl hockey.
While Nikolai Denisenko is trying to gain a foothold in the Toros squad, his younger brother is not hanging out in the battle with the Olympic champions. It was he who, with a pure force move against Nikolai Prokhorkin, started that mass psychosis that did not stop until the final siren. 17-year-old Denisenko absolutely according to the rules “split” the winner of Pyeongchang, simultaneously rewarding him with a cut. A moment later, he took the fight from Viktor Tikhonov, who rushed at the junior with his fists. For a right-handed left winger, who has already been compared to Artemi Panarin for his positioning and habit of fiddling with the puck, this is a completely atypical act.
In two MHL seasons he had one big fine and a couple of disciplinary marks, but Denisenko Jr. had not previously been seen in battles. This is not a royal matter. Yes, just to win the respect of Dmitry Kvartalnov, and at the same time a place in the lineup, it is not enough to just be a gifted technician who can earn a whole top five. You need to go into any hell, which is what Denisenko did the day before. This was generally the best match of the Yaroslavl prodigy for Lokomotiv: more than 8 minutes, 2 throws, 2 power moves. Why not give the guy a full match in St. Petersburg?
Alexander Elesin, 22 years old
Unlike Denisenko, this defender can hardly be considered one of those kissed by God. Alexander Elesin was not put up for the draft, nor was he called up to junior or youth teams. Even Lokomotiv 1996 was full of more talented guys, starting with Pavel Kraskovsky and ending with Ivan Provorov. Mikhail Sidorov, who now plays for Zinetula Bilyaletdinov in Ak Bars, was also in that team and was rated higher than Elesin. This season, Alexander played a total of 40 games for Lokomotiv, but his path to the main team of the Yaroslavl team was long and thorny. He spent one season in exile in Ryazan, the other on loan in Khabarovsk. In general, this is a typical story for the youth of Lokomotiv. But not everyone from such an internship returned back. Kirill Maslov, considered a more talented defender than Elesin, remained stuck in the swamp called the Major League.
For the first time, Elesin’s surname was pronounced on federal channels in early December. The reason was more than significant. Alexander became the author of the fastest goal in the history of the KHL, rewriting the achievement of his namesake Radulov by one second. It is curious that both of them distinguished themselves on the ice of the Ufa Arena. In the case of Elesin, who shot right from the red line, the great Canadian martyr Ben Scrivens was injured.
In addition, for the then 21-year-old defenseman, this puck became the first in the KHL. He scored the second in the very next match. In Elesin one could see a new defender-scorer, or even the heir to Alexander Guskov, but the true purpose of this guy lies elsewhere. Ripping off the breastplate from Yegor Rykov in a rage, he showed who the father was.
Participation in a fight with guests from St. Petersburg is far from the first show of the new destroyer of the entire KHL. Two months ago, he grappled with Georgiy Misharin and dealt the experienced Avtomobilist defender several hard blows. Even earlier, in the October match with CSKA, he turned off Sergei Andronov in the first shift. The army captain went to the locker room after a heavy force attack and returned to the game only in the second period.
Elesin’s violent actions do not always follow the rules. So, in the game with Severstal, he scored 5+20 for an attack on Daniil Vovchenko, but the fact remains: in just one season, the young defender gained a reputation as a player with whom no one wants to mess with again. And all this with fairly modest dimensions! 181 cm and 87 kg are clearly not the parameters of the Terminator. This is what all of Elesin’s victims thought.
Nikolay Kovalenko, 19 years old
While Andrei Kovalenko was facing the threat of a criminal case for beating a referee, his eldest son received blow after blow from Vyacheslav Voinov, who knows firsthand what prison is. 18-year-old Kovalenko, unlike Elesin, did not win his fight, but held on with dignity. And most importantly, he was not afraid to go one-on-one with the Olympic champion. Despite his young age, the son of the Russian Tank has a strong character. In addition to the fight with Voinov in match No. 4, he scored three power moves at once. And this despite the fact that he is oh so far from his father’s size.
Nikolai Kovalenko is one of the three sons of the head of the KHL trade union, whose sweater hangs under the arches of Arena 2000. He was born in the American city of Raleigh, where his father was performing at that time. It is interesting that in 1999, Andrei Kovalenko changed three clubs (Edmonton, Philadelphia and Carolina), but the first child in his family was born when Russian Tank defended the colors of the Hurricanes. Well, the heir began playing hockey in Russia. For a long time, Nikolai trained at the CSKA school, but at the age of 14 he finally moved to the city, where his father twice won the national championship.
Yesterday's match with SKA was Kovalenko Jr.'s third in this playoffs and only his fifth for Lokomotiv's main squad. Dmitry Kvartalnov began allowing the junior to join the main team after the Olympic break, allowing him to play against CSKA and Spartak. However, Nikolai played with the KHL stars much earlier than he tried on the Lokomotiv sweater. Having made it to the All-Star Game through the Challenge Cup, he became its winner and even scored a double in one of the matches! The representative of the hockey dynasty was assisted by Kirill Kaprizov and Brandon Kozun. Not a bad company, isn't it?
Comments:
The author of this article is Shpana himself... Let him correctly name such little players as the granddaughters of Tikhonov and the expelled warriors, who cannot find their equals and rush at mask athletes and guys from a different weight category, despite the fact that the mask players had the purest hit....
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Other news:| 04/15/2018, Sunday |
| 12:26 Kharlamov Cup. The final. Loko - SKA-1946. Final tension |
| 04/11/2018, Wednesday |
| 11:31 Peter doesn't forgive. Denisenko's release from the Junior World Championships is chaos |
| 04/09/2018, Monday |
| 10:55 Reactor - Loko. “Loko” is in the Kharlamov Cup finals! |
| 04/03/2018, Tuesday |
| 08:22 Loco - Reactor. A difficult but victorious start to the series |
| 03/29/2018, Thursday |
| 08:55 “There will be a hard salary cap in 2020.” All changes in the KHL |
| 03/28/2018, Wednesday |
| 09:29 Dynamo St. Petersburg - Loko. “Loko” is in the semi-finals of the Kharlamov Cup! |
| 03/23/2018, Friday |
Selection at this stage means that they will definitely get their chance in the first teams, and then everything depends on them. Let's see what chances the guys have to become stars.
2nd choice. Andrey Svechnikov - "Carolina"
Already a few days before the draft, it was clear that the first pick would be really cool defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and he would go to Buffalo, and Carolina would take Andrey Svechnikov.
Andrei spent his entire adult career overseas, and over the past two years he has been praised in a way that no one else has been praised. Compliments poured in in every article that was published in North America. And he has beautiful hands, and a bright head, and is physically gifted, and has excellent skill.
The trouble is that such ratings at the junior league level mean nothing at all. And there have been hundreds, if not thousands of examples of hockey players who were considered stars having failed in their careers. The most striking example is Nail Yakupov. The first draft pick, who broke all records at the junior level, has turned into an average player who is already offered very humiliating contracts and is often left on the bench.
“Carolina” is a club that did not make it to the playoffs, there are a lot of young people there, and the “Hurricanes” have not yet decided what to do with Andrei. He may be sent to the junior league for another year, or he may be given a chance this fall. Only at the Youth World Championships Svechnikov did not show anything outstanding, and did not go to the junior tournament at all. In addition, “Carolina” already has a lot of young people, and there simply isn’t enough playing time for everyone. Predictions that Svechnikov will not be able to show anything at a higher level began to appear more and more often, although there are few of them. So we just have to wait for the club’s decision regarding Andrey.
Andrey Svechnikov. Photo: globallookpress.com
9th choice. Vitaly Kravtsov - Rangers
The best rookie in the KHL last season got the perfect team for himself. How many cases have there been when a talented hockey player fell into the wrong system and died. Now it seems that Vitaly has been chosen by the right club. Last year, the Rangers suddenly announced mid-season that they would not qualify for the playoffs and would begin a reboot of the club. This meant abandoning many experienced players, relying on youth and building a team, which usually takes two to three years. An ideal place for a promising junior.
Kravtsov, however, will spend the next season at Traktor, since he has a valid contract. He will go overseas in a year, and has already said that nothing will stop him. No money, no super deals. In the coming season, Vitaly will become even better, because in the Urals he will receive trust and a lot of playing time. And New York will not become a Stanley Cup contender in a season.
Kravtsov himself is very pleased with the new club, and we understand that everything worked out perfectly for him.
Vitaly Kravtsov. Photo: globallookpress.com
15th pick. Grigory Denisenko - "Florida"
Grigory plays for Lokomotiv, but played only a few matches in the KHL and showed that he has courage and bravery. Let us remember that in the series against SKA he met Nikolai Prokhorkin with a forceful move, and then gladly accepted the challenge in fights.
Denisenko, because of his energy and toughness, did not make it to the junior world championship, but this decision was so terrible that no one thinks of blaming the hockey player. The national team's managers behaved simply terribly, recalling to Grigory that he was playing rudely against St. Petersburg hockey players.
Grigory ended up in a normal club, which is already finishing its restructuring. And it will be very difficult for him to immediately get into the main team of the Panthers. But as someone who came from Europe for the draft, he can play in the AHL rather than in the junior league. And quickly moving to the adult level is the task of any hockey player. The trouble is that Grigory still has a two-year agreement with Lokomotiv, and it is impossible that he will move to America this summer. But in general it’s great to play in the current “Florida”. The fans there do not put pressure on the players, and the managers can calmly build the club.
Grigory Denisenko. Photo: globallookpress.com
31st pick. Alexander Alekseev - "Washington"
It is believed that it is very bad for young players when they are chosen by strong clubs. Washington just won the Stanley Cup and has a strong roster. But it's not that simple. The fact is that the team needs to clear contracts in order to fit into the salary cap, and in such a situation they need young and cheap players, and the same Alekseev cannot claim more than 925 thousand in the first three years.
Alekseev is a strong, large defenseman who played in the Western Hockey League. He is 193 centimeters tall and weighs only 89 kilograms, but he will quickly gain weight. Alekseev is from St. Petersburg, three years ago he left for North America and spent two good seasons.
Alexander Alekseev. Photo: globallookpress.com
The first draft took place back in 1963, and since then this event has been held annually.
Until 1979, the draft was called “amateur”, and since 1980 it became possible to draft younger hockey players, since the minimum age was lowered by one year. Since 1984, drafts have even been broadcast on television.
This year, Yaroslavl residents are especially worried about the talented Lokomotiv student Grigory Denisenko. The twenty-year-old striker is rated very highly. A dozen overseas clubs are vying for it. He already played in the first line of Lokomotiv in the last playoffs. He was the leader of the Loko youth team, which won the Kharlamov Cup last season.
The persistent player immediately captivated overseas scouts. But he didn’t go to the Junior World Championship, where the best young hockey players went this year, because of the scandal. The Russian team could not reach the medals without the Yaroslavl resident. Due to the absence of the team leader, a huge scandal broke out in the press. It turned out that Denisenko was not called because he allegedly deliberately inflicts injuries on his opponents. Although it was previously reported that the forward had an injury. The “injury” did not prevent him from successfully playing in the Kharlamov Cup playoff finals and winning an honorary trophy with Loko.
The head of the delegation of the Russian junior team, Sergei Cherkas, argued that the hockey player constantly receives large fines. In fact, throughout his entire career, Denisenko received no more than four disciplinary fines for rough play. However, NHL teams are happy with Denisenko’s unyielding style of play.
“Strength techniques are an art,” says the hockey player. – If I see that my head is down, I always consider the option of playing tough. There should be a spectacle on the ice. We play for the fans and we have to show the best we can. At the same time, I never want to injure my opponent. I didn’t do special strength training with anyone. It just feels like a game. And this cannot be worked out.
The player still likes to score goals and give assists more.
“I think I’m technical and can play fast, creative hockey,” the athlete is confident. – I like to create beautiful moments. My favorite player is Patrick Kane. His arms and legs are constantly in motion, it is very interesting to watch him. I like the creative approach to the game, the magical throws.
According to the player, almost all NHL clubs negotiated with him. But the draft procedure does not mean that Lokomotiv will lose its talent.
“I have two more years of contract with Lokomotiv,” Denisenko consoles the fans.
Therefore, next season he will still show himself and help the “railroad workers” fight for high places in the national championship. And very soon the striker will play as part of Loko at the World Cup among youth clubs in Sochi (from August 18 to 26). The tournament has a rich history and the official status of the International Hockey Federation - “tournament sanctioned by the IIHF”.
The first three editions of the Youth World Cup (2011, 2012, 2013) were held in Omsk.
In 2014, the tournament was hosted by Ufa, in 2015 – by the Sverdlovsk region (Ekaterinburg, Nizhny Tagil, Verkhnyaya Pyshma). In 2016, the cities of the Republic of Tatarstan were Nizhnekamsk and Naberezhnye Chelny. In 2017, the World Cup returned to the Sverdlovsk region, it was hosted by Yekaterinburg and Verkhnyaya Pyshma.
For seven years, teams from Austria, Belarus, Denmark, Kazakhstan, Canada, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, the USA, Finland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Sweden have participated in the Cup. This time, Loko’s opponents are Kunlun Red Star Junior (China), Ottawa Capitals (Canada), Oceláří Třinec (Czech Republic), Davos (Switzerland), Jokerit U20 (Finland), “ Red Bull (Austria), XB71 (Sweden).
Season 2018/19:
During almost the entire pre-season preparation, Grigory Denisenko was at the location of Lokomotiv, leaving briefly only for the Olympic team to play in the Sochi Hockey Open. Then there was participation in the World Cup among youth club teams, which was won by Loko, and Denisenko scored 4 (1+3) points in five matches. Grigory scored his first goal in the KHL on September 9th in an away match against Slovan. In most matches for Lokomotiv, he spent more than 10 minutes on the ice; towards the end of the season, he began to appear in the majority, and in January, for the first time in his adult career, he scored points in two games in a row. In just 25 matches of the regular season, Denisenko scored 6 (4+2) points, with a utility indicator of “+1” and an average playing time of 11:17. In the playoffs, in the final match of the series against SKA, Grigory, again for the first time in his adult career, scored two points in one match, notching two assists. In just six playoff games, the forward scored 3 (0+3) points. Of course, one of the main events for the striker was participation in the World Youth Championship, which was held in Vancouver. Over 7 matches of the tournament, Grigory Denisenko scored 9 (4+5) points, becoming the top scorer of the World Championship, and also entered the symbolic team. Together with his teammates, he became the bronze medalist of the tournament. Just like a year ago, the season for the striker ended in the MHL playoffs, where he played 13 matches for Loko, scored 8 (6+2) points, including scoring a hat-trick in the first match of the final series, and becoming the author of the key pass in the sixth game, and for the second time in a row won the Kharlamov Cup.
Career:
Grigory Denisenko was born in Novosibirsk on June 24, 2000. He came to hockey in the footsteps of his father, who was a hockey player, as well as his older brother Nikolai, who began studying at school several years earlier. Almost from childhood, Gregory played for teams where most of the players were a year older. This was the case in Tyumen, where the whole family soon moved, and Denisenko Jr. became one of the leaders of the local Gazovik. Already in 2012, Grigory, together with his older brother, received an invitation to move to the Lokomotiv school, and the 2012/2013 season. he spent time in the Lokomotiv-99 team under the leadership of Boris Nikolaevich Pushkarev.
From the very first season, Grigory was distinguished by high performance; in the first season he scored more than 70 points, becoming one of the top scorers of the Moscow Open Championship. In 2014, Denisenko, as part of a joint team of two Yaroslavl schools, became the Champion of Russia among juniors, scoring 10 (5+5) points in 6 matches.
In the 2014/2015 season, Grigory Denisenko became the top scorer of the Moscow Open Championship in 1999, scoring 77 (26+51) points. Now, at the final competitions of the Russian Championship, the team from Yaroslavl schools took second place, and Denisenko himself scored 14 (6+8) points in six games.
The 2015/2016 season was remembered for Grigory for a large number of tournaments as part of the junior team at his age, including the striker playing at the Winter Youth Olympic Games, where the Russians took third place. In the school team, he was still one of the leaders, now he went to the final competition with the team of his year, scored 4 (2+2) points in six matches, and Lokomotiv 2000 took fourth place.
The following summer, Denisenko was preparing for the season with Loko-Junior, but in the end he played only five matches for the second-ranking Yaroslavl youth team, and spent the most significant part of the season, or the entire time that he was not with the junior team with Loko. In the MHL, despite his young age, Grigory did not get lost at all, eventually becoming one of the leaders, and in the first four meetings he scored five assists. Denisenko scored his first goal in the MHL on November 14, 2016 against SKA-1946, scored in three games in a row in December, and scored his first double on January 15 against Atlantov. In total, in 28 matches for Loko, he scored 22 (9+13) points. In the playoffs, Grigory did not score a single point in four games, but scored 7 (4+3) points in five playoff games for Loko-Junior. The busy season ended with participation in the next final competition of the Russian Championship, in which Lokomotiv 2000 took second place, and Grigory Denisenko scored 12 (7+5) points in six meetings.
Beginning of the 2017/2018 season. Grigory’s performance turned out to be somewhat crumpled due to an injury received during the Glinka Memorial, where he played for the Russian junior team. Denisenko managed to recover by mid-September, continuing to play for Loko, now playing 31 matches, scoring the same 22 (9+13) points. At tournaments as part of the junior team, in particular the World Challenge Cup, Grigory acted as usual effectively, scoring 4 (1+3) points in four games in Canada. Denisenko’s debut in the KHL happened during the playoffs - on March 17 in the series against SKA: the Yaroslavl forward spent six minutes on the ice, and before the end of the series he appeared in every game, being remembered for several spectacular power moves. At the last moment, Grigory was not included in the Russian junior team's roster before the home World Championship, but he got the opportunity to play in the final series of the Kharlamov Cup for Loko. Denisenko scored several important goals and, together with his teammates, won the main trophy in the MHL. Finally, in June, Grigory Denisenko was selected by Florida in the first round, 15th overall, in the NHL draft.
Achievements:
MHL Champion (2018, 2019), Winner of the World Cup among youth club teams (2018), Bronze medalist of the World Youth Championship (2019), Top scorer of the World Youth Championship (2019), Silver medalist of the Russian Junior Championship (2015, 2017) , Bronze medalist of the NMHL Championship (2017), Bronze medalist of the Winter Youth Olympic Games (2016), Top scorer of the Moscow Open Championship (2015), Champion of Russia among juniors (2014)
“I do 400-500 throws a day.” How Denisenko is preparing for the NHL
Florida will have to wait.
Just a year ago, only specialists and Yaroslavl fans attending MHL games knew this guy’s last name. Alexey Kudashov did not include the young forward in the main lineup. But he was not afraid to put the 17-year-old guy in the first line of Lokomotiv instead of Brandon Kozun. Yes, when! In the playoff series with SKA. Denisenko, even without scoring points, managed to make some noise.
In one of the matches with the current champions, he performed a tough power move against Nikolai Prokhorkin, after which he fought with Viktor Tikhonov. This episode, as well as a violation of the rules against Vladimir Barabanov in a game with the youth team of Dynamo St. Petersburg, came back to haunt the young “railroad worker”. Being one of the most talented players of the generation, he did not qualify for the World Junior Championships. The leadership of the national team, directly connected with Dynamo, explained this either by Denisenko’s mythical injury or by his penchant for unnecessary deletions.
Denisenko is healthy and playing for Loko. Why is FHR lying to us?
The junior team came up with an injury to their leader. For what?
Missing the World Championships did not prevent Denisenko from being highly selected in the NHL draft. Florida drafted Gregory 15th overall. Having signed a new two-year contract with Lokomotiv, the forward began preparing for the new season with the main team. However, he did not go to the Latvian Railway Cup. Together with other Yaroslavl youth, Denisenko went to Sochi for the World Cup among youth teams. It was there, on the shores of the Black Sea, that we met.
He trained at the Sibir, Gazovik and Lokomotiv youth sports schools.
Bronze medalist and best assistant at the Youth Olympic Games as part of the Russian national team.
Winner of the 2018 Kharlamov Cup with Loko.
He played four matches for Lokomotiv in the 2018 Gagarin Cup.
Selected 15th overall by Florida in the 2018 NHL Draft.
“I decided on my own, without anyone’s prompting, that I would not go to the Canadian junior leagues.”
- You're destroying everyone here. Are you interested?
- Yes, an interesting tournament, a good experience. The fact that he has international status is cool. It’s equally great to play with Scandinavians and Canadians.
MHC "Loko" sent eight goals to the goal of "Jokerit"
Aren't you upset that Canadians aren't the strongest here? The CCHL's Ottawa Capitals are only Canada's fourth-best junior league.
- In principle, no, it’s not upsetting. Of course, it would be interesting to play with a team from the CHL, but strong Canadians also came to Sochi.
-Have you never had the option of going to the Canadian junior leagues?
- No.
- Did they even call you?
- They called me, but I didn’t consider this option. I myself, without anyone’s prompting, decided that I would not go.
- Did someone's bad example scare you away?
- There are many examples, both successful and unsuccessful. Everyone makes their own future. There is no need to look at anyone.
- Maybe the fact is that you like Russian style more than Canadian?
- I’m trying to take all the good things from both our hockey and North American hockey, so that there is a golden mean.
Ilya Sorokin once told me that it’s hard to play in the MHL after the KHL, because the speeds are different, you have to get used to it. How does it feel for you to return to Loko after the playoffs with the main team?
- There is more time to think here. There is more space. You can play individually. Yes, and the difference in speeds is felt. We were sent here for experience, we need to develop with every match.
Krasotkin: Denisenko played a little wrong, he doesn’t show his full potential
Were you not surprised that you, Ivanov, Kovalenko, and Kayumov went to the World Cup? Kvartalnov has already actively attracted you to the base.
- Everyone guessed that we would go to the World Cup. They said that we need to win. We arrived in Sochi in a fighting spirit.
Does the fact that all teams live in the same hotel create any awkward situations? Perhaps you tease each other with the Canadians or Finns?
- We don’t know English (laughs). Although I’m doing a little better with this than the guys. I understand something.
- Do you practice English with the Lokomotiv legionnaires? Still, in a couple of years I’ll leave for the NHL.
- No, they all know Russian. Even Canadians.
You were drafted by Florida. Is the tournament in Sochi an opportunity to feel what it’s like to play hockey in the subtropics?
- Beaches don't distract me. During two tournaments (Sochi Hockey Open with Lokomotiv - note from the Championship) I was only at sea once. Overall, I have only positive impressions.
“I moved to Yaroslavl following my brother. Could end up in Kazan or Novokuznetsk"
- You were born in Novosibirsk, lived in Tyumen, now in Yaroslavl. Where is your home?
- In Novosibirsk, of course.
- Do I understand correctly that you went to Tyumen to pick up your brother Nikolai, also a hockey player?
- Yes, I was 8 years old then. We played together at Gazovik, and one day a selector from Yaroslavl came to my brother’s game. It so happened that I liked my brother’s game, then he watched my training and suggested that I move. We went to Yaroslavl with the whole family. Nobody thought of separating us.
- Could you have ended up not in Yaroslavl, but in some other hockey city?
- When I played in Tyumen, no, but when I left Novosibirsk, there were two more options: Novokuznetsk and Kazan.
- Did you leave Novosibirsk because it’s difficult to grow into a big player there?
- I didn’t think about it as a child. All worries and decisions were on the parents. Now I understand that they did everything right. They sacrificed a lot, moving from city to city because of my brother and me.
Andrei Svechnikov said that his brother Zhenya was an idol for him. You and your older brother have the same difference - four years.
- I, too, have always looked up to my brother. I watched the games and imitated them. I wanted to be like him, not only in hockey, but also in life. Kolya still watches my games and gives me tips.
Could you have imagined that you would go further in your career than your brother? He plays in the Major League for the Toros, you are at the base of Lokomotiv, selected in the first round of the NHL draft...
“I will always remain the little brother, no matter what happens.” I don't think about it.
“In the team that crashed, Marek was the favorite player”
- Yaroslavl is a city that experienced a terrible tragedy. Where were you on September 7, 2011?
- We lived in Tyumen. I went shopping with my mother, came home and my brother told me about the disaster. He was still little and didn’t really understand what had happened.
- Did you have a particularly favorite player on that team?
- Jan Marek. A very good hockey player, I imitated him in many ways. His skating was easy.
At the same time, Marek was a very caustic hockey player, unpleasant for his opponents, and sometimes provoked. Is that what he liked too?
- I didn’t notice it then, it was more the technical equipment that caught my eye.
- Were there any special feelings when you entered the main team’s locker room?
- Probably delight.
“Nobody likes being beaten in their own zone, not just Kvartalnov”
You are a technical player and like to tinker with the puck. Sometimes you make circles with the puck in someone else’s zone. Are they weaning themselves off this in the KHL?
- In the KHL there is less time to think, you can’t skate much with the puck. I myself understand that we need to play more masculine, mature hockey. Throw more, escalate.
There is an opinion that Dmitry Kvartalnov’s hockey is more suitable for strong guys who play simple hockey.
- I don’t know, it’s not for me to judge. My job is to do what the coach says.
- What should you never do on Kvartalnov’s team, otherwise you’ll definitely end up on the bench?
- There is nothing like that. And when a player starts to play in his own zone, any coach probably won’t like it. Not only Kvartalnov.
“I’m working on my throw and physicality.” I throw 400-500 times a day.”
- What do you think needs to be improved, first of all?
- I'm working on my throw. There is a throwing zone near my house. Whenever I have free time, I go there. I do 400-500 throws at a time.
- Who has the best shot in the NHL now?
- Ovechkin, Laine, Tarasenko’s is also decent.
- Dimensions are not a problem?
- We also need to work on “physics”. Our physical training coach in the main team gives serious loads, I feel like I’m improving.
You made your debut for Lokomotiv in the playoffs, in the series with SKA. When you were put in the first link, did your knees shake?
- Of course, it was a little exciting. But I played the first shift and all the excitement went away.
You were put in Brandon Kozun's place. During the season, watching the games of the main team, I didn’t think, maybe I could be in this place?
- No, I didn’t think about that. In principle, I was not particularly prepared for my debut. They said “today you are on the first line, play as best you can.”
“There is no club where I would never move. Even SKA"
Are you tired of the talk about tough play in games with St. Petersburg teams and the subsequent release from the junior team, or are you already calm?
- Yes, quite calm.
It is clear that Denisenko is not a dirty player, as Sergei Cherkas is trying to imagine, but I looked at the statistics: in the MHL you had quite a few disciplinary “ten marks”. Is it not always possible to contain your emotions?
- It all depends on the situation. It is clear that we need to receive fewer penalty minutes. As a rule, they were given to me not for talking, but for using power techniques.
When you go to “split” the Olympic champion Nikolai Prokhorkin, and then you are not afraid to fight with Viktor Tikhonov - is this a message to the coach that I am not just a young player, but also a fighter?
- No, just a game moment. Nothing special.
Vitaly Kravtsov once said that the only club he will not move to is Dynamo Moscow. Do you have such a club?
- No.
- Even SKA?
- Even SKA.
Peter doesn't forgive. Denisenko's release from the Junior World Championships is chaos
The leader of the Russian junior team was not taken to the World Championship for playing hard against hockey players from St. Petersburg. What's happening?
- Is there a person who, as a result of this whole story with the national team, would not give a hand?
- No. I have no grudges against anyone. But I no longer had any contacts with the leadership of the junior team.
- How did you feel when you watched the World Championships?
- And it so happened that I didn’t look. At that time I had the MHL final with Loko.
“It’s not just me who decides.” Coach of the junior team - about Denisenko’s absence
The head coach of the Russian national team, Alexander Zybin, and the team doctor told why Denisenko was not taken to the home Junior World Championships.
- You are a candidate for the Russian youth team. Have you met Valery Bragin yet?
- No, only with Oleg Bratash in the Olympic team. I hope everything is ahead.
“As a child I liked Samsonov’s skating”
Andrei Svechnikov should make his debut for Carolina next season. No thoughts, like, am I ready too?
- It’s too early to talk about this now. You can dream about anything, but my present is in Lokomotiv. My performance in the KHL will show whether I’m ready for the NHL.
- Before the draft, you took tests. What's the hardest thing?
- Test on a bicycle, probably. But in general I was in good shape, so it wasn’t very difficult.
- Were there any pointless exercises?
- I think in the NHL everything is thought out and there is nothing meaningless, everything is calculated.
- Sam Bennett couldn't stretch even once in the pre-draft tests, but he was chosen fourth overall.
- Tests are not the main thing. The main thing is what you are like on the ice. And on ice you don’t do pull-ups.
- But still. How many times have you done pull-ups?
- 11 times, it seems.
- Was there a team besides Florida that showed special interest and promised to draft you?
- "Los Angeles". For some reason, the team is also from the south (laughs).
- Were there any strange questions during interviews?
- They asked about my attitude to alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs.
20 Russians in the NHL Draft! This hasn't happened for 14 years
Among them is the grandson of Bilyaletdinov.
- And what did they answer?
- That I have a negative attitude.
- What else are they interested in?
- What kind of person are you. We tried to find out from all sides.
- How long does the interview before the draft last?
- They are not long. Sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes 15, but no more.
“In addition to Barkov, I dream of playing on the same line with Datsyuk”
- The main star of the current “Florida” is probably. Why is he cool?
- Bullitts!
- How are things going with shootouts?
- Yes, in principle it’s not bad.
- Which center besides Barkov do you dream of playing with?
- With Pavel Datsyuk. I would like to meet him, see how he prepares, and play together.
Pavel Bure played for Florida at the turn of the century, right around the time you were born. Are you ready for comparisons with the Russian Rocket?
- To say the truth, no.
- Can’t you train a speed like Bure’s? Is it something innate?
- In fact, many of his one-on-ones with the goalkeeper are not about speed, but about game thinking. He read the game in advance. This can and should be learned.
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