"I miss playing for the Russian national team, like all Russians in the NHL"

On May 18, the final of the Media Basket Betting League was held at the CSKA Arena. One of the honored guests of the event was Minnesota striker Kirill Kaprizov, who traditionally spends his holidays in his native country. In an interview with Izvestia and Sport-Express, the Olympic champion answered questions about a possible KHL–NHL match, the record of Alexander Ovechkin and the Russian national team.

— We met at the final of the Media Basket Betting League. Who are you rooting for?

— I'm in favor of beautiful basketball, for the first time at a media competition. The atmosphere, the beautiful game, the good mood — it's all there. Everyone is getting high, having fun.

— Can it be compared to the shows in the NHL and the NBA?

— This is a different show. There are professional people there who have been involved in sports since childhood. Bloggers are also playing here. But the atmosphere itself is top! A lot of work has been done.

— Maybe it makes sense to transfer this packaging and atmosphere to the KHL?

— That would be a big plus. For example, a person who is far from hockey will come to the match, but he will be shown in Cuba — this will popularize the sport. Other fans will want to come too.

— Did you miss Russia?

— Of course I miss you. I'm going to fly home now (to the Kemerovo region. — Ed.), but for now, for a couple of days in Moscow. The plans are to get some rest, train, and have a good time. We need to prepare for next season. You must go to the sauna. I've already visited it!

— How do you rate the season?

— Unusual. I haven't started a season so well in a long time. Everything seemed to be going well. But this injury knocked me down, for the first time I missed so much time. Psychologically, everything is fine, but it's a shame that we lost in the first round of the playoffs. We need to draw conclusions and heal.

— Alexander Ovechkin's record caused a huge stir in Russia. For example, congratulations posters were hung all over Moscow. How was it in the NHL?

"The same thing. When there were less than 20 goals left, they talked about it every morning. There was constant news about it, and everyone was discussing it. And he also had an injury, missed the games... He came out and scored again! They talked about it in the locker room every morning. Sometimes he came, the boys immediately: "Did you see that?"

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— Did you manage to congratulate me personally?

— He had 8-9 goals left, he came to Minnesota. Many people thought that he could break this record here. (Laughs.) He was walking at such a pace! And so, I saw him even before the record was set. But he congratulated me, of course, and sent me an SMS.

— How do you feel about the possible KHL–NHL match?

— Only if Minnesota can play with someone from the KHL. I heard that there was also a conversation about a possible match between the national teams of Russia and the USA. That would be a great format too. Moreover, we haven't played for the national team for a long time.

— Have you followed the series of the national teams of Russia and Belarus?

— No, I just read the news about the game. But I didn't look, I didn't have time, I didn't have much time. I really miss playing for the national team. It's always great to represent your country. I haven't played for the Russian team for a long time. All Russian players (in the NHL) miss this.

— Who are you rooting for in the final series of the Gagarin Cup?

— For the beautiful hockey, for both teams. I know a lot of guys from Traktor and Lokomotiv. I probably want Igor Valeryevich (Nikitin) to win. He deserved it. The team played well last year, and this year it went smoothly.