"Yaroslavl has a well-built team, so we are ready for everything"

The main sensation of the current offseason in the KHL was the change of the head coach of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the current Gagarin Cup winner. Igor Nikitin, who led the railwaymen to the first triumph in their history, unexpectedly left under an existing contract for a similar post at CSKA Moscow, which he headed in 2017-2021. Almost the entire coaching staff left Yaroslavl with him. However, Lokomotiv managed to retain almost the entire championship squad, including its main star Alexander Radulov.

And in July, he finally announced the name of a new head coach, the famous Canadian Bob Hartley, who won the Gagarin Cup with Avangard Omsk in 2021, and who had triumphed in the NHL 20 years earlier by winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche.

In an interview with Izvestia, one of the leaders of the current Lokomotiv, striker Maxim Shalunov, commented on the changes at the club, assessed the chances of repeating success next season and shared his impressions of his recent participation in the "Match of the Year" with the participation of Russian NHL and KHL stars.

— How are the preparations for the next season going?

— I'm trying to keep in shape as much as possible, but anyway, the main part of the preparation will start in August, when the team starts training camp. So far, I've taken part in the "Match of the Year", where our best guys from the NHL and KHL gathered.

— What are your impressions of such an event?

— Everything is fine. I think it's a very cool event for the audience, the fans, and the young hockey players who attended the Match of the Year. It's rare to see so many great hockey players on the ice at the same time. And it's great that it's been possible to organize this for the second year in a row.

— This is the first time you participated in this. Is it much different from the KHL all-star matches?

— These are slightly different events, actually. The KHL All-Star game takes place during the season and is more entertainment. And the "Match of the Year" takes place in the summer, during the off-season. Otherwise, plus or minus, everything is the same, but the selection of players for the "Match of the Year" is different — the presence of guys from the NHL strongly affects.

— What's it like to play against them even in such an exhibition format? Do you feel their level?

- of course. Even with the score 15:3 in favor of their team, I think everything was clear about their level. He's very tall, to put it mildly.

— Maybe your team didn't take this game very seriously?

— Well, it's not very serious... There's a lot to say. And that the unprepared went out on the ice. And who skated on the ice for how long during the off-season is not very clear. But it is what it is. The level of the NHL guys is obvious.

— What is it like to play against stars of the level of Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, with whom you have not crossed paths in your career?

— Yes, I only crossed paths with one of them once. What can I say... Great impressions. It can be seen that the masters are of an exorbitant level. And it was a great honor for me to be on the same ice with these guys this evening.

— Have you already talked with the new head coach of Lokomotiv, Bob Hartley?

— No, we haven't talked yet. He hasn't called any of the hockey players yet. All we know is that he was assigned to Lokomotiv.

— What are your impressions of this appointment?

— Everyone is looking forward to working with him. We will work hard, we will try to keep the bar that we set last season. Everyone knows who Hartley is and what he has achieved as a coach in different countries, including our league. We are looking forward to the start of training camps when we start training under his guidance.

— You played twice against Hartley's Avangard as part of CSKA, winning in 2019 and losing in 2021. Based on these series and matches in the regular season, have you formed an opinion on what he will build at Lokomotiv?

— To be honest, I have a rough understanding. But I'd rather not say anything yet. When we meet, he'll tell you everything. When we start work, everything will be clear. We'll wait and see if he makes any drastic changes compared to last season. It all depends on him. Basically, our guys in Yaroslavl are trained, the team is built, so we are ready for everything.

— When rumors began to spread at the end of May that Igor Nikitin was leaving for CSKA, there were insiders that you would follow him as a result of the exchange. How reliable was it?

— Look, it's your job to spread this kind of information. I haven't heard anything about it. And, as you can see, I'm staying at Lokomotiv and getting ready for next season.

— How did you react to Nikitin's departure to CSKA?

"It's his decision. Everyone chooses for themselves how to further develop their career and where to work. Igor Valeryevich and I have worked for more than one year in different teams. I won two Gagarin Cups under his leadership and generally came a long way. I can only thank him for everything he has done for me, including at Lokomotiv. What else can I add? Now our team and Nikitin and his staff are going their separate ways. Now we need to focus on achieving success in the new season.

— What are the chances of repeating this success?

— We have everything for this. First of all, I would like to note that the club has retained almost the entire championship squad, which is great. Excellent work by the management of Lokomotiv and personally by the president of our club, Yuri Nikolaevich Yakovlev. So we'll keep working and try to please our fans again.