"I stayed at Dynamo because there is one unfinished business"

In the current hockey offseason, Dynamo Moscow defender Daniil Pylenkov could leave for the NHL. In May, in an interview with the Sport24 website, the 24-year-old player stated that he was ready to "gnaw out a place" in the Tampa Bay Lightning, which owns the rights to him after being selected in the draft in 2021. However, in June, Pylenkov signed a new contract with Dynamo for the next two seasons.

According to Sport-Express, Daniil's salary amounted to 70 million rubles a year, which made him one of the three highest-paid defenders in the KHL. In an interview with Izvestia, Pylenkov explained the decision to stay at Dynamo, talked about the tasks for the coming season, shared his impressions of playing in the Match of the Year with the participation of NHL and KHL stars, and spoke about the disbandment of Vityaz near Moscow, in which Daniil began his career at the adult level.

— How do you like the atmosphere of the "Match of the Year"?

— It turned out to be a very cool show, a great match. It seems to me that everything was done at the highest level for the fans, for all hockey spectators.

— Was this your intersection with Alexander Ovechkin?

— Yes, the first one. It was a pleasure to meet, see such a legend and play against him. Even when Misha Sergachev, as the organizer of this "Match of the Year", warned me about its holding and invited me to play as part of the KHL team, I, of course, agreed. Including in order to see Ovechkin. But that's not the only reason I wanted to participate, so it's nice to be invited, thanks guys.

— Did the game against the Russian NHL representatives give you an understanding of what you need to improve if you go to Tampa at the end of your current contract with Dynamo?

— Of course, it was obvious that the guys from the NHL are very skilled. They can see the court very well and hold the puck. And they throw well, as the "Match of the Year" against us showed — the score was 15:3 in their favor, they beat our team by one wicket. We will work to be at their level.

— Have you ever lost with such a score? For example, when did you play in youth competitions?

"I don't recall that." We have to pay tribute to the guys from the NHL, who played against us in full force. Hence this account, which gave us an understanding of what needs to be added.

— In the spring, the issue of your departure to Tampa seemed to be resolved to many.

— It was a very real option.

— Why did you decide to stay at Dynamo in the end?

— Because there is one unfinished business here. I want to help the club win the Gagarin Cup.

— But was there any hesitation at first between going overseas and continuing to play for Dynamo?

— It was a little bit like that at first. But then, after consulting with his family, he decided to stay at Dynamo.

— There is a stereotype that when you seem to have publicly declared your readiness to "gnaw out a place in the NHL team" and, if necessary, play for its farm club in the AHL, and then decided to stay in Russia, this may not have a good effect on your reputation overseas. Did you take this into account when you re-signed the contract with Dynamo?

— Time will tell. Everything will be visible in two years.

— How did you react to Vityaz's exclusion from the KHL?

— It's a shame for the club. But this is life — there's nothing you can do about it. Vityaz is a special page in my career for me. I've been there since I was 15, gained a foothold in the KHL, joined the Russian youth national team, and received an invitation to SKA. And in general, this club has left a significant mark in the history of our hockey — many good players have graduated from it. Vityaz allowed many young hockey players to prove themselves at the KHL level. It's a pity that everything turned out this way for the club.