"There are more than 10 people applying for your place in the NHL"

Last KHL season, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl defender Dmitry Simashev won the Gagarin Cup with his team, after which he signed a contract with the NHL club Utah Mammoth, which selected him in the summer of 2023 in the first round of the draft at number six. It is still unclear whether the Russian will start his debut season in the main team or go to the second most important championship overseas — the American Hockey League (AHL), where the Tucson Roadrunners farm club of Utah plays.

In an interview with Izvestia, the 20-year-old hockey player assessed the chances of gaining a foothold in the new team, talked about communication with its leader Mikhail Sergachev, meetings with Mormons, and also spoke about the unexpected departure of head coach Igor Nikitin from Lokomotiv to CSKA.

— How are you preparing to leave for North America?

— While I'm here in Russia. I'm working out, getting in shape. I'm flying to the USA on August 5.

— You attended the "Match of the Year" in Moscow with the participation of NHL and KHL stars. What are your impressions of the event?

— Very large scale. This is a major event for Russian hockey. It's really cool that we have such events. It's great to raise 30 million rubles for charity on it!

— When you look at such matches with the participation of our NHL players, does it add an understanding of who will have to face overseas very soon?

— To confront someone, to be on the same team with someone, on the contrary. After all, I'm going to Utah, which is supported by Mikhail Sergachev, the organizer of this "Match of the Year". It is very cool. When you watch such matches, you always want to be on the ice with the guys — this is a certain motivation to prepare even better for the season in order to get the opportunity to play with them in the NHL.

— Did you have a conversation with the management of Utah regarding their plans for you, what are the chances of starting the NHL season rather than going to the Tucson Farm Club?

— Of course, I was told that they would look at me at the training camp, that they would give me chances to prove myself there. But, of course, no one will just give you a place in the main team. It doesn't matter if your name is Dmitry Simashev or Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks center forward, first pick of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft). Even if you were selected in the first round of the draft, you still have to prove that you are better than those who are currently in the main team. In any case, you should understand that there are 10 or more people from the AHL who are applying for your place. Therefore, you need to prove your level 100% at the Training Camp before the season. And it doesn't matter if you're the first number of the draft, the sixth or the hundredth.

— How often do you contact representatives of your new club?

— I'm talking to Bill Armstrong, the general manager of Utah. We have a fairly close dialogue, we contact quite often. I also talked to the owner of the club, Ryan Smith. The dialogue is going well.

— Usually, when people of this level come into contact with a drafted rookie, it means that they are going to make a serious bet on the player.

— There is some truth in this. But don't fool yourself into thinking that you're already guaranteed a spot in the top 6 of Utah for the NHL season. Yes, the fact that the owner and the general manager are talking to you causes a positive reaction. But this is not the most accurate indicator to be sure that you will play in NHL games from the very beginning of the season.

— Have you been in close contact with Mikhail Sergachev?

— We met him last year. He then gave a lot of advice on how to prepare for the NHL. And now he and I are constantly training together, preparing for the season. Now Mikhail is my close acquaintance, friend and mentor, telling me how to train properly. I fully trust him in this matter. He helps me a lot.

— What do you look like in the way you play?

— It's hard to say. Misha has already made a name for himself. And I'm only 20 years old and still have to prove my level. He is certainly a master with a capital letter. In principle, I can also score a lot of points in a season, but it still needs to be shown in practice. In general, Sergachev and I have a similar anthropometry. Misha is also quite tall. Yes, I'm taller in this regard, but there are similarities. He's left—handed, and I'm left-handed too. We're both good skaters, we can connect to the attack. There are many similarities.

— To what extent did working at Lokomotiv under the leadership of Igor Nikitin and Dmitry Yushkevich, former defenders, help you prepare for your departure overseas?

— Well, there, across the ocean, many people know who I worked with. Everyone knows that Yushkevich played in the NHL for a long time, that he is a famous defender. As for his and Nikitin's coaching staff, they gave me a lot in terms of understanding how to act in adult hockey, how to defend properly. This is their strong point. If you want to figure out how to act defensively at the highest level, then you need to go to Yushkevich. It is clear that Nikitin understands this too, but in Yaroslavl, as the head coach, he was more focused on the overall leadership of the team. And Dmitry Sergeevich worked in great detail with the defenders, including me.

— Have you been to Utah yet?

— I've already been there this year, and I spent a few weeks last summer. I've already met everyone at the club, I've talked to them more than once. I feel like I belong there.

— What impression did this place make?

"It's a great place. Cleanliness, mountains, big lake. In general, for me it is somewhat comparable to Andorra in Europe, where I have been. It's also a city among the mountains. It's a very cool place — I liked it.

— Do you like to relax in the mountains?

— I like to relax by the sea. And I don't mind living among the mountains — it's a good addition to the city.

— Have you seen the Mormons that most people associate with the state of Utah?

— Yes, of course. They're not exactly everywhere, but there are a lot of them. This is a real Mormon state. Very cool, kind guys. They are responsive and sociable. They'll help you if you ask for it. It is not noticeable at all that they are somehow strange, as many people think of them. More precisely, maybe they are really strange, but I personally did not notice it.

— How did you react to the departure of Nikitin and his staff from Lokomotiv?

— Literally two or three weeks before the official announcement of their departure, I found out about it. It was unexpected and surprising. But it's interesting.

— During the celebration of the Gagarin Cup victory, did you notice any hints of their imminent departure?

— There was no hint of it at all. Later, I saw the news on Telegram channels, but I thought it was a hoax. In the end, it turned out to be true.

— How do you see the future of Lokomotiv now without you and without this headquarters?

— It's hard to say. But it will be very interesting. It all depends on the guys. In principle, the management of Lokomotiv, headed by the president of the club, Yuri Nikolaevich Yakovlev, retained almost the entire championship squad. Bob Hartley, a very strong specialist, was appointed to the post of head coach. It will be interesting to see how he behaves — will he immediately build something of his own or will he first use the baggage that remained from the previous coaching staff.