"We can repeat the success of last season"

In the KHL regular season, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl once again becomes one of the best teams. He leads the Western Conference by a solid margin and is slightly behind the leader of the East, Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

In the offseason, after the long-awaited victory in the playoffs, Lokomotiv unexpectedly lost its coaching staff — head coach Igor Nikitin, who led the team for three and a half years, left with his assistants for CSKA Moscow. He was replaced by the famous Canadian Bob Hartley, who won the Gagarin Cup in 2021 with Omsk Avangard. One of the leaders of the team remains striker Artur Kayumov, who has been playing for Yaroslavl for almost 10 years. In September, the 2022 Olympic silver medalist broke the record for the number of goal+pass points scored for Lokomotiv in regular championships - he currently has 203 (95+108) points.

In an interview with Izvestia, the 27-year-old hockey player assessed the club's chances of repeating the success of last season, said that the requirements for the team had not changed much under the new coaching staff, and also commented on his record and being included in the expanded list of the Russian national team for the Channel One Cup, which will be held in December in Novosibirsk.

— How would you rate the results of Lokomotiv during this part of the season?

— Good results. We are leading the conference and winning quite regularly. Of course, there are rough edges, but in general there is an understanding of what needs to be done and what needs to be improved.

— How much more difficult is it to stay at the top now when everyone is tuning in to your team as the reigning champion?

— I would not say that it has become more difficult. It's just that we didn't play our best at the beginning of the season.… Not the way we know how. Perhaps, emotional fatigue after a long and difficult last season affected somewhere. But it's good that even then in September we were gaining points quite steadily, winning, and were among the leaders. And now we have gradually reached our level and feel quite confident.

— How have the requirements for the team changed under Bob Hartley compared to the times of Igor Nikitin?

— Nothing has changed globally. Maybe the requirements of the current coaching staff differ from the previous one in some nuances. But no more than that. After all, our composition is almost the same as it was before. Therefore, we try to develop what has brought us success. The overall picture is about the same.

— But do you have faith that with the current headquarters you can repeat the success that you achieved with the previous one?

— We believe in it. Our staff is qualified, the head coach has already won the Gagarin Cup. It is clear that both we and the mentors understand what we want and how to achieve it. Just like last season, when we tried to work out to the fullest from the first to the last minute of every match and follow the coaching instructions. Yes, maybe it didn't always work out, because our rivals also opposed us and they are serious. But in the end, it gave a result on the course. I am sure we can achieve this again if we do the same as last season.

— The link between Alexander Radulov and Egor Surin still plays a big role for you. Why don't they slow down after the spring triumph?

— Well, you know what a master Radulov is and what experience he has in hockey. He made a huge contribution to the success of the team last season, both in terms of his playing skills and leadership skills. It is clear that Sanya never likes to stop there. And Egor is a talented guy, which he proved in the victorious playoffs. But it is clear that this is not the limit for him. I am glad that he continues to show himself well now. With such an experienced master as Radulov around, he should continue to progress. The main thing is to listen to Alexander's advice and add more.

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— Considering how long Lokomotiv has been going to this Gagarin Cup, do you feel enough emotions in yourself to go after this trophy again?

— Yes, quite. It all depends on us, on how we perceive ourselves after this success, how we treat business, how we fulfill the requirements of the head coach. I think that our results are still normal, since we are going to the top of our conference table. Of course, you always want more. But I am sure that we will add more. We want to move as confidently and consistently as last season. We have a good team that has enough skill and character to win. We saw this last season and we can repeat it this year.

— In September, you became Lokomotiv's top scorer in the history of its performances in the KHL, breaking the record for points scored. How important is this story to you?

— It is important for me to help my team win. Personal statistics are already secondary. Of course, it's nice that we managed to score so many points for Lokomotiv. But here I can only thank the club for what they did for me, how they gave me a chance to play in the KHL and achieve such a trophy as the Gagarin Cup last season. And also thanks to all the coaches who trusted me and the teammates I played with and am playing with now. This would not have happened without them. I will try to continue to benefit Lokomotiv, not only with the points I have scored, but also with other useful actions on the ice.

— How did you react to the recent inclusion in the expanded list of the Russian national team for the December Channel One Cup?

— I'm glad that the national team's coaching staff evaluates me this way. It is always a great honor for me to play for the national team and represent my country. I'm happy to go there at any time. But now the list is only expanded, there is still a lot of time before the Channel One Cup. So let's see what happens next, who gets into the final squad.