"We have one task — to try to win the Gagarin Cup"

The new KHL season begins on Friday, and on Saturday SKA St. Petersburg will play its first match, which will face the Shanghai Dragons, a Chinese club based in the Northern Capital. SKA has been updated a lot over the past summer. His long-term manager and head coach Roman Rotenberg, as well as many players, have left the club.

Striker Mikhail Vorobyov is one of the few hockey players left from the old squad. In an interview with Izvestia, he shared his impressions of working with the new coach, spoke about the problems of his former club, Salavat Yulaev Ufa, and commented on his former partner in the Russian youth national team Kirill Kaprizov's performance in the NHL for the Minnesota Wild.

— What was new during the first preseason under the leadership of Igor Larionov?

— Regime, discipline in terms of nutrition, in terms of the training process. Everything is clear on time, fast. Everything is in pace. This leaves time for the family.

— They say that now you have to get up around 6 a.m., because training starts very early.

— Yes, it is. There was nothing wrong with that. I can't say that it's hard for me to keep up with it. Moreover, we were given bracelets that track our condition. And based on this, recommendations appear on what time it is better for each of us to go to bed, based on our training schedule. The body of each player is read. And based on this, recommendations on the regime are given.

— And what is the optimal time for you to go to bed?

— 22:15. More precisely, at this time it is necessary to sleep already. That is, go to bed at about 21:45.

— Is it working?

— Yes, the body has adjusted. Maybe it was just the first two days that were a little unusual and difficult. And then it worked out quite well, and in the morning, even without an alarm clock, I got up when I needed to.

— What was your sleep schedule before?

— I used to rely more on the child. Because children usually have early morning workouts or kindergarten. So I had to take my five-year-old child in the morning, that's why I got up so early. But with the current SKA coaching staff, the sleep schedule has become even clearer. And in many ways, thanks to the fact that I used to adjust to my child's schedule, I managed to adapt quickly.

— Do you like this mode?

- yes. Moreover, as I said, starting a workout early means completing it earlier. And the earlier the first training session takes place in the morning, the earlier the second one takes place on the same day. As a result, there is more time left in the evening to spend time with your family.

— As a person who is starting his fifth season with SKA, do you feel responsible as one of the main old-timers of the club after the summer change of management, coaching staff and most of the squad?

- yes. And I'm not afraid of responsibility in principle. But for us, every day is a responsibility for the team, for the result. Everyone is equal here, so I can't single out anyone as a leader.

— After all, you were listed as a first-team center in the minutes of most pre-season matches.

— I think it's only according to protocol (smiles). So we can all be the first centers.

— You mentioned Igor Larionov's regime requirements. And what has he changed in the game plan?

— Yes, there are a lot of changes. All sorts of tips come from the head coach in terms of how to open up, how to roll up, how to communicate with defenders. In principle, there are many such serious nuances.

"Like what?"

— Try to always be inside certain points and exit through the center, because many teams are constantly closing the sides. They constantly tell us how to roll up under the defender and get the puck after that, so that we have a little more time to make a decision. This is necessary in order not just to throw the puck into the glass, but to find an opportunity for a good pass.

— Was this not the case with the previous coaching staff?

— To be honest, I don't remember anymore. Somehow it was forgotten.

— Does it feel like it was all in a previous life — has SKA changed so much over the 2025 offseason?

— I somehow try not to remember last season. I didn't have any thoughts on this, because I want to adjust to the future.

— Do you follow what is happening with your native "Salavat Yulaev"? Is there any disappointment from the story of debts, budget cuts, termination of the contract with such a star of the club as Joshua Livo?

— Of course, there is disappointment. But on the other hand, many young guys in Ufa have a chance to prove themselves at the KHL level, somehow gain a foothold, prove themselves. Maybe they will spend the season no worse, or even better than the previous one. So it's too early to draw any conclusions. I think that in the Republic of Bashkortostan they like to play hockey. And in the end, Salavat will be fine.

— Can we expect great success from SKA this season? Or, given all the changes, will it take time to build a team that will fight for the trophy?

— In any case, as always, we have maximum tasks. More precisely, there is only one task — to try to win the Gagarin Cup.

— You will start the season at the SKA Arena, but unlike the last championship, it will not be your home, but the Shanghai Dragons. After this Chinese club decided to play in St. Petersburg this season, has it become a fundamental rival for you?

— I'm not looking at it that way yet. Maybe, during the season, when we play the first match, such an attitude will appear. But so far there is nothing like that.

— How did you react to the return of your team from the big SKA Arena to the Ice Palace, where home matches were constantly played until 2024?

— We played more games at the Ice Rink, which is somehow more familiar. But in general, the audience support is good there. As it is, I can only hear people when we score a goal or I'm sitting and relaxing on the bench. The rest of the time, I'm all in the game, so it's hard to hear anyone.

— In 2017, you won the bronze medal at the World Youth Championship when you were the center of the team in which Kirill Kaprizov played. Have you been following how he's been playing in the NHL for Minnesota in the last five years? How has it changed since then?

— Of course, I always keep an eye on the guys I played with. Both for those who are in the NHL now, and for the guys from the KHL. But that happened a few years ago, when he confidently entered, one might say, opened the door to the NHL with his feet, gaining the necessary experience with CSKA. Since then, he has been trying to improve his game from match to match, from season to season. But I think he wants to climb as high as possible and reach the Stanley Cup.