Why Vladislav Gavrikov moved from Lokomotiv to SKA. Defender of HC Lokomotiv Vladislav Gavrikov, in the second part of an interview with Yaroslavl Sport, spoke about his first steps in professional hockey, and also talked about how he spends his free time.

From the moment the transition was announced Vladislava Gavrikova from Lokomotiv to SKA, a little less than a week has passed, but the emotions from the most high-profile transfer of this summer do not subside. There are not so many intra-league transfers in the KHL between clubs that set themselves the highest goals. However, after the sale of Gavrikov, you willy-nilly begin to doubt Lokomotiv’s cup ambitions.

In general, the comments with which both clubs accompanied the news about Gavrikov’s transfer should be included in a PR textbook with the note “what not to do.” Every line is absurd. The Yaroslavl team, declaring that they were on the right track after selling their student, signed their readiness to be donors for the club from the Northern capital. What is excusable for “Kuzna” or “Sibir” looks wild when applied to the three-time Russian champions.

SKA bought Gavrikov from Lokomotiv! For only 115 million rubles

Vladislav Gavrikov moved to SKA, Kuznya was admitted to the VHL, and Burmistrov will leave Arizona at the end of the day.

There is no shame in being a kind of hockey “Udinese”, but only if selling your students or reselling visiting youth is the only possibility of existence. Lokomotiv, which has a rich history behind it and such a powerful structure as Russian Railways, is in a different situation. Just a couple of months ago, the “railroad” team fought almost on equal terms with SKA in the conference finals, and now in another battle - the transfer battle - they are throwing out the white flag.

SKA's press release looks no less comical. St. Petersburg residents would have received much less angry reviews if they had simply announced Gavrikov’s transfer. Now we are forced to read about partnerships with Lokomotiv and gratitude to Russian Railways as a sponsor of the club. “The clubs are working together to prevent the outflow of young players overseas, which seems especially important in view of the upcoming Olympic Games,” - all this sounds nothing more than a mockery. However, this is not the first time for the St. Petersburg army team to hide behind good intentions.

SKA’s attempts to disown the transfer amount, which first appeared in the Championship’s reports, also look funny. To the news that Gavrikov cost the St. Petersburgers 115 million rubles, the club from the banks of the Neva reacted in its characteristic style, starting the game “Refute the fake.” The irony is that SKA did not specify whether the real transfer amount was greater or less, and soon colleagues from Business Online published their version, according to which the “CSKA” paid for the defender... 125 million. If this is so, then we are even a little ashamed, that we unwittingly underestimated the amount of such an important transaction for Russian hockey.

In fact, there is nothing sensational in the amount of Gavrikov’s transfer, be it 115 or 125 million. Behind Sergei Shumakov And Maxima Shalunova CSKA paid 150 million rubles each, although neither one nor the other played at the World Cup. The same Moscow “army men” paid for Gavrikov’s partner on the Russian national team several years ago Bogdan Kiselevich 100 million. For oil and gas oligarchs, there seems to be no amount less than this “cherished” mark. And what can we talk about if for only the rights to Evgenia Kuznetsova, not going to Russia in the coming years, is SKA ready to fork out 150 million?

“However, nothing new,” we might say in the words of one odious TV presenter. Yes, only now we are talking about a graduate of Lokomotiv and, concurrently, one of the most progressive defenders in the country. It is customary to blame both SKA and Vladislav himself for leaving the banks of the Volga. Like, he betrayed his native club, chased after a long ruble, and so on. Of course, not all Lokomotiv fans throw curses at him, especially since there is a reliable three-letter lightning rod. But what if we look at this story from a different angle?

If the case with Gavrikov had been isolated, SKA could have been accused of robbing the Yaroslavl club, and the player himself could have been touched on a tangent. However, this transfer is not the only example of how the Lokomotiv management cynically and without regrets lets go of its leaders. As a rule, everything goes to the same club from St. Petersburg. The railroad workers stopped fighting for Yegor Yakovlev when, as a result of bidding, the value of the defender’s contract reached 90 million rubles. Yaroslavl residents did not hold on to Sergei Plotnikov, when he decided to return to Russia from overseas. And Plotnikov himself was not eager to put on the Lokomotiv uniform again for reasons that we will talk about later.

What if SKA is not a robber at all, taking Lokomotiv players by force, but simply a club ready to pick up those who are not particularly taken care of in Yaroslavl? Do you remember at least one hockey player for whom the railroad management really fought? And we shouldn’t reduce everything just to an “arms race.” Sometimes the difference in a contract offer can be compensated for by something intangible, but no less important for the players - human attitude. “Lokomotiv” shows that no one is irreplaceable, and every hockey player is just a cog in a large mechanism. So about Gavrikov it is read between the lines: “If one leaves, we will educate others.”

You can respect Yuri Yakovlev for the fact that he adheres to certain principles and does not give players more than he thinks they deserve. Business - and nothing personal. If all the leaders in our hockey had such a position, perhaps there would not be inflated salaries in the KHL. But this strategy, which seems reasonable at first glance, also has a downside. The president of Lokomotiv distances himself so much from the players, sometimes not even answering their calls, that fair doubts may creep in: do the club and the entire hockey Yaroslavl really need me?

“Lokomotiv” shows that no one is irreplaceable, and every hockey player is just a cog in a large mechanism.

“We have negotiated with Yaroslavl, but Lokomotiv is not yet ready to agree to our terms. The club’s attitude towards Loktionov is not entirely adequate,” he spoke about the progress of the negotiations in an interview with our portal Igor Larionov. If this concerned only Loktionov and his agent, one could turn a blind eye to this. Larionov is not the simplest person, and like any agent, he tends to exaggerate the importance of his clients. But the fact of the matter is that this very “not entirely adequate attitude” is not only about Loktionov, but also about Gavrikov. According to our information, Vladislav has been patiently waiting for an offer from his native club since the beginning of the year; days and months passed, but it never arrived. Moreover, in Yaroslavl they were ready to give him a contract for only one year, while in St. Petersburg they put a two-year agreement on the table.

One can only guess why Yaroslavl did not fight for Gavrikov, whose salary demands were moderate. Perhaps the Lokomotiv management had come to terms with the fact that the defender would sign a contract with Columbus in the offseason. Vladislav had other plans. Unlike Antipin, Mironov, Shipachev and other Russians who went to the NHL this summer, he truly dreams of playing at the Olympics. After Gavrikov became the most useful player of the Russian team at the World Championships and played the entire tournament in the first pair, this goal became tangible. Without offering their student a contract, Lokomotiv, in fact, left him no choice: either move to St. Petersburg with high chances of a trip to Pyeongchang, or go to the NHL and be left without the Olympics.

The Olympics are more important than the NHL. Who stayed in Russia for a trip to Pyeongchang

Gavrikov refused Columbus and moved to SKA, and Tkachev was promised a star partner in the top three. Who else decided to stay in Russia for the Olympics?

Of course, there is no point in making Gavrikov a martyr. Although it was not easy for him to leave his native club, to SKA, in addition to the opportunity to play in Korea, he will have a fight for the cup, a good salary and the trust of Znark, who highly values ​​the Yaroslavl player. There is no point in justifying SKA, which primarily worked not to strengthen the Olympic team, but to eliminate one of its competitors. But all this does not negate the fact that Lokomotiv in this story is not a victim at all, as many are trying to imagine, but a full participant in the transaction, who reaps what he sows. When another talented student of the club, having seen enough of the attitude towards Gavrikov, decides to go where he is more valued, no one will be surprised.

The transfer of Russian national team defender Vladislav Gavrikov to SKA is the main hockey topic of the summer.

In June, he made two decisions that might surprise. He left his native Lokomotiv and rejected an offer from the NHL. Match TV contacted the player to understand how this happened.

This is the life of a hockey player,” our call found Gavrikov in Columbus, where he arrived at the invitation of the club that drafted him in 2015. - I am a native Yaroslavl, I always wanted to lift the Cup over my head in my native arena. I remember very well my emotions after the club’s last championship, the feelings after the well-known tragedy. Since childhood, I have been steeped in the winning traditions of Lokomotiv; for me this is not an empty phrase. We don't know how everything will turn out next. Maybe there will be a chance to play in Yaroslavl.

Can you imagine entering the Yaroslavl arena wearing a SKA uniform?
- This will be a special day in my life. It’s hard to imagine that I’ll end up on the guest bench. But now I don't think about it.

Are you ready to be greeted not very friendly?
- Everyone has their own story, but I didn’t betray anyone. We talked about a childhood dream, and could anyone really think that I gave it up easily? I hope for the understanding of Yaroslavl fans. If only because he honestly worked for the success of the club since he came to hockey. I love my city, it was an honor to represent it at the major league level. I can’t predict the reaction of the fans, but I want to say a huge thank you to them. Both in the days of victories and in the days of failures, the support was crazy. I always felt it. The joy of the stands inspired me, and criticism helped me grow.

How did your Lokomotiv partners react to your transition?
- We had a great team that I will miss. I have many true friends on my team with whom we have gone through a lot. But no one began to pull the veins, no one got into the soul.

In Columbus they were shocked by your decision to stay in the KHL. Has your attitude towards you personally changed after that?
- Many thanks to Columbus for the invitation to come, for the attention the club paid to me. All here are professionals who have been in the hockey business for several years. Of course, it is interesting to try my hand at the NHL in the future, but now the goal is to spend the next two seasons at a high level.

How can you explain your decision?
- The choice was very difficult, but you understand that such decisions are not made alone. I have a family and relatives. Moreover, his career in the KHL is on the rise. I believe that I am growing as a player, and I hope this progress will continue at SKA. Look at the club's defensive line: to withstand such competition and get a lot of playing time is a serious challenge. And in two years, when the time comes to make a new decision, I will only be stronger.

There is an opinion that in some matches the St. Petersburg players do not have to give their all. Is it possible to progress in such an environment?
- Everyone is used to judging by the score. Lokomotiv lost to St. Petersburg in the last semi-final 0-4, but I think we gave a great fight, and with some luck we could count on more, right up to reaching the final. I'm sure the opponent had to play to the limit.

Tell us about your debut at the World Championships, where you came second in terms of plus-minus.
- I was ready for the high level of the opponents, so I wasn’t particularly worried. I felt comfortable paired with Bogdan Kiselevich. And you still have to thank the forwards for the “plus-minus”, but you shouldn’t get hung up on this indicator. He is not the most important in hockey, and my medal is not gold. But I still have the experience of a big tournament, which will help in my future career.

At the World Cup they trusted me: decent playing time, minority. I hope it will be the same at the club.

When are you returning to Russia?
- I’m arriving on the 29th, then my girlfriend Nastya and I are going to settle in St. Petersburg. And then it’s time for hard work.

Defender of HC Lokomotiv Vladislav Gavrikov, in the second part of an interview with Yaroslavl Sport, spoke about his first steps in professional hockey, and also talked about how he spends his free time. - Remember the moment when you signed a professional contract for the first time. What feelings did you experience? - He signed his first professional contract with the Loko youth team. Naturally, I was very glad and happy that the management of my native club pinned certain hopes on me and gave me a chance to prove myself. As I remember now, I signed the first agreement in the summer of 2011. - Do you remember your debut in the KHL? - It was at the very beginning of last season under Sean Simpson in one of the away games. Before the game, of course, there was a little excitement, but after the starting whistle it completely disappeared. Went out for a couple of shifts. I may not have played that much, but I got good experience. Then King came - they demoted me to the MHL, then raised me to the VHL. He began to appear more or less constantly in the main lineup after the World Youth Championship under Dave King. - King didn’t really trust young people. Didn't you feel it? - Perhaps such a moment really took place. But this fact only made me angry in a good way and added motivation to work on myself even more. But I would in no way say that King treated young people badly. He constantly helped us in the training process and gave us a lot of advice. And the fact that he didn’t see us in the lineup... Well, as I already noted, there was an even greater incentive to work on ourselves. - If I’m not mistaken, you scored the first goal for Lokomotiv this season. Remember how this happened? - Yes I remember. It was an away match against Barys. The goal turned out to be a bit “garbage” - I shot it from almost zero angle in the hope that one of the guys would successfully finish the goal. Of course, I kept the puck as a souvenir. After the game, the team, as well as parents, relatives, and friends congratulated me. It’s a pity that my first goal in the KHL didn’t bring us any points, which noticeably spoiled the overall impression. - The most unpleasant forward you played against in the KHL? - I don’t get hung up on personalities. It's never easy for anyone. There are a lot of great forwards in the KHL with good technique, skating and a high level of performance skill. It is very difficult to single out one striker. Let’s say Ak Bars forward Aizavedo is very fast and nimble, so it’s very difficult to catch him. There are techies like Mozyakin, with whom things are never easy. Or Radulov, who, in addition to possessing extraordinary skill, is very physically strong. At the same time, it is difficult to play against Evgeniy Artyukhin, because he stands out with his size and tries to use it in his game. This is one of the most aggressive and tough forwards in the KHL. - In one of Lokomotiv’s home matches, you were not afraid to use force against Artyukhin himself. - Normal power move. I forgot him a long time ago. Nothing special. After this power move, was I expecting some kind of trick from Artyukhin? I don’t think he’s looking for a moment to specifically hit someone in retaliation. - What did you spend your first salary on? - The first salary was small - 800 rubles per month. I bought a small cake for home and flowers for my mother. This is exactly what the entire salary was spent on. - How did it happen that the youth team paid only 800 rubles? - It wasn’t in the youth team! At graduation, the children's school paid a small stipend. I was fifteen years old then. - And now the salaries of young hockey players in the KHL allow them to live in grand style? - It depends on what you mean by wide foot. I won’t hide our salary, which is more than enough to live normally and help our parents. - Doesn't big money kill hockey? After all, a young player who ends up in a good club with a big salary probably loses motivation... - It all depends on the person. If he does not lower his demands on himself and treats his salary adequately, without allowing himself too much, then everything will be fine. It should be something like this: a good contract is an incentive to improve your game, to show your maximum. The player must love hockey, not money. Vladislav Gavrikov: A player should love hockey, not money! - There are people who do not understand what is behind all this and what was worth sacrificing for the sake of a good contract and a professional career. Is not it? - I agree. Children from the age of five choose their own path and begin to train hard. When I remember how much training I had as a child... Believe me, it is very hard work. Many children never dreamed of such work and rhythm of life. Some are not even used to getting up early. And we had training at 6.00, and on the contrary, at 11 pm. So the path to becoming a professional is not easy. Moreover, it’s hard not only for the boys, but also for the parents who put their souls into their children and sacrifice their free time. This is a very important point. You know that if you work hard and try, then there will be a return. And the time spent in sports will not be lost. - Professional sports have their disadvantages, one of them is that you are not at home much. When you started playing sports seriously, did you think about these disadvantages, about the other side of the coin? - I didn’t pay any attention to it. On the contrary, as a child I always liked traveling, and even now I like to go on the ice in other cities - be it in Russia or abroad. Packing and moving are part of our professional responsibilities. - By the way, what is your nickname at Lokomotiv? - Le Havre. Briefly and clearly. - Does Vladislav Gavrikov have a hockey dream? - I want to achieve high goals with my current club – Yaroslavl “Lokomotiv”, and for this I need to win the Gagarin Cup. The main goal for me now is to help Lokomotiv, and then life will tell. - A year and a half ago, you attended the 2014 draft. Why weren't you drafted then? - This question is not for me, but for the clubs that draft. - Probably, they expected a different development of events. Did you regret going overseas? - There was hope that I would be drafted, but I wasn’t very upset. Together with Lokomotiv we were at a training camp in North America. Literally a two-hour drive to Philadelphia, where the draft took place. Together with Nikita Cherepanov we went and saw what the draft was like. All liked it. - The brightest moments of that draft? - First of all, I was struck by the excellent organization and attention to this event. In the first round of the draft, the ice rink in Philadelphia was almost packed to capacity - 15,000 people showed up. These are players, parents, friends, agents, fans. Many people spent the entire day with a piece of paper. We were constantly writing things down. In general, the event dragged on for a long time. One can understand that each player gets a lot of attention from the press and clubs. This is fine. - Six months ago you were recognized as the best defender of the World Youth Championship. Did you expect to be drafted earlier than 157th overall? - For me the number is not so important. It’s good that you were drafted, but what number is a secondary matter. - Did you have any preferences before the draft? Which club did you want to be in? - There were no preferences. The day before the start of the draft, I knew that Columbus could select me, so I had virtually no doubt that this particular club would draft me. - Is Columbus currently in your area of ​​close attention? - I don’t just follow Columbus. I'm interested in what's happening in other NHL clubs. I always watch match reviews in my free time. - Many people have their own preferences at the club level; they like the style of play of various strikers. Which team and player is your favorite in the NHL? - I won’t say anything about the teams. If we talk about players, I’ll single out Pavel Datsyuk, who, with his game thinking and skill, even in his middle age, looks like a monster on the ice. Among defenders, I am impressed by the play of Drew Doughty from the Los Angeles Kings. Vladislav Gavrikov: A player must love hockey, not money! - Professional hockey players have little free time, but they have it. How are you spending your weekend? - I try to spend them with close people or with my girlfriend Nastya, whom I have known for four years. As soon as the opportunity arises, we spend time together in the company of friends. Sometimes we go to the cinema. - The last film that made an impression? - The film “Southpaw”, about a boxer. A very memorable story! This film has both a life and sports component. - Are books and Gavrikov compatible things? - As a rule, I read while traveling. I usually take with me detective stories with a good plot. Addictive. If a book absorbs me, I can easily read it during the trip. - Who are the main book lovers at Lokomotiv? - Here, perhaps, I’ll single out two hockey players – Ilya Gorokhov and Sergei Konkov. That's who really reads a lot. - Do you spend a lot of time on the Internet? - Not so much. There is no trace of Internet addiction. I need the Internet just to stay in touch. - Favorite place to relax on vacation? - As such, no. This holiday we went on vacation to Sochi. We looked at the Olympic venues and sights. Beauty! Everything is very beautiful. In just a few years the city was transformed beyond recognition.

tell your friends

The father of the Olympic champion, defender of SKA and the Russian national team Vladislav Gavrikov, Andrei Evgenievich, used to be a military man, and is now engaged in construction. At the same time, he plans to create an educational center in his native Yaroslavl, where growing hockey players could develop their skills with the help of special training simulators. Andrei Evgenievich spoke about how his son’s champion character was formed, why he did not become a goalkeeper, how through tears and participation in children’s tournaments he came to understand that hockey is not just a game, but a science.

Vladislav Andreevich Gavrikov

Age: 22 years

Weight: 97 kg

Height: 190 cm

Position:

Defender

Career:

2011-2014 Loko (Yaroslavl) MHL
2014-2017 Lokomotiv (Yaroslavl)
2017-present V. "SKA" (St. Petersburg)

Achievements:

Silver medalist of the Youth World Championship, bronze medalist of the World Championship, Olympic champion.

Playing hockey is a balanced man's decision

No one except parents knows their son better. What are the main qualities of Vladislav?

A.G. Firstly, Vlad is a fairly purposeful person who clearly understands the tasks that he has set for himself. When he was 13-14 years old, we had a conversation: either continue to study hockey or study. He studied very well, and all the teachers spoke of him as a good, promising, capable student, despite the fact that Vlad was constantly distracted by sports competitions and training.

Then Vlad decided that he would play hockey, and I told him that this decision was already weighed, let’s say, a man’s, and determining his future life.

He agreed with this and, I hope, is now on the right path, overcoming certain difficulties: injuries, not being included in the lineup, sometimes negative attitude from coaches, but his son clearly knows the goal. Plus, he is a rather modest person; he does not like to get involved in some incomprehensible stories, like some other hockey players. Quite polite on the court: he does not use forceful techniques to harm his opponent.

Vlad could take on the role of a leader since childhood

Vlad is also quite sociable, and his partners trust him. From the age of 13 he was the captain of all ages at Lokomotiv, then from the age of 15-16 he was an assistant captain. When they were at the World Youth Championship, Bragin also entrusted him with the “captain’s armband.” I think Vlad handled this responsibility well.

tell your friends

When did you realize that he was capable of becoming a professional? After that same conversation?

A.G. No, a little later. He always seemed promising, but not every promising player later develops into a good specialist. Those guys who were much better than him at their age finished playing hockey a long time ago... What is important is forward movement without jerks, without jumps. Plus, he came across very good coaches: Kazakevich, Suyarkov, Kapranov and later Bragin - those specialists who predetermined him as a player and passed on to him all their best qualities.

Let's go back to the very beginning. Usually fathers bring people to hockey. Is that what happened to you?

A.G. It all started with the fact that coach Alexander Vasilyevich Savchak came to the kindergarten, selected Vlad as a playing boy, and we came to training.

Vlad was 6 years old when his father brought him to the hockey section at the Torpedo Sports Palace.

It was difficult at first - classes were held at six in the morning. I put him sleepy in these hockey pants, put on his helmet, drove him to training, and he slept in my car. But as soon as Vlad approached the ice, he was transformed.

I learned to skate pretty quickly. I really wanted to become a goalkeeper as a child. Even Boris Tortunov (at one time there was such a goalkeeper, he is still alive and well) gave him a trap. At home, I constantly threw balls and pucks to him, and he caught them. But somehow it didn’t work out in the end to become a goalkeeper - we had a lot of goalkeepers, Vlad became a defender. At one time he played in attack, but he didn’t like it. There you had to run a lot, and he was a plump boy in childhood, he was lazy, he was more comfortable in defense.

My son was always equipped “perfectly”

Do you remember Vlad’s first form? Where did you get it?

A.G. I always bought all his uniforms new, and I tried, as soon as new collections appeared, to buy more advanced bibs, leggings, and shorts, fortunately the funds allowed. Then, over time, everything began to be given out at the club. And so, I always tried to buy good skates, and the most modern clubs were brought by my friends from Canada, and they were taken here from the players of the old Lokomotiv. So of course I remember his first form.

It has always been brand new for me. It was difficult at that time: all these trips to tournaments and so on. My friends and I sponsored the team and helped as much as we could.

A.G. What was Vlad interested in as a child?

He always loved aviation, airplanes, helicopters. I bought him all these models for his birthdays. And when I became more or less adult, of course, I dreamed of Canada. He has a lot of idols there, I can’t even remember them all.

A.G. Maybe at least a couple of names?

Among the Russian hockey players he has raved about since childhood are Andrei Kovalenko, Yegor Podomatsky, Vladimir Lutchenko (he is one of the old defenders of the Soviet national team, and now a scout for the New York Rangers). Among foreigners - Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull.

A.G. Which team did you root for as a child?

tell your friends

He sympathized with the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Rangers. He always admired these top teams, as well as the hockey players who played at that time: Sergei Fedorov, Alexei Zhamnov. If we talk about those who are younger, he knows Syoma Varlamov very well. When I was in America, I met Alexander Ovechkin, and they also communicate periodically. Vlad has been traveling to national teams since he was 15 years old, so he has many friends all over the world.

He would make a good diplomat

A.G. And who could he have become if things hadn’t worked out with hockey?

I don’t know, but he could study at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. With his restraint and tact, he would have made a good diplomat.

Vlad became a diplomat in hockey

A.G. There were enough children's tournaments in Vlad's life. How did they affect his hockey development?

I don’t know a single tournament where he didn’t participate. And from the age of 15, he was involved in all national teams, went from junior to main... Naturally, the more playing practice, the more a person perceives hockey not as a game, but as a science. The greatest science that must be comprehended daily.

We went through a lot, including tears, when we had to go out every evening after school and shoot the puck a hundred or two hundred times in order to feel the stick and have the correct perception.

And when you trained through tears, did you have any desire to quit the sport?

A.G. Of course, every boy of his age wants to play and run around with the boys somewhere... Any skill comes first through strength, you need to force a person to do this thing, and then, when he begins to understand, he does everything himself. Therefore, at certain moments we showed more persistence. He also had disappointment when something didn’t work out and, I won’t hide, sometimes children’s tears. But over time, Vlad realized that it was a big responsibility to play on a hockey team.

This is hard work, and you are responsible not only for yourself, as in individual sports, but for your partner, for the team as a whole, for the result, for the coach. So he has had a sense of collectivism since childhood.

A.G. Was it hockey that taught him the above-mentioned endurance, or was it something he had from birth?

I think it's hockey. He realized that emotions should not always prevail over reason. Therefore, Vlad is not removed from the site so much, he practically does not get involved in any conflicts when he is provoked. I believe that endurance is an important quality for a hockey player.

A.G. Remember when he received his first salary and what did he spend it on?

He was 14 years old and came joyful. They gave him two hundred rubles or something. I remember that I bought my mother flowers and a cake with my own money, she even shed tears. We also have twin daughters, Vlad spoils his sisters and mother with gifts. Sometimes dad gets something too.

Final of the Russian Championship among youths born in 1995 (2012)

I was sure that our team would win

A.G. Are you good at hockey yourself?

After so many years, I think yes. Not as a professional, maybe, but as a good amateur. Without delving into some of the nuances, I understand the game quite well, I see the mistakes that hockey players make on the ice.

A.G. How did you feel when your son was called up to the national team for the first time?

Pride, of course.

A.G. With what emotions did you watch the Olympic final?

Even when they were losing 2:3, I was sure that they would win.

A.G. Alexander Barabanov’s father admitted that only the external grill prevented him from throwing the TV out of the window. Didn't this happen to you?

The son became an Olympic champion - this is perhaps the highest achievement in sports. What can you dream about now?

A.G. It’s better to ask him, but most likely - to win the World Championship, the Stanley Cup and become a member of the “Triple Gold Club”. And at the same time play until the age of forty, like Pavel Datsyuk.

St. Petersburg SKA signed a two-year contract with the defender of Yaroslavl Lokomotiv and the Russian national team Vladislav Gavrikov, who remained in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The 21-year-old hockey player will not leave for the National Hockey League (NHL) this year, despite the Columbus Blue Jackets' interest in him. Thus, the player will be able to go to the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang if he is included in the application by the coaching staff of the Russian national team, led by Oleg Znarok, who also heads SKA.

- This is the decision of the player himself, and one can only rejoice at the patriotism of Gavrikov, who wants to play for the national team, gain some experience and go to the NHL after the Olympics as an accomplished hockey player, - two-time Olympic champion, winner of the 1996 Stanley Cup Valery Kamensky told Izvestia. - At the last World Championship he showed that he is a promising defender. He still needs to work a lot to reach the top level, but Vladislav has proven that he has the data and the desire to develop. Now he is joining a good team - SKA, which is the current winner of the Gagarin Cup. There he will play and train with the best KHL players, which will help him improve his skills for the Games. It is always welcome when strong players remain in the national team, and you can count on them at the Olympics. This is always a plus for the national team and its coaches.

At the World Championships in Cologne and Paris in May, Gavrikov played in the first line, and the Russian team, which became the bronze medalist, did not miss a single goal during his shift.

“The leadership and coaching staff of SKA are selecting players for the national team,” two-time Olympic champion Alexander Kozhevnikov told Izvestia. - For Gavrikov, the competition in the St. Petersburg team will be tougher than in Lokomotiv, but before the Olympics this will only benefit the hockey player. After all, even at the World Championships it was clear that Znarok believes and hopes in Vladislav, so it is clear that he will be one of the candidates for the trip to Pyeongchang. God grant that injuries do not hinder him.

The SKA newcomer turned out to be the first of the national team players to make a choice in favor of the Olympics rather than the NHL this off-season. Earlier, SKA forward Vadim Shipachev, Magnitogorsk Metallurg defenders Viktor Antipin and Alexey Bereglazov, and Dynamo Moscow defender Andrei Mironov left overseas. In addition, the departure of striker Evgeniy Dadonov from SKA is not excluded.

“I won’t say that it was vital to keep Gavrikov in Russia for the Olympic season,” added Alexander Kozhevnikov. - Anyway, someone else will show themselves in the context of the national team in the next six months. Even when Antipin and Bereglazov left for the NHL, I thought that these were good players, but not so outstanding as to make their absence in Korea a universal tragedy. And Gavrikov’s departure to Columbus would not be a disaster for me. All three are good, stable, average players, but they played in good lines, so they opened up. Surely someone else will open up. At the same time, Gavrikov will not be superfluous at the Olympics. He played well at the World Championships and his growth potential is visible. The national team's coaching staff trusts him. This means that they will create some kind of defensive pairing for him for the Olympic Games. Perhaps they will assign one of the experienced defenders to him. Or maybe SKA will play a pairing between Gavrikov and Artem Zub. It is possible that Vladislav will become a first-line player, but the coach knows better here.

In 2015, Vladislav Gavrikov was selected by Columbus in the 6th round of the draft, 159th overall. In June of this year, the club made him an offer to join their ranks.

- I think that refusing to go to Columbus now will not complicate Vladislav’s future relationship with the club and the transition to the NHL. On the contrary, the hockey player will raise his price,” noted Valery Kamensky. - Since the Blue Jackets are interested in Gavrikov, they will try to get him until the end. From my own experience, I know that such clubs respect the decision of hockey players and treat their desire to play for the national team normally, so after the Olympics they will make an attempt to get Vladislav again.

Last season, Vladislav Gavrikov was one of the leaders of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which reached the final of the Western Confederation of the Gagarin Cup. Earlier, the Championat.com portal reported that SKA would pay the railroad workers compensation of 115 million rubles for the player. The army team denied this information, but at the same time, the vice-president of the St. Petersburg club and the Russian Hockey Federation (RHF), Roman Rotenberg, told Sport Express that the club “received fair compensation, with the help of which it can carry out further transfers.”

“The trend has developed that the one who has the most money rules the roost,” summed up Alexander Kozhevnikov. - And while this will continue. At the same time, I am sure that Lokomotiv will not become weaker. Yaroslavl has a good team and a wonderful school. The club maintains an average level and will definitely find a replacement for Gavrikov. The team there is young and promising.

Vladislav Gavrikov is a native of Yaroslavl and a graduate of Lokomotiv, for which he played in the KHL in 2014-2017. In 2012, he won gold at the World Youth Championship (U-17), and in 2015, silver at the Youth World Championship.

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