All this tyagomotina in "Edmonton" bothered. Why Slepyshev left the NHL – NHL News – Ice Hockey

Russian striker Anton Slepyshev, aged 24, has not signed a new contract with Edmonton Oilers. So, without waiting for an exchange from the Canadian club, he decided to return to KHL, where he signed a two-year contract with CSKA. "CSKA", continuing to adhere to the strategy for the return of Russian players from North America, exchanged the rights of "Salavat Yulaev" against Slepyshev.

In an exclusive interview to the "Championship", the player tells what he has learned, that he wants to win the Gagarin Cup with CSKA and prove its usefulness in the Russian national team.

– On April 10, you wrote in your "instagram": "Farewell America!". Have you already understood that you will come back to Russia?
– Simply, the next negotiations were taking place, I made this record. Nothing special that did not mean. Then he noticed that he had attracted the attention of the media. I was intrigued by you.

– What conclusions have you drawn in three years in North America?
– I understood what is the NHL. When you are here, you think it's some incredible league. But I realized that I can play there, next to the same people. Yes, there are the best players in the world, but all in all you can show yourself and show strong qualities.

– Too bad they have not fully revealed themselves?
– There is an insult that has not been revealed. I did not get a good contract, which would suit me. In game terms, it was not so easy to rebuild

– How do you like the city itself? Still Edmonton is rather cold and is not the best place to live.
– A normal city. It is understood that many want to play in California, Florida or New York. In Edmonton, near a good nature, people love hockey. Everything suited me. The City of a Millionaire, a worker, for a quiet life

– Did you live there with your family?
– Inhabited with a family, with a child. We rented an apartment, the child went to a Russian children's garden.

– There was no language barrier?
– Was. At school, I learned the language, I thought it would be easier, but in fact it was more difficult. The first year in the team was Russian – Nail Yakupov, Nikita Nikitin, Bogdan Yakimov, in the farm played Daniel Zharkov. We spoke with them in Russian, and English was stopped. Slowly he taught, he watched movies from the phone. For the second year was the only Russian in the team, I had to learn more diligently.

– I did not scare the heavy frosts
– I played in Novokuznetsk, there were also strong frosts. By the way, in Edmonton it's sometimes colder than in Russia.

– The exchanges of your exchanges went constantly. When was the most real opportunity to change team?
– This question remains a mystery. The exchange could already in the year before last. Then I played in the playoffs, after which GM said that the question of the exchange was being closed. Then came the wounds. The next rumors of the exchange began somewhere from the end of November. I thought that they would trade, I would try on a unilateral minimum contract. But all this tyagomotina bored. I decided to subscribe to the KHL, while they call. Risking and waiting for July has not become

– In January, you too could be traded.
– And in February they let us play. It went well in terms of games and points. At "Edmonton", they made an offer, but I said that I did not like the situation that developed. I could not understand what I was doing in the team, what was my role. They let me play, I go out on the ice and give the result. But as soon as I spend a couple of average meetings, immediately removed from the membership. Until the end of the season there were 20 games, in the playoffs did not fall. I say, "Give me a complete game, load it." But they thought differently in the club.

– You finally made the qualification proposal.
– They constantly said that there would be an exchange. From November to May we talked about it, I already stopped believing in it. Qualification is a formality, they have me entrusted their rights

– Ziyat Pajgin also played in the system of Edmonton. Cross with him?
– He had a half-season in the "Locomotive". And yes, he lived half a year in Edmonton. They had a strange logic: if he shows incredible hockey, he will be called in the first team. But after all, a person must get used to, help. But there was no help to Ziyat. They did not even give him a good game in pharma.

– The head coach of "Petroleum Workers" Todd McLellan has conducted personal conversations with you?
– I asked him what, like, played in the playoffs. in the second link for 12-14 minutes, but not for the next season. Yes, I understand that the injury. But we start the games and more than seven minutes on the ice, I almost do not give. It turns out I'm walking in a place

– You were released in a troika with McDavid.
– I managed to play with him somewhere five games. But again, if you take all the extreme attackers, then I did the least with him. Even the men of third or fourth were put with McDavid for 10 games

– How is it to play alongside the Canadian prodigy?
– He is a great master, playing at phenomenal speeds. Try to catch up with him and understand how he thinks! Connor makes decisions instantly. Everyone wanted and tried to play with him in one link. With such a hockey player, you will certainly have no shortage of glbades

– I was not surprised that such a hockey player was immediately named captain of the team
– I was not surprised. It's immediately obvious that he's a simple guy, he's serious about business, with no starry sign. Maybe right now he was not mentally ready for the captain's job, but a person quickly learns and gets used to everything. When things did not go into the team, he stood up and delivered some speeches. It is better not to choose the words, McDavid could actually start a team, somewhere even "cram" the partners.

– You had no permanent treble. This was played with McDavid, then with the fourth link chekeryami. Has this interfered?
– They said, "We give you a chance, use it." And so, in hockey now is not too often, you will meet constant ties. Two or three games won – well, then lost – again all are changed. There are more packages, but less than three

– You have already mentioned injuries. What's wrong with them?
– Two in a row. In addition, I prepared very seriously at the beginning of the season. Maybe too hard. As a result, he turned his ankle during the jumps, literally on flat ground. At first I thought I had been out for two weeks. As a result, it turned out almost more than a month, missed all the training camp. For them, it is very important. Especially when you have an incomprehensible status. I had to prove that I am not a player of the fourth level, to strengthen my status. And it turns out that I lost a significant part. Then there was an injury to the groin …

– Yes, you will not envy me.
– So, as everything started to come into place, I started to trust again. Even a couple of matches for 18 minutes played. But I've already forgotten what it means 18 minutes on the ice. And my body forgot

– The level of the agricultural club is it outdated?
– Last season, we did not talk about pharma as such. There, by the way, also a good level, but I'm mature enough for the NHL. I've been abandoned purely for catering, for one or two games.

– Remember the game the playoffs 2017 with Anaheim, when they were 3-0 at three minutes to go and lost. What was going on on the bench then? Especially when "Anaheim" compared the score, it seemed to many that the goal could not be counted.
– Kesler held the keeper's hand. We had a real shock. Controlled the entire game, but in the end quickly got two pucks, then the third and psychologically inflated. And Anaheim is an experienced team. In terms of feeling of this situation, they are strong.

– Why did not I manage to enter the world championship in Denmark?
– I was called to the training camp. The coaching staff of the Russian team had its own vision of the situation. Once again, in Edmonton, I did not play in either the majority or the minority. It was calculated that I would show the result by playing "5 by 5", but the playing time was about the same as in the "Oilers."

– You will not clear up.
– I did not understand a week. Three games, little play time. So they were expecting something from me something more . A good motivation for me now is to prove my usefulness. I want to go back to the national team, to do a good job

– So, there were no special thoughts to get to the championship of the planet?
– Why? Once called – were. Naturally, I went with thoughts of entering the World Cup. But it seemed to me that the coaches themselves did not understand how I should be better used and where to put it

– Was it an echo of the crumpled season at the Oilers?
– Absolutely. The majority in Edmonton was who to play. But why not give a minority? As a result, I repeat, I played only in equal composition, and in the national team there were already people and the majority and the minority.

– Is your new CSKA club a stepping stone to join the national team? I do not want to say it right away. Live – we'll see. It is necessary to work