Kuzya gives an interview

Great Pavel Lysenkov (@pLysenkov) of Sovetsky Sport has interviewed Caps prospect Yevgeny Kuznetsov. The interview is pretty long as usual, and a lot of it related to the events that Russian readers would care the most. Here are some excerpts that would be of interest to Caps fans:

Once you said, "I will pay any money to just spend a couple of days at home!".
I did. The fatigue slowly builds up, I am constantly on the road or at the training facility. I am almost never at home. And want to be with my wife, play with the dog, visit my parents. Just simply go to the movies. Turn off the phone. But so far I can not afford it.

Team Russia's goalkeepers coach Vladimir Myshkin, Dr. Valery Konov, and in general everyone is saying that Kuzya is a very humble guy. What is your recipe to avoid the negativities of fame and stardom?
It's how you were raised, I believe. My parents gave a lot to me. And I dreamed... Never thought it would become true, but I practiced, wanted to achieve something. I always had some sort of goal. And after I'd achieve it, I'd choose another one.

What were you dreaming about?
Well, little by little. At first I wanted to score a lot of goals. Then I wanted to become the best in the region, to get to the farm club, to get to the Tractor's lineup. To receive an invitation to the national team. All the mundane stuff. And when you are mundane, then the stardom won't happen to you.

Some journalists are afraid that when Kuznetsov will get to the Washington Capitals, Alexander Ovechkin will immediately ruin a good guy. Kuzya will become a bad tempered person and won't be available to anyone.
It's all just rumors that Sasha is like that. In Russia we love to write only about bad things in the newspapers. Look at Canadians, they promote their players. And in Russia, by contrast, we only look for the negatives, like posting about someone who lost driver's license or got drunk... and if someone writes something positive, then it is considered boring! And if it is bad, let's put it on the front page.

Dr. Konov said that first time he became acquainted with you was in prison?
Yes, it was the case. I just flew to Stuttgart for rehabilitation after the surgery. And Konov came with other doctors to the conference. We met at a restaurant that was located in real prison.

Does the shoulder bother you since then?
Knock on wood. But last season it was a problem. I wouldn't even notice when my shoulder would get separated again. There the bones got very loose, and I'd put it into the socket myself. A year before the shoulder's surgery I had a separated shoulder seven times! Usually with ​such an injury you are not supposed to do anything for three weeks. But I would not say about it to anyone, just ice it and go out to play. I knew that the shoulder would get separated again. I even didn't do an ultrasound, because I knew what the problem was.

And now I have two pins in the shoulder. The German doctor Yemlih is one of the best specialists in the world on this issue. If he agrees to do a job, it is usually a total cure.

What kinds of superstitions do you have?
A trivial ones. If you've already left, don't go back. To sit down before leaving on a journey. And in hockey, if I have a scoring slump, I dig in the trash can with a stick.

Why?
That's to score a garbage goal as they say it in the NHL.

Does it help?
Yeah, it always helps.

Many people are addicted to twitter. And what about you?
Yes, I've signed up! But I didn't know what to do, which buttons to click. So I gave up... If someone would explain it to me, I could get hooked. It is an interesting thing. They told me, report the news and you'll gather hundreds of thousands of fans... But I still believe that private life should be private. But one can write about hockey.

Have you become a Dad already?
It's a mystery covered with darkness. Only our parents know about our plans. We have not yet decided anything. And that decision can affect whether we will leave for Washington or stay in Russia. After the World Championship, in the summer I will make a decision about a team, and then we'll think about the kids...

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