Alexei Cherepanov's pre-draft interview

[Slitty]

Given at the airport prior to flying out to Columbus for the draft ceremony:


http://www.rushockey.com/events.php?i=sl&stream=sl_interviews&id=599

Click to read more...

 

[whatthef]

thanks for posting that, it's an enjoyable read. seems like he's a good kid, and least from that.

 

[ECWHSWI]

look like a very smart and mature kid.

 

[Kaizer]

Q: - Yet among the players from Europe you are ranked first, but are outside the top five in the overall rankings. How can this fact be explained?
A: - The North American rankings are comprised of hockey players, who play in North America. There is nothing surprising about these players being ranked first, because they are constantly watched. They are all in sight. Impressions about European players are sometimes formed based on one tournament, which scouts attend. If some guy suddenly has a bad game for one reason or another, then his chances of the top spots in the draft decrease. Such an approach is wrong in my opinion – players must be watched throughout the course of an entire season.

If he can't make a NHL, he can be RedLine scout some day

 

[Winston Wolf]

That guy has locker room cancer written all over him!

 

[ARS]

I think he was being sarcastic.

Most of what's scaring people away from Cherepanov is the fact that he's under Russian hockey right now and when or if the NHL team that drafts him can pull him out of the super league, the kid himself is not the problem, as shown by this interview.

 

[rt]

look like a very smart and mature kid.

I agree, but I also think that the translation helped a bit.

 

[Phil Parent]

"Who of the Russians is planning on attending the draft ceremony?
-Its quite possible that only Bashkirov and I will be there..."

Yeah, they care...

 

[sivert]

I agree, but I also think that the translation helped a bit.

Not really. The translation is pretty accurate

 

[rt]

Not really. The translation is pretty accurate

Right. I'm not doubting that. It's the vocabulary that is subjective.

 

[Reilly*]

It's the vocabulary that is subjective.

Obviously

 

[Twist and Shout]

Also there was Ruslan Bashkirov, who plays in one of the lower North American leagues.

And he's smart too.

Seems like a good kid.

 

[Bryzga lol*]

"Who of the Russians is planning on attending the draft ceremony?
-Its quite possible that only Bashkirov and I will be there..."

Yeah, they care...

Or maybe it's too far and expensive to fly to find out if you'll been drafted in 4th or 5th round??? Unless you're projected to go in the first rounds there's no point going to risk getting your heart broken. The only other one who should be there along with those 3 is Mayorov, and he very well could be there.

 

[timlap]

Great interview. Thanks for posting!

 

[xeric716x]

really nice interview.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Wow, anyone else impressed with the poise he shows in this interview? I know you don't see him converse, but his answers sound welll thought out. This kid is going to be the steal of the draft.

 

[helicecopter]

I think he was being sarcastic.

Could be, i know there was that possibility by i still needed to laugh at the quote, not necessarily at the author.
If that was supposed to be sarcastic, generating a sarcastic laugh was
good no? however i see my impressive post was soon deleted by HF very effective censorship..
..so here i have a new reason for this..

 

[BuppY]

nice read.

 

[Habitant#1]

"Who of the Russians is planning on attending the draft ceremony?
-Its quite possible that only Bashkirov and I will be there..."

Yeah, they care...

Would you fly to Russia for a single day to be drafted in the fourth round of the RSL?

 

[Timeless Winter]

I hope he's there at #7 for the Jackets to take.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

That guy has locker room cancer written all over him!

Based on???

Oh wait, the fact he's Russian, I forgot. Because all Russian players are naturally cancers in the locker room, of course, it's so simple now.

 

[Epsilon]

Based on???

Oh wait, the fact he's Russian, I forgot. Because all Russian players are naturally cancers in the locker room, of course, it's so simple now.

Winston was being sarcastic.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I hope he's there at #7 for the Jackets to take.

Perhaps I'm generalizing too much, but I can't see Columbus "risking" a draft pick on a Russian anytime soon.

 

[Slitty]

Right. I'm not doubting that. It's the vocabulary that is subjective.

Cherepanov does actually seem to be a very intelligent kid. As for the translation, Russian is a richer and more expressive language than is English, and if anything, I did not do Cherepanov justice by having to compress what he said into English.

 

[shelley1142]

Yeah, one of the sports writers in Columbus wrote that the Jackets have no interest in the kid because he apparently has a similar personality to Zherdev. He sounded really mature and dedicated in that interview, however, which is more than could ever be said of Z.