Interview with Kucherov in Russian. I made a "google translation". It looks good enough. So I simply posted it here w/o corrections. Cause you know Russians are lazy
Part 1.
"We decided to split this interview into two parts. In the first, we will talk about Nikita's health, because Kucherov himself has not told anyone about it yet.
Everything turned out suddenly, and even the devoted fans of "Tampa", who follow every rustle from the camp of their favorite team, were dizzy. Here Nikita puts a photo of how peacefully walking with a child on the embankment somewhere in Tampa. Nothing foreshadows…
The season starts soon. Lightning general manager Julien Brisbois is diligently tamping down his team's players under the salary cap. And suddenly the news broke-Kucherov was out until the end of the regular season due to an injury.
How? What? Why? Only echoed the news that Nikita had gone to New York, where he underwent surgery. Then I went back to Tampa. But no one had been able to talk to Kucherov until that moment.
And now I'm meeting with Nikita in Zoom. This interview was organized by the first coach of Kucherov-Gennady Kurdin, who worked with a talented guy at the Moscow school "Polar Bears".
"A month has passed since the operation, I feel much better»
- Nikita, how do you feel after the injury? How is your recovery going?
— It's been a month since I had the operation. I feel much better. I'm recovering slowly, working with physical therapists. I go to massages every day.
I mostly work on this leg. I pump the muscles around the part of the thigh. After five weeks, I see that the progress is very good, and I am happy with everything.
In general, I think it is right that we decided to do the operation right now. It was the best option possible. Look at what's happening around you — the pandemic, the matches of different teams are postponed. Everything is a little crumpled. And I am pleased that we have come to this decision. It was the right move.
- Tell us a little more about the injury itself. When did you get it? This news was like a bolt from the blue.
— It happened in the playoffs. To be more precise, I had several micro-injuries. Then I came to Russia and I didn't really feel this trauma. Because I didn't train on the ice and there were no prerequisites that I would have problems with my hip.
The only thing that bothered me a little was my groin. But I thought it would heal after a while. I went back to Tampa, went to all sorts of massages and needles. My groin seemed to be gone, but my hip ached. They've already taken pictures and found that the hip is not all right. Then we decided that we should do the operation.
— How is the recovery process going? Do you do any special exercises?
— I go to the gym every day. I study almost seven days a week. I meet with physical therapists all the time. I'm working on building up my hip muscles. I train only with my weight. Because in the first six weeks, you can not give heavy loads.
I'm trying to work on the volume of movement, and I have it much better now than ever. So I'm already happy. If before I had to work hard to warm up 20 minutes before the match to get my movement back, now I'm standing and I feel like my leg is already stretched.
"It is important that Match TV shows the NHL all over the country»
— Now you have more free time. Can you see the matches of the League?
— I follow the KHL, and I have friends playing in different teams. It's interesting to watch them. Reviews of the KHL come out irregularly, and it's hard to find something on a particular game.
If I meet any review of the day on YouTube, I can watch it. But I'm not specifically looking for anything. I'm mostly thinking about my leg right now. I spend more time with my family. I don't really go into hockey. I'm trying to think of something else to switch off a little. And then you can probably even drive yourself like this.
— When you were a child, you had a poster of the "Russian Five", for which Igor Larionov played, hanging over your bed. Now he coaches the youth national team. What are your impressions of the World Cup?
- It's hard to say, I didn't watch all the matches. It wasn't always the same time. I only watched a couple of games. Therefore, it is very difficult to judge.
As I understand it, the coach came to this post for the first time. And it is difficult to give a result right away. To get used to the guys, and so that they, in turn, immediately understand his system. What it requires and how.
I think the guys played well. But somewhere out of luck. We've been through this, too. This is not a tournament that if it didn't work out, you need to get very upset. The guys have a long career ahead of them. This is just a barrier in front of other obstacles. And this is a good experience for the guys and the coaching staff.
- Since this season, Match TV has been showing NHL games all over the country. How do you assess this breakthrough?
— That's very nice." And it is important for children. We didn't have that opportunity when we were kids, but they do now. And it's very cool when you have a chance to watch the best hockey players in the world, what they do on the ice.
My first coach, Gennady Kurdin, said that NHL games are very important for the guys to analyze these games, learn, gain knowledge. And it is also very good in terms of the development of hockey in Russia. This is a big plus.
— Which match for the adult Russian national team warms your soul the most?
— I haven't played too many matches for the national team to single out any one. And with me, we have never won the World Championships. I hope that in the future I will remember well the match in which we won the gold medals. And this will be the most important game.
As it is, all the matches were pleasant, and it is always great to play for the national team, to be in the locker room. Enjoy every minute of it. It's a great pleasure when you play shoulder to shoulder with the guys.
"Before the pandemic, my hobby was fishing»
— How do you spend your time in Tampa? Do you have any particular favorite places?
— Now there is no opportunity to go anywhere. In my free time, I sit at home, and so for almost a year.
And before this virus, my hobby was fishing. The guys and I would always get together between games if there was a couple of days off. We hired a yacht captain and went to the ocean, where we fished for five or six hours. We had a quiet time on the water, a little distracted from hockey. We relaxed.
In general, we have a small town. You're not really going anywhere. Well, a couple of familiar restaurants. Yes, the weather is good here. As it is, you come and mostly stay at home. I need to recover from the matches and spend some time with my family. Because there are trips for 10-14 days.
And when you come back, you don't want to go anywhere. Because in other cities, you constantly go to restaurants, you can't sit in the room. But in Tampa, you just want to go home.
— In the autumn, in the off-season, you came home to Russia. Dacha in the Moscow region, good company. Did it become an outlet for you?
— It was a great time, and we had a great time. A couple of times we gathered with the guys at the dacha, fried shish kebabs. We relaxed, talked, remembered different moments, how we played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, how we lived in a bubble. When friends are around, you always find something to talk about.
— Your son Max is two years old. Are you already loading it with hockey?
— It's too early, he has his own toys now, all sorts of legos. I don't want to force a child to play hockey. If only he wants to… It is clear that in four or five years I will put him on skates. But I won't make him play it myself.
As it is, my son likes to watch hockey. We constantly show different matches on TV, and it sticks. He likes it, and already knows what a couple of teams are called. He recognizes some players.
But he's only two years old. All life is in cars and cubes. And it's too early for him to think about hockey.
"A Russian fan got a tattoo of the entire Tampa Bay — our locker room appreciated it»
- The Russian fan club "Tampa" admires. Its leader Alexey Chelyukanov personally makes electric guitars for his favorite hockey players with their portraits. He wrote and published a thick book-the history of "Lightning". I have a question — how do you feel about such miracle fans?
— I haven't seen this book yet. I know that it was given to Mikhail Sergachev and Andrey Vasilevsky. I hope this book will also be given to me.
It's very good that there are people who are so passionate about our team. Four Russian guys are playing for Tampa. And we are very pleased that there are such enthusiasts in Russia who watch your every match and worry about you. It's very nice. And I remember very well how Chel gave me a guitar.
We met, he came to Toronto for our game. It's great when you feel that kind of support. Alexey is a great person. We had a nice chat, and the children were there.
That's the kind of guys you especially want to play for. They are such good and kind people, they are so sincere to you, they support you so much, that it adds confidence. And you go out on the ice elated, you have even more emotions.
— Did you see that Alexey Chelyukanov filled all the portraits of all the players of "Tampa" who won the Stanley Cup with his left hand? I'm not saying how much money and time he spent on it, but it's really a physical test.
— I can tell, it is a serious act-to fill on a hand the whole team and a cup. Cool tattoo, I really liked it. And all the guys at Tampa saw it, too. He recently posted a photo and video on social networks. Our team appreciated everything. All at once expressed their respect. I do not know how much time he spent on this creation. But in "Tampa" it was rated at the highest level.
In the second part of an exclusive interview with Nikita Kucherov, you will learn:
did Nikita surprise himself when he burned out in America after winning the Stanley Cup and went to fraternize with the people;
what is the strangest rumor about yourself read Kucherov;
What kind of experience did Tampa get after this Stanley Cup win, and how did the team change?;
When will Nikita bring the Stanley Cup to Russia?
Source in Russian
«Правильно, что мы решили сделать операцию именно сейчас, когда вокруг пандемия». Эксклюзивное интервью Никиты Кучерова
Drouin's first goal
