Amur head coach: “Durando dreams of returning to the NHL through playing in the KHL”

Amur head coach Andrei Martemyanov assessed the signing of a contract with striker Arnaud Durandeau.

The Canadian forward signed a one-year contract with the team from Khabarovsk.

— Isn’t it dangerous to take a foreign player and bring him to the Far East without understanding whether he will be able to adapt to the game in objectively difficult conditions?

— We have a decent coaching staff, an analytical department. We watched a lot of Durando’s games and didn’t buy a pig in a poke.

He is incredibly motivated because he dreams of returning to the NHL through playing in the KHL. Such precedents exist. If after playing in Amur the guy gets a strong offer from the NHL or even from another KHL club, I will only be happy for him. I never get angry if a hockey player gets promoted, it means your work is in him too.

When they arrived to the team, at the first training session we immediately made a two-way game for them to see what condition they were in. And we immediately saw how quickly they make decisions. So we didn’t miss. At least, I hope so, — “Championship” quotes Martemyanov as saying.

The new season of the FONBET KHL Championship starts on September 3.