The best Russian scorer of the past NHL regular season (108 points, Minnesota Wild club record!), winner of the Calder Trophy-2021 and author of 7 goals in the Stanley Cup-2022 Kirill Kaprizov gave a big interview in Moscow. The first official press conference in 2022 with a Russian NHL superstar was organized with the assistance of Liga Stavok, the only Russian bookmaker that provides full support for hockey at the world level.

About the season

— It was a good season, but I would not say that it was great. If you look at the points, then yes – I scored a lot, broke some club records. And yet, Minnesota was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs (losing the series to St. Louis), so not particularly pleased. Personal statistics are immediately forgotten. Look, other guys are still playing hockey, and you are already resting …

However, this season was much more fun. That year, due to the pandemic, they played in the regular season and playoffs with the same teams. Everyone knew each other so well that it was no longer even interesting … Now there were many trips. If you play one match, you immediately fly to another city. And last season they stayed after the game for the next, second in a row … Now at least I looked at the cities and saw all the players. It’s much tougher.

About North American cities

– I remember that you fly to Florida or California – it’s always hot there. New York is interesting, in Canada I liked Vancouver, a good city. Las Vegas really stands out from the general background, although it’s not as interesting on the street as it is in the casino. By the way, visiting them is allowed, you can throw a chip at least on the day of the game! But I didn’t go, I just know because we stayed at the Caesar Palace Hotel. The fountain is beautiful there, but I saw enough of it in the first season, when we played 15 matches with Vegas.

Photo: © Denis Bushkovsky / Match TV

About star status

– I would not say that in my first season in the NHL I hit someone hard. Still, he came at the age of 23, he has already achieved something. Usually they come at 18-19, everyone is immediately surprised. I got it later. Do I consider myself a superstar? I was asked about this in the USA after the season. I don’t feel like that. Doesn’t seem like he did anything supernatural.

Although, there is still a hype in the city. You go out into the street, go into a restaurant or a mall – people recognize, come up, take pictures. This year more often, it’s true.

And the club media are not getting much, because so far I don’t know English so well, and I don’t have to do separate interviews for the press service, unlike other guys. There was more media activity in CSKA.

Of course, the club wants me to start giving interviews in English as soon as possible. Sometimes I try to say something, but it’s still not right. I communicate with the guys in the team, they understand my English. And if anything, I always ask Dima Kulikov, he helps.

About memorable banners

– Usually the kids stand behind the glass next to the playground, you read: they say, it’s my birthday, give me, pliz, a T-shirt or a stick. I try not to refuse. We distribute pucks during the warm-up. They wrote somehow, exchange a stick for sweets. They probably know that I like sweets (laughs).

About adaptation in the USA

– For two years I have become friends with all the guys, everyone knows me well. There is also Ilyukha Kravchuk, who translates my interviews. Often helps. And the first year was difficult. I didn’t know anyone, I lived in a hotel for the first weeks …

It’s easier now. But it’s still boring to live alone. It is good that this year the parents received a visa, they came in the middle of the season. But there was no brother – he did not apply for a visa.

Photo: © Denis Bushkovsky / Match TV

About leisure

– If I have a day off, I sit at home, I play computer. When I wake up in the afternoon, the guys in Russia have not yet gone to bed – I have time to play with them a little. And not only do I play myself, but I also watch Twich all the time. When Team Spirit won the International, I followed them. I also watch CS:GO sometimes, but mostly Dota2.

I can also go for a walk or dinner. In general, nothing special.

About teammate Kulikov

– We communicate a lot with him, I know his children well. He invites to his place, or we go out for dinner. And on the road with him constantly together. Nice guy, helps me with everything.

About the Olympics, the World Cup and Real Madrid

– If the NHL allowed it, then, of course, I would go to Beijing. They asked from the coaching staff of the national team, but these were general conversations. And with the World Cup it would be more difficult. In recent games for the club, he received damage. However, the team was still not allowed to the tournament. Therefore, I did not particularly follow this championship, so, in fragments. But they were invited to the final of the Russian Football Cup. But I didn’t go.

But I watched the Champions League final, it turned out to be an interesting match. I didn’t root for anyone, only for beautiful football. But Real Madrid are still great.

KHL also watched matches of CSKA, Chelyaba often. I followed Sergei Kalinin all the time. I liked how Mikhail Vorobyov held the playoffs. For Ufa? Mainly for results. When you wake up, you can’t cover all the matches at the same time.

About CSKA in the NHL

– When I played for CSKA, the guys and I often discussed whether we could make it to the NHL playoffs. I think we had a strong team. Shot in the playoffs? Maybe. There is no point in expecting anything at all – favorites can fly out immediately, and those who no one bet on can go through to the end. How will it go…

When CSKA won the Gagarin Cup, I wrote to Nikita Nesterov and congratulated him. Other guys, too. They are great, they made such a comeback in the final. Before the decisive match did not know who would win. But I think the fifth match was a turning point, which CSKA put the squeeze on in overtime. Then the thought arose that the army team would not miss theirs. Although I also have a good attitude towards Magnitogorsk. There Misha Pashnin plays, we communicate.

About Valeria Bragin

– Constantly writes to me when I play normally. As a youth, we talked a lot with him. More about life, there were good relationships, worldly. And in terms of hockey, he tempers everyone with his character. Knows how to teach collected play, fight to the end and show the best qualities on the ice.

About Alexander Golovin

– My brother played football with him in Leninsk-Kuznetsk, so we know each other, but my brother knows him better. I came to France for the Monaco matches… When we meet, of course, we will say hello, we can ask each other how things are going.

When the pandemic was just beginning, Sanya gathered his friends, just guys, to play football. I also ran, but this is not my level: I lasted 20-25 minutes out of 60 … The rest either did it seriously or still play. Although, I even scored! .. In general, Golovin is a handsome man. He regularly comes to his homeland, spends a lot of time there, pays attention.

On contract extension with Minnesota last year

– Negotiations then dragged on a little, but I do not want to disclose details. The amount was really large, and at first, when at the start of the season I could not score a few matches, I felt pressure. Yes, besides, I constantly went to read the news, saw comments: they say, Kaprizov does not score, because he signed the contract … I tried not to pay attention, but at some point I stopped reading all this … I decided to concentrate on the game. And it went right away!

About Shesterkin

— For me, his rise was not a surprise. I always knew that he was a very strong goalkeeper. I often trained with him that summer. I threw him – and Sorokin. Correctly, Panarin said that Igor only had to start scoring goals himself … However, Soroka is a good fellow, and in general all Russian goalkeepers in the NHL are very good.

And so, with the Russians from other teams we cross only on the court. Cool, you can poke each other, say something else. But to sit somewhere after the game… There is no such thing. We always leave right away.

About the end of the Stanley Cup

– I will not give forecasts. Anything can be expected! Everyone said that the Carolinas would beat the Rangers – so what? They lost the decisive match 2:6. So I don’t guess.

About the next Calder Trophy winner

– All the guys are great, Trevor Zegras scores beautiful goals, the technique is cool. And even more like Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider. Good one.

About returning to the USA

“Now I’m going to fly home, I’ll stay there for a while and gradually start training. You can run football, crosses, play hockey with your brother. And as for obtaining a visa to the USA, I don’t worry at all. The NHL is well connected. I will return to America at the end of August – beginning of September.

About charity

– Respect to all those involved in charity work. I know that Liga Stavok, together with the Constellation of Good Foundation, is preparing a big project to build sports grounds and help kids. I think it’s great and very good for our country. And I myself will not mind participating.