We are beginning to introduce Metallurg fans to the team’s newcomers, who signed contracts in the offseason and began training and preparing for the new season. Meet forward Nikita Sirotkin.

In the spring, Metallurg Magnitogorsk underwent some personnel changes - some had to part with for various reasons, while others, on the contrary, as new recruits, are getting used to the new team and preparing for the 17/18 season as part of the five-time Russian champion and two-time winner Gagarin Cup.

Last week, our team went to a training camp in Germany, where, in the middle-mountain conditions of the Olympic village of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, hockey players continue to work on the ground and on the ice. Among the team's new recruits is forward Nikita Sirotkin, who signed a two-year contract in early May.

Last season, the 23-year-old forward defended the colors of Kurgan "Zauralye", in which he became the silver medalist of the Major Hockey League and the team's best sniper, scoring a total of 30 (21+9) points in 60 matches. In addition, Nikita, as a member of the Russian student team, won a gold medal at the World Winter Universiade, which was held in Almaty. In the game for gold, Nikita Sirotkin scored an assist, and for the entire tournament as a whole he earned 9 (4+5) points, becoming the fourth scorer of our team.

DOSSIER

City: Moscow

School: Dynamo (Moscow) and Spartak (Moscow)

Height: 185 cm

Weight: 93 kg

Role: forward

Career: “White Tigers” (Orenburg) MHL – from 2012 to 2014

“Zauralye” (Kurgan) VHL – from 2014 to 2017

“Metallurg” (Magnitogorsk) KHL – since 2017

– Nikita, how did the option with Metallurg come about? How did the negotiations go, how was the decision made to move to Magnitogorsk?

– My agent contacted me after the end of the season and said that the Magnitogorsk club was interested in me. And after we completed our performance in the playoffs of the Major Hockey League, a scout from the Magnitogorsk club contacted me and we discussed all the issues: perhaps my fate would be decided in the coming days. Another two weeks passed, and they called me again from Magnitogorsk with a specific offer. After which we signed a contract - now I am a striker for Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

– For the last three seasons you have defended the colors of the team from Kurgan. The last championship was especially successful, in which you scored 30 points along with the cup games and, most importantly, scored a lot, as many as 21 goals! Can we say that this indicator became the determining factor that you were noticed and offered to try your hand at one of the best KHL teams?

– Indeed, last season was a success for me in many ways. A lot worked out. I felt confident in my abilities and played quite effectively. The Zauralye coaching staff began to trust me more. This became the impetus for me to grow further professionally. And I won’t lie - signing a contract with Metallurg is a new challenge in my career, which I’m very happy about.

– Last season was significant for the Kurgan team. You won silver medals at the Russian Championship among VHL teams, reaching the semi-finals. What does that medal mean to you?

– For me, this is the greatest height in my career that I have managed to climb. And I hope it’s not the last. “Zauralye” is considered a strong middle peasant in the VHL both in terms of finances and composition. And in this regard, it is difficult for the Kurgan club to count on any high places. However, last spring we managed to perform a small miracle and give the fans a real holiday. When we beat a strong opponent - Karaganda's Saryarka - in Kurgan all they talked about was hockey. Emotions ran high both within the team and in the stands. And in the semi-finals we played the future champion - Dynamo from Balashikha. My emotional and physical strength was already a little lacking. They gave everything to win over Saryarka. But we learned a good lesson and great cup experience. VHL silver medals are a great success for Kurgan!

- By the way, “Zauralye”, in which you played for so long, has now become the farm club of “Metallurg”. In this cooperation, will Kurgan be able to strengthen its position in the VHL by inviting several strong students from Magnitogorsk?

– The guys from Zauralye called me when I was on vacation and said that Kurgan and Magnitogorsk would now cooperate. As far as I have heard, the coaching staff of the Kurgan team is very pleased with the prospects for such mutually beneficial cooperation. Last season, Zauralye was the farm club of Novokuznetsk Metallurg. Now, it seems to me, Kurgan and Magnitka have more prospects for exchanging experience and hockey players.

– How much do they like hockey in Kurgan? What can you say about Zauralye fans?

– When I first arrived in Kurgan three years ago, the local team was among the outsiders. And, to be honest, the stands were not crowded. But gradually the situation began to change. The results are in, fans are now selling out the ice arena. And last season was a real triumph. The excitement around hockey in Kurgan was very great. And when we reached the semi-finals of the Bratina Cup, our arena was packed - people even stood in the aisles just to get to the Trans-Urals games. Once I unwittingly witnessed a conversation among schoolchildren or students at a bus stop when they were discussing playoff games. The city really lived with hockey during these months.

– Tell us briefly how and where you started playing hockey. Is it true that the first hockey school was Dynamo Moscow? Then I tried my hand at Spartak... How did you end up being far from Moscow?

– I started training and skating in “Constellation”. This is an ice palace in the south of Moscow, not far from my home. There I learned to skate and the first basics of hockey. Then a more serious stage was at the Dynamo Moscow school, where he studied and played for 7 years. Then the option arose with Spartak and moved to their school, where I studied for the last three years. I am considered a graduate of the Spartak school. Then I decided to try my hand at North America – in the Junior Hockey League (USHL). He played there for two years and returned back. It turns out that since the age of 16, fate has thrown me from country to country, from city to city. Returning to Russia, he played in the MHL for Orenburg. Then he moved to Kurgan. Now I will play and live in Magnitogorsk. But I’ll be honest: I’m already used to living on wheels and living away from home. Thanks to my parents who believe in me and always support me morally.

– Do your parents live in Moscow?

– Yes, they remained in Moscow. Now I have a girl who always travels with me and helps me with everything.

– Is the girl also a Muscovite?

- No. (smiles). She is actually from Khanty-Mansiysk. We met through mutual friends. It’s my fate to travel around cities.

– What are your first impressions from meeting one of the most titled teams in Europe – Metallurg Magnitogorsk? How were the guys on the team received, what did the coaches say?

– I admit, it was unexpected that such a strong and eminent team was interested in me. This requires a lot. There was an internal motivation to take advantage of the chance, justify the trust and benefit Metallurg. I liked the team - the guys received me well. Great atmosphere inside the locker room. I continue to get in touch with the new team and get to know each other. I feel comfortable.

– How different is the level of the KHL from the VHL? Is there a noticeable difference?

- Of course, there is a difference. This applies to the game itself and everything that happens off the ice. In the KHL, hockey itself is faster - the thinking of the game is different. Now I get great pleasure in training, I see how such masters as Mozyakin, Kovarzh and others work. And when we play two-way, you understand what a high level these hockey players are. This is also a great experience for me.

– The coaches have already said who they plan to play you with – in what combinations?

– We’ve been riding for three weeks already. Every time we have new combinations. No certainty yet. Perhaps test games and pre-season tournaments will determine the game combinations.

– The past season in your career was marked not only by a medal and pleasant emotions from playing in the Major Hockey League. You became a champion as part of the Russian team at the Winter Universiade, which took place in Kazakhstan. What are your impressions from that victory?

– The team coaches immediately made it clear to us that we have only one task! This is victory! There are no second or third places there. Therefore, we entered each match with extreme motivation and a great desire to win. Our team was militant and friendly. We really played as a team – for each other! The final match turned out to be very difficult, but we turned out to be stronger and won the final 1:0. Of course, I am happy about this success and the gold medal, but there was no time to celebrate - the day after the final I had a calendar game with Zauralye.

– You performed very effectively at the Universiade: 9 points in six matches! Is it fun to be in a leading role and contribute to the team?

– When you play within a team, you don’t think about your personal result. The fact that we were able to score and give out assists was nice, but not the most important thing. Overall team success is much more valuable! We played for a team - whether it was a minority or a majority - the main thing was to play useful for the overall result.

– How ready are you to take on a new challenge in your career and prove yourself as part of Metallurg, which always fights for the highest places and awards?

- It’s difficult to make a guess. I will try and prove that it was not in vain that I was invited to play at Magnitogorsk. The main thing for me now is to focus on my work and training. And then the season will show what I have gained. I hope to be as useful as possible so that Metallurg competes for the highest places and awards!

The Zauralye forward, in an interview with the club’s press service, spoke about his first parachute jump, two seasons in the USA, and training under the leadership of Mikhail Zvyagin and goals for the new championship.

- Let's start with the summer question. How did you spend your vacation?
- It was a busy vacation, I visited a lot of places and saw new places. My friends and I went on holiday to Cyprus, and one of my dreams came true - I jumped with a parachute. When the weather was already good, we went out into the countryside with tents. So the summer turned out to be memorable.

- What can you compare a parachute jump to?
- I really love extreme things, I’ve been on many carousels, but a parachute jump is the most adrenaline-filled, exciting thing. So far this jump remains in first place among all the attractions I have been on.

- Under what circumstances did hockey appear in your life?
- My two grandmothers brought me into hockey, no matter how strange it may sound. I was then 4 year, they picked me up, bought me a uniform and took me to the Constellation Ice Palace. When I realized that I was going for a ride, I didn’t want to get out of the car, and both grandmothers pulled me out by the legs. Although I didn’t want to, I started skating.

- How long did you resist?
- They're minutes 15 They tormented me - they grabbed me by my legs, but I held on to the other door. From the outside it looked funny and fun.

- How did your current role as a striker develop?
- When we were little, a French team came to Dynamo, where I first trained, where the guys were a little older. The coach placed us on at his own discretion, even a goalkeeper with a field hockey stick and without goalkeeper equipment stood at the goal. I just got around to jumping out in attack, so I became a striker.

- You started playing hockey at the Dynamo school, but are considered a graduate of Spartak. How did this happen?
- I played in Dynamo 7 years, there I started from scratch, learned to ride. Having matured a little, the tournament began in Moscow, and there were some disagreements with the head coach. At that moment I was invited to try out for Spartak, my friends were playing there. And for the last three years before graduation I played in Spartak.

The same confrontation between Dynamo and Spartak is one of the most striking in Russian football. When you became a Spartak player, didn’t you observe sidelong glances from the Dynamo hockey players?
- This never happened. I grew up with the guys at Dynamo, 7 played together for years. Whenever we met, there was always something to talk about, but on the ice we remained rivals. Spartak had a derby with CSKA, but with Dynamo everything was simpler.

- Are your parents somehow connected with sports?
“My grandfather was a skier, my mother was a gymnast, and my father was a weightlifter. True, all this was at an amateur level.

- You played in the USA for two years, tell us about this period in your career.
- I was 16 years, I graduated from Spartak, the KHL draft was just around the corner, but I didn’t wait for it. The agent offered me an adventure, at that time, in the form trips to the USA. Trying is not torture. I went to America and youth hockey began there. The first three months were very difficult for me in terms of language. Then I began to get used to it, but I had to learn it almost all over again, because in Russia, at the school level, English simply does not work there. In the second year it was already quite easy for me, I even passed the ACT (the American analogue of the Russian Unified State Exam - Note auto). I was already thinking about going to college, but everything turned out unsuccessfully with the visa and I had to stay in Russia. Nevertheless, I had a great experience.

- Were you able to experience North American hockey in terms of the atmosphere in the stands?
- Yes. I was surprised that in a city where about 80 thousand people, there is a stadium on 8-9 thousands and at each game there were at least 7 thousand. Everyone is shouting and supporting. We came out to home matches charged, the fans always drove us forward.

- Do you dream of returning to North America as a hockey player?
- At first I had a dream to return, but when I started playing in the MHL in Orenburg, I realized that this was my place. In the USA, I really missed home, family, and friends.

In your final season in the MHL, you finished among the top three scorers for the White Tigers, scoring 40 points. How then did the option of moving to Trans-Urals come about?
- I was on fairly good terms with the director of the club. At a certain point, I approached him and said that I wanted to try myself at a higher level. He sent me to Kurgan for a tryout, although before that I went to Tver, but I couldn’t gain a foothold there.

- The coming season will be your third as part of Zauralye; do you feel like some kind of veteran of the team?
- I can consider myself middle-aged in the team - I know a lot about the city and people. But it’s still too early to consider yourself a veteran.

- With the arrival of Mikhail Zvyagin, has your approach to the training process changed in any way?
- I think there have been a lot of changes. For example, training now follows the pulse - for each age group, trainers give their own loads. I think this is the right approach. Of course, in Russia there is still old school hockey, where there are crazy loads, but we train according to a different program.

- So you can bear the hardships of the current training camp relatively easily?
- There are some difficulties, but all training is positive. There is no such thing as being “killed” and us coming to bed exhausted and not wanting to go anywhere else.

- Have you already developed goals for the next season?
- There are always goals, both for the team and for yourself personally. The team, I think, already needs to get into the top eight and make it to the second round of the playoffs. My goal is to help the team as much as possible.

- How is life at the base?
- Fun, positive. Between training sessions we communicate with the guys and play video games. We are one big family and there is never a dull moment with us.

- What do you do on the weekend?
- We try to go to the cinema. If the weather permits, we go to city reservoirs. We are trying to spend time usefully, not sit in the room all the time.

- What wish could you make to the fans?
- I can only wish you patience, and I wanted them to support us in every game. Fans are one of the important parts of the team. And if they support us, then we will try to please them.

The main news of the offseason was the transfer of Zauralye striker Nikita Sirotkin to Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The two-time Gagarin Cup winner bought the rights to the hockey player from the Kurgan club. Last VHL season, Sirotkin scored 21 goals and made 10 assists.

Sirotkin, in a conversation with a correspondent of the Region 45 portal, spoke about his reaction to the invitation and plans for the next season.

Nikita, how did you react when you received an offer to play for such a titled club as Metallurg Magnitogorsk?

There was shock and joy! It is a rare case when a player from the Major Hockey League is given such a chance. Metallurg is one of the best teams in the Kontinental Hockey League. This is another challenge in life for me. I just dreamed of playing in the KHL!

- How did you find out that the two-time Gagarin Cup winner was interested in you?

At first the agent said that they were watching me in Magnitogorsk. Then a scout from Metallurg called and said that my fate would be decided after the KHL playoffs. After the season, general manager Gennady Velichkin came to me and congratulated me on the transition and wished me good luck.

- How did the Zauralye coaching staff react to your call to the KHL?

They were very happy for me and wished me good luck. We play hockey to move on, to achieve new heights.

- What did your parents say?

They are proud of me. When I was little, they always told me that I should play in the KHL, that was my goal.

- Are you ready for tough competition for the main team?

Competition is an essential part of hockey; it is present throughout the entire career of hockey players. So I'm ready for it. Through work and desire, I can win it.

- Do you think you are mentally and physically ready to play in the KHL?

Physically definitely ready. Moral readiness will come with time, you just need to show all your best qualities.

- You spent three seasons in the VHL. What have you learned during this time?

In three years, I grew from a boy who played in a youth league to a man. Adult hockey is very different from youth hockey. I also grew up as a hockey player, I was taught a lot in this club. I made many friends and acquaintances. For three seasons we had very different, but friendly teams. I always felt like I was in a big family.

- Will you be following Zauralye next season?

I will be watching and worrying about the Kurgan club. “Zauralye” is not a strange club for me. I still have many friends there.

- What goals do you set for yourself for the next season?

The task is to gain a foothold in the lineup and help Metallurg in any way I can. After all, such a club has the highest goals.

Among other transfer news, we note the following. Vyacheslav Andryushchenko will not play in the upcoming season of the Major Hockey League for Trans-Urals. The hockey player signed a contract with Krasnoyarsk Sokol.

The day before it became known that defenders Alexey Chechin, Konstantin Fast, Yuri Maslov and forwards Maxim Pervukhin, Vyacheslav Mushtaev, Anton Rekhtin will remain in Zauralye for the next season.