Injuries and self-doubtFirst of all how's your health?
Everything is fine. The first injury I got just before the start of the season healed a while back, and doesn't bothers me. The medical and physical training staff did a good job. As for the injury during the last game,
the bone is already healed, although it still bothers me. The doctors do not recommend doing certain exercises yet.
Can you give us the details about the injury in the LA game. How did it happen?
As always, out of a nothing play. It was about the fifth minute of the third period. We lost the face-off, and the Los Angeles defenseman took a slap-shot that hit me in the ankle. It was pretty painful, but I played for another ten minutes. Only then did I decide I should probably get an X-ray, because I was feeling worse with every shift. So I asked to be taken out of the game. The X-ray revealed a fracture.
When will you be able to train without restrictions?
I’m already allowed to be back in the gym, and I’m easing into it. As for on ice practices, I usually begin skating around mid-June, so there’s still time. I think I’ll manage to recover in time.
Are you going to get ready for the season at home or over the other side of the pond?
We're planning to stay in Belarus until mid August.
Are yout going to train alone or with other players?
I’ll be alternating between group and individual sessions. This year, I plan to skate with Ilya Solovyov and Vladislav Kolyachonok. Especially since they’re defensemen, we can
work on some battles and one-on-one situations. Plus, they’re great guys overall — it’s a pleasure to train with them.
As for the individual sessions,
I'll be working on my shot: one timers, wrist shots, and so on.
As far as I know Solovyov didn't come back to Belarus in the last few years.
Yes, this year he and his wife decided to return. They really haven’t been to Belarus in a long time. Plus, they had a baby.
Last season, you raised the bar in terms of expectations and, let’s be honest, didn’t quite live up to them. One obvious reason for the drop in production was that injury at the end of preseason. From your point of view, were there any other factors?
Of course, my production wasn’t anywhere near what it was the previous season. Back then I scored 31 goals, this time, it was 17. That injury probably did have an impact. But I’ll say it again: the doctors and strength coaches did a great job helping me recover ahead of schedule.
I think the main issue was mental. When you miss the first 8 games of the season, it’s harder to get into the rhythm compared to the other players. And
when you go 5 or 6 games without scoring, it starts to weigh on you mentally. You start overthinking — and that just makes it worse.
It’s really important to push through a rough patch and find your game. For me, that only started happening toward the end of the season. I got going, and I could really feel that I was helping the team more.
It’s a new experience for me — and hopefully one that’ll help in the future. I hadn’t dealt with injuries before that kept me out for so long. I’ll admit, maybe there were some mistakes in how I prepared for the season. But injuries happen to everyone — and you never know when one will hit.
The key now is to learn the right lessons and plan my prep in a way that I can play the whole year at the same level I showed at the end of last season.
You took a lot of heat in the local press.
To be honest, I don’t read the media at all — and haven’t for a long time. I don’t see the point. I already know when I played poorly, and if I start reading about it, I’ll just overthink things even more.
On the other hand, it’s always nice to read something positive about yourself.
When people praise you, there’s a risk of getting ahead of yourself. Like, “Alright, I’m on a roll now,” and you start to relax. That doesn’t work in the NHL — the moment you let up, things start going the wrong way.
The end of your season really was impressive. What do you think sparked that turnaround?
Maybe it was about accountability. We were fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, and those last 20 games basically turned into an early playoff for us.
In that kind of situation, you stop thinking about your own slump and start focusing on how you can help the team — playing the kind of hockey that gets points and pushes you into the postseason. I think that shift in mindset is what helped me.
Food - Draniki(potato pancakes) and ColaJonathan Huberdeau said you started playing better after switching from pasta and chicken to risotto and salmon.
Actually, there’s some truth to that. Toward the end of the season, I did change my pre-game meal. Luckily, my wife is a nutritionist and gave me some good advice. She suggested switching to salmon with rice. I tried it — and scored in the very next game.
The guys on the team definitely teased me about it. The thing is, before home games, we all go to the same restaurant, whose owner is a big Flames fan. But their menu doesn’t have salmon risotto. So I started asking the owner to make that dish for me, as a special order, if you will. And the chefs cooked it. After that, the guys started teasing me about it even more.
While we’re on the topic of food… What’s your favorite dish? In Belarus, the USA, and Canada?
It’s hard to pick just one. In North America, it’s probably steak. We often cook it at home and order it regularly in restaurants. Honestly, I have to thank my wife for adding variety to our home meals. She makes salmon really well, too.
In Belarus, I love draniki. When we visit my parents, they always make them for us.
Do you prefer regular draniki or the filled ones?
I like both, with sour cream. Aren't they called “kolduny” when they're filled with meat?
Given Daria’s (wife’s) expertise, I bet you don't have any “forbidden” food like chips or burgers in your diet…
From the time I was a kid, I always really wanted chips and cola. I still can’t give up cola, so we always have it at home. For lunch and dinner. I just like that sweet drink — can’t help myself.
Milestones - 100 and 300Did you ever catch yourself thinking that if Calgary had made the playoffs, your game would've caught fire there?
What’s the point in speculating now? It’s frustrating to finish with 96 points and still miss the playoffs. I think this was only the fifth time in NHL history that 96 points weren’t enough. Before our second-to-last game against Vegas, we saw that Minnesota was losing to Anaheim 1–2.
And when they tied the game with 20 seconds left — and erased our chances — it felt like a funeral in the Calgary locker room. It’s tough to accept falling short of a goal that was so close.
I felt something similar in terms of my own game.
It felt like I had just hit my stride — and then the season was over. But there’s no changing it now. Like I said before, all that’s left is to take the right lessons, prepare properly for next season, and prove that I’m capable of more.
On one hand, your point total was down. On the other — you improved your plus/minus (from -29 to -9) and face-offs (from 39% to 46.1%). How important are those stats to you?
Plus/minus is definitely important. When you finish the season with a -29, even if you scored 31 goals, it weighs on you. The coaching staff notices that too. If the opponent scores while you’re on the ice, that means, in some way, you didn’t do your job in the defensive zone — and you’ve got to improve in that area.
Thankfully, the minus went down this year. But as a team, we also improved our goal differential compared to last season.
I’ve come to realize it’s better not to obsess over your stats — your plus/minus or how many goals you’ve scored — but to focus on doing your job in a way that helps the team the most. When you approach the game that way, things tend to go differently. And
if the coach sees you’re doing your best to carry out what he’s asking for, he won’t hold it against you if you’re not scoring.
Let’s sum things up. What grade would you give yourself for the 2024–25 season?
On a scale from 0 to 10? I’d give myself an average score. Maybe a
6 or a 5 — something like that.
Did you have any personal conversations with the management or coaching staff after the season ended?
Yes, we have an exit meeting every year. First, you talk to the coaching staff, then with the general manager.
Of course, everyone expected different results from me. But I think the way I finished the season helped a little. I promised [GM Craig Conroy] that
I’ll come back in better shape and prove that signing me to a long-term deal wasn’t a mistake. Head coach [Ryan Huska] also said he believes in me. He told me to have a strong summer and come in well-prepared for the season.
Your new five-year contract with Calgary, with a cap hit of $5.75 million, is about to kick in, and you’ll be among the top five highest-paid players on the Flames. Is that added pressure, motivation, or something else?
Signing a long-term deal definitely gives you more confidence. The main thing is not to relax — to prove that you earned that contract not just because of one good season.
Name your top three moments from this past season.
First and foremost, my parents — and Daria’s parents — finally came to visit. I’ve been in North America for six or seven years, but until now, they hadn’t been able to make the trip.
In second place, I’d say reaching the milestone of 100 NHL goals. And third — playing in my 300th NHL game.
Calgary and NJAh, it’s all hockey with you. Anything interesting happen outside of the rink?
You know, life during the season isn’t all that exciting
Especially in Calgary. Compared to other NHL cities, I’d imagine it’s pretty boring.
I wouldn’t say that. The only downside is the weather. Winters are really long. Sometimes, for a week or two, it drops below minus 30, and you can’t even go outside.
But overall, Calgary is a clean, family-friendly city with beautiful nature around it. There are definitely worse places to play in the NHL — though I won’t name names.
Okay. So what is there to do for fun in Calgary?
For example, at Christmas we go to Banff National Park, to Lake Louise — a glacier lake. There’s an old, beautifully restored hotel in the mountains with a great spa.
In general, I like Calgary for its peacefulness — it’s a comfortable place to live. I don’t think I’d enjoy living in New York. It’s fun to visit for a couple of days — which is what we did after the season — but staying there long term? Not for me.
Interesting you chose New York over somewhere like California.
Yeah, when I was playing in New Jersey, New York was relatively close. But it’s been two years since then, and my wife hadn’t been back in a while. Besides, it was just a stopover on our way home. Flying to Europe from California takes longer. Plus, it’s still a 3–4 hour flight from Calgary to California. From New York to Istanbul, it’s nine hours. And the weather in New York at that time was nice too.
So what’s more comfortable — New Jersey or Calgary?
Calgary, for sure. Especially with a kid. In the U.S., we lived outside the city. It took around 50 minutes to get to the nearest big city — Jersey City. To take the baby or the dog out for a walk, we always needed a car. And New York was really dirty — plus, after 4 p.m., it didn’t feel safe to walk around.
In Calgary, everything is within walking distance. It’s a five-minute drive to downtown. Honestly, that’s what we were missing in New Jersey.
Rapid Fire QuestionsYour prediction: who wins the Stanley Cup?
Oh... I think Florida has a good shot at winning the trophy for the second year in a row. In the West, Dallas had a rough end to the regular season, but they’re playing a different kind of hockey in the playoffs.
The most important thing is that Edmonton doesn’t win the Cup. That would make the Battle of Alberta even tougher for us.
Now a quick blitz round. Most annoying NHL team? Aside from Edmonton, of course.
Florida.
Why? You even scored a hat trick against the Panthers once.
Yeah, but they were playing a different style back then. Now they’re a much more aggressive team, really tough to play against — especially on their home ice.
The toughest goalie for you to score on?
I’d say [Vezina Trophy winner] Connor Hellebuyck from Winnipeg. I don’t think I’ve ever scored on him.
Best hockey player right now?
I’ll name three: McDavid, MacKinnon, and Kucherov.
Gretzky or Ovechkin?
Since Ovechkin is my idol, the choice is obvious.
**The End**
The full interview in Russian can be
found here. ChatGPT did 95% of the work on this translation, I just had to fix some of the sentences and add some formatting. There were several more topics I didn't include, like Ovi, Protas, Kolosov, Lego, and questions about Dynamo and the national team.
Shark Attack - The Anual Sharky Interview 2025 Edition
