“We trusted the young guy”: Gritsyuk on the performance at the Olympics, the shootout against Sweden and the failure of Avangard in the KHL

"Double feeling from the Olympics"

— The completed season turned out to be rich in events.

Which one was the brightest?

- Probably, the semi-final match with the Swedes at the Olympics, when I converted the winning bullet.

Still, it was the trip to Beijing that was the most memorable.

- That puck, like the first one abandoned in the KHL, was not saved?

- There is no such tradition in the national team.

It seems to me that if everyone took their debut goals, they would end after the first match 

.

If we had won in the final, then I probably would have kept it.

And so - no.

- A few months after the end of the Olympics, what emotions do you experience: joy from silver or sadness due to the lack of gold?

“I still have mixed feelings.

We basically did everything we could.

And in general, I am satisfied with both the team and personal results.

Of course, everyone wants to win.

But the strongest wins.

And, perhaps, this defeat in the final will be an incentive for even more hard work.

Until the next OI four years.

You need to give all your best and raise your level so that next time it will not be so insulting.

- If last year you were told about a trip to the Olympics, would you believe it?

- Of course not.

I am very grateful to the coaches for the fact that they were able to trust the young guy and let me play in the tournament.

Emotionally, it was a huge rise in the middle of the season.

- Who from the headquarters of the national team worked with you more than the others?

- Little by little everyone had a hand: both Alexey Yuryevich (Zhamnov. -

), and Sergey Viktorovich (Gonchar. -

).

Everyone only wanted to help, and we became a good team.

The guys supported me too. 

- Did you keep in touch with any of the players of the national team after the Olympics?

The hockey world is big.

Now I don’t really communicate with anyone, but if I see someone, of course, we will exchange a few words.

With Sasha Nikishin recently flew to rest, it happened by chance.

And in the national team, I mostly talked with Nikita Gusev, since we played together with him.

But I tried to find a common language with all the guys.

I looked up to everyone at the time.

And when he was on the same team with them, he tried to improve relations.

It seems to have worked out.

Everyone made contact, supported, gave practical advice, especially on the ice.

It was very nice.

- At the same time, attention from journalists has increased to you.

Already have questions that are annoying?

- In fact, there is no such thing.

Just a lot of repetition.

But this is also understandable: everyone wants to learn something new for themselves.

- At the end of his career, goalkeeper Ilya Bryzgalov worked as a journalist and, in order to get away from banal questions, he asked hockey players: how much would two plus two be multiplied by two ...

— Yes, I saw this video on social networks.

And only the Russians answered correctly.

Everyone else said eight.

“Somewhere there weren’t enough Finnish guys”

- Avangard could not repeat the success of last season and win the Gagarin Cup.

Did the team become a victim of circumstances due to the departure of legionnaires, or are there other reasons for the failure?

“I don't want to blame anyone.

Everyone strives to win, and in this case, the opponent just turned out to be stronger in the playoffs.

"Magnitogorsk" eventually reached the final and was close to winning the trophy.

Of course, somewhere there were not enough Finnish guys who left us.

We were left with four defenders, and in some moments there was no strength on the back line.

Somewhere the attackers played incorrectly - they did not help the defense.

Many factors can be added up and understand why we conceded.

- What was the first thing that upset you personally at the end of the season?

- I do not separate my results from the team results, because everyone does everything to win.

Therefore, he was dissatisfied with the fact that in the final of the Olympics he could not score, equalize the score and keep us in the game.

The defeat from Metallurg in the seventh match of the semifinal series of the Eastern Conference of the Gagarin Cup was upsetting: we did not score a single goal, although there were moments.

- You were recognized as the best young hockey player of the completed KHL season.

However, it is believed that it is difficult to maintain such a high level for the second year.

— I understand that for me this is just the beginning of my career, and now I need to work twice as hard.

If it turned out to be a good season, you should leave the training program that was.

But at the same time, increase the load and become even stronger, smarter, more mature.

I don’t know how things are going for others, I hope I don’t have any recession.

- In the off-season, do you work according to an individual plan or is the program provided by the club?

- We have coaching facilities, but you can do it yourself.

The main thing is that you approach the training camp with the physical base laid down for the season.

Then there will be another meeting with the team, but I try to work more individually with specialists whom I know and trust.

When you do it yourself, you still need outside control, it is important to understand each exercise.

Therefore, it is easier for me to attract coaches who are always able to tell where and what I am doing wrong.

Plus, they see what I lacked during the season and how to make up for it.

“Impressive how Kaprizov manifests himself”

- Avangard was based in Balashikha for a long time.

How difficult was it, given that all your friends remained in Omsk?

— My parents live in Krasnoyarsk, relatives live in Sochi and Samara.

The family is scattered all over the country, and all the time I somehow try to see everyone, to meet.

So I was ready for the next move.

But I have been in Omsk since the age of 12, and this is the second, although perhaps already the first city where I want to return.

Most of my youth passed there, and all my friends remained.

Therefore, I am very glad that the team will play in Omsk next season.

I drove past the arena several times... It's huge!

I want to spend the first training session on it, to feel this size, to feel what it means to play in such a large stadium.

And then play a match and hear the local fans and their support.

Of course, I was bored, because in Omsk they have a different attitude towards hockey than in Moscow.

I am grateful to those who came to the stands in Balashikha.

But still, the home for Avangard is Omsk.

It's time to return.

- You said that you always discuss your matches with your father and grandfather.

What do they recommend now?

“Actually, they don’t say anything anymore.

Help, first of all, morally.

Just discussing the meeting, how I could or should I have played.

But you can't call it advice.

I make decisions myself.

Do you call before or after the game?

“I am always in touch with my dad.

Before matches, he just wishes good luck, and after that we discuss the result, as well as my personal game and statistics.

- Is there any phrase of the father that has been deposited in the memory?

- He tells me a lot of important things, but I don't want to voice them.

Do you keep in touch with New Jersey?

— Yes, I am in contact with the scouts who work in Russia, and with the physical training coach.

He gives me advice.

The same communication was before, when I was just drafting.

I'm interested.

But there is still a year left under the contract with Avangard, and I am glad to work it out to the fullest, and then we will see.

- Which of the Russian hockey players in the NHL impresses you?

— Lately I've been following Nathan McKinnon's performance.

But this is far from a Russian (

).

All our guys playing in the NHL are worthy of attention.

I like the playing style of Artemy Panarin and Kirill Kaprizov, Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexander Ovechkin.

You just need to choose one person who evokes sympathy for the style and adopt some details.

Of course, it's impressive how Kaprizov proved himself in Russia, and then left for the NHL and proved there that he can do anything.

I really like him both as a player and as a person, although I don't know him yet.

But what Kirill does on and off the ice is great.

- So, are you trying to adopt some things from the NHL?

- Yes, let's say the forward used a new feint, and he succeeded.

And you want to repeat it, so that in a match, when a similar situation arises, try to play similarly.

If it passes, then why not?