Where is Alexei Kaigorodov playing now? Alexey Kaigorodov: I really wanted to play hockey in such a team of masters as Metallurg

The 21-year-old forward of Magnitogorsk Metallurgist Alexei Kaigorodov is the main discovery of this hockey season in Russia. A circle before the end of the regular season, he tops the list of top scorers in the Super League with 39 points. He almost doubled his personal performance record, ahead of not only such recognized masters as Jagr and Sushinsky, but also his vaunted peer Ilya Kovalchuk. The upcoming match between Ak Bars and Metallurg should show who is the best young forward in Russia today.

- Despite the fact that many world hockey stars are playing in Russia now, it was your game that became a real discovery of this season - has it matured, and do you score points for performance in almost every game?

This year, it's probably my time to show great game and prove your skills on the court. I have been playing for Metallurg in the Super League for the fourth season already - the coaches, the team management are expecting something more from me, they hope that I will become the team leader. I didn’t think about it before, but now, when I began to score a lot of points, score at decisive moments, I have a different attitude towards myself, I become more demanding and purposeful.

- It's easy to notice you in the game - no player in Russia has such a beautiful and easy skating, just skating, not running. Best Representatives bandy would envy your gliding. Where did you get it from?

From my dad, he was a hockey player himself, went through the school of the Chelyabinsk Tractor, played for Metallurg in class B for several seasons. Of course, I don’t remember, I was still small, but eyewitnesses say that he also stood out from the rest with excellent skating. It was under his careful supervision that I learned to ride at the calibration plant.

- Where where?

We have two large industrial enterprises in Magnitogorsk - a metallurgical plant and a calibration plant. It was in the factory team that my father ended his career. He took me to practice and games. It was on the open hockey box of my father's factory that I took my first steps at the age of 5.

- And when did you come to Metallurg?

In the first grade, the director of the SDUSHOR Metallurg came to our school for a lesson and recruited children to play hockey. My friend and I signed up without hesitation. From that time until now, my fate is connected with only one club - Metallurg.

- What can you tell the readers of our newspaper about your hockey exploits in your childhood?

In 1992-93, when I just came to Metallurg, hockey began to rise in our city - in main team a group of strong players from Chelyabinsk and Ust-Kamenogorsk arrived, a lot of attention was paid to the children's school. We had strong team my age. First, we were trained by a wonderful specialist Valery Viktorovich Kartaev, then Sergey Arkadyevich Demin. We always felt the support and attention from the leadership of our club - several final competitions were held in Magnitogorsk: we took third and second places. It is a pity that they did not become champions. One time in final tournament in one game, I don’t remember with whom, I scored 12 goals, that’s all my exploits.

- Yes, but few people now remember and know that you are a two-time world champion - once among juniors, once among youth teams?

And he could have been three times, like Medvedev, Polushin, Grigorenko and Trubachev. But for the 2002 World Cup, I was Plushev ( Main coach youth team of Russia in 1999-2002) - did not take. Then, two weeks before the training camp, Vladimir Anatolyevich came up to me and said that he would not take me to the team, but he called the day before and he took it. But then Metallurg needed me, and the club's management would not let me go.

- At the Junior World Championships, you played with Kovalchuk and Grigorenko. Many experts then noted the brilliant play of your link?

Interestingly, in this combination we played only at the first junior world championship (before that, only European championships were held. - neither before nor after we played together anymore. Two days before the tournament, Plyushchev connected us, and from the very first game Kovalchuk began to score - oh, then he scored a lot of goals for his opponents. youth championship of the world, I played on the line with the army team Zherdev and Anshakov. I still think that I could play much stronger. But even so, few people manage to win the final of the Canadians in their homeland.

- Indeed, your 83rd birthday is the strongest in history Russian hockey?

We had a great team, and, most importantly, we were very united, always confident in victory, which is why we achieved such excellent results. Many teams with strong players, for example, in 1985 with Alexander Ovechkin, did not manage to win anything - there is no psychology of winners. Plyushchev worked well with us and set us up to win. I emphasize once again that we were strong precisely in the team spirit, and not because we had Kovalchuk in the squad; by the way, we won the second youth gold without him.

- Kovalchuk has long been considered a star by everyone. At the age of 18, he left to conquer North America, and we must give him his due, he does it well. But you, despite being selected by the Ottawa Senators in the second round of the 2002 draft, seem to be in no hurry to leave for the NHL. Is there really no desire to play in the strongest league in the world?

You won’t believe it, but after I was chosen by Ottawa, I received only one offer from the Canadian club - in the summer I received a fax with a work schedule in Magnitogorsk summer camps. And that's it. I really want to play in the NHL, but I'm not going to leave Russia without a decent offer. I believe that the leadership of Ottawa should be more active, more interested in me.

- Three years ago, you became a regular player of the base, just then, parting with Andrey Razin (Metallurgist's best striker at that time.), General Director of your team Gennady Velichkin confidently said: Don't worry, in a couple of years you will all forget who Razin is . We have a growing central striker who will not be equal in Russia. Alexei - was Velichkin talking about you?

You did not quote exactly, but Gennady Ivanovich really told reporters something similar about me. I don't know if Velichkin already saw a colossal talent in me or just wanted to see it. His opinion means a lot to me. From my very first steps, he closely followed my progress. But look how Evgeni Malkin is already playing for Magnitogorsk, he is even 18 years old. That's who - the world's future.

- You came to the team just after the last champion title of Metallurg under the leadership of Valery Belousov. Was it difficult to integrate into adult hockey?

Yes, I spent the first two seasons under the leadership of Valery Konstantinovich. Then, if you remember, there was a 3+2 rule in the Super League. 5 young players had to be entered for the match. On the one hand, this rule was aimed at ensuring that young players get the necessary experience, open up. I want to note that it helped us a lot at the World Youth Championships. On the other hand, it should not be artificial, the best should really play, and not exaggerated. But the rule that existed then helped me a lot. And then, Valery Belousov treated me well, trusted me, never shouted, did not choke, did not scold me for mistakes. He treated with understanding both me and all the guys in the difficult seasons for Magnitogorsk.

- Do you think that the change of Belousov to Marek Sikora on the coaching bridge was a necessity to change something, to shake up the team. And what has changed in the game of the Soviet team itself with the arrival of a European specialist?

It's hard for me to say what was the main thing in the change of coaches. Probably, the management had its own views, understandings, decisions, far-reaching goals for the development of the team. With the advent of Marek, the game of our team has become different. He has other requirements - more defensive. We play more rollback than pressure.

- I would not say that the game of Magnitogorsk became more boring under Sikor. What is your victory over Severstal worth - 13:4 (a performance record in the entire history of the Super League.)!

Yes, you are right - not boring. We are not going to sit and wait for mistakes from the opponent. But still, we put more emphasis on defense. In the game with Severstal it turned out: everything flew into their goal - we even got tired of scoring ourselves (Laughs.) But this rarely happens.

- Is it interesting for you to work under this Czech specialist, and how is your relationship with him?

Yes, of course it's interesting. Training under his leadership, you get some experience, the trainings have become a little different - more intense. In our team, all the guys have a trusting relationship with him - you can always come up to talk, discuss this or that issue. Last year, when Sikora just came, I didn’t succeed much, besides, I broke my finger then. It’s good that he understood that he was adjusting to his working conditions - he didn’t drive horses. Let me get ready. This season, Sikora began to trust me more playing time - I go out both in the majority and in the minority, hence, probably, my performance has increased.

- And how many performance points are you going to score this season - 50, 60 or maybe 100 points?

Score 100 points in a season?! Why not. It just won't work this season. And in the next - I don’t see anything fantastic in this! Dmitry Denisov from Salavat Yulaev scored a few seasons ago with 45 goals each (40 and 43 in the 1993/1994 and 1994/1995 seasons.), But then there were fewer games in the championship.

- Here, for example, Maxim Sushinsky from the Avangard is gaining a lot of points, he is chasing you this season as well. How does he manage to maintain his high performance?

He has long been playing in the same trio with his partners Zatonsky and Prokopiev. They are very good at realizing the numerical advantage. The same Koreshkov brothers or Razin and Golts scored the lion's share of points by converting the majority. Teamwork says a lot about modern hockey.

- And what is your record of performance in one game?

This season in the home game against Ak Bars I scored 5 points. It was at the beginning of October. Now, if we continued in this vein, then how many games - 20 - and I would have already scored a steward. (Laughs.)

- In recent months you have been playing on the same line with Kudermetov and Tertyshny. Probably, due to the fact that you are able to perfectly complement each other, you began to score so many points in the championship?

Yes, our team with Tertyshny has been working since last year, and this is a big plus when you play with the same partner. I do not play with Kudermetov so often, Zhenya Gladskikh is more active in our link, but he has an injury now.

- It was with the Gladskys that you played at the first stage of the Euro Hockey Tour Karjala Cap for the Russian national team and played with your combination quite well ...

How we played is better for the coaches to judge. It is much more difficult to play at such tournaments than for your own club - the speeds are just some kind of prohibitive. I liked the atmosphere in the team in Finland - everything was calm, without any tension. All the guys perfectly understand why they came. And although I'm still not completely trusted in the first team of the country - I usually go out in the third link - it's still nice to put on a sweater with the inscription Russia. At Karjala Cap, we were in no way inferior to other teams - we lost because of stupid, offensive mistakes in defense. And I can assure domestic hockey fans that if in last years we were inferior to rivals in speed, but now we have eliminated this shortcoming. In our domestic championship, all teams play speed hockey

- Let's return to the championship of Russia. Has it become more interesting and, let's say, more skillful compared to last season. Are you interested in playing against players who went through NHL school?

Yes, while the NHL is in lockdown, many interesting and strong world-famous players came to us - Jagr, Sikora, Lecavalier - it is very interesting to play against them, watch them, take the best from them. I really like the way Alexei Kovalev plays. He looks great - he holds the puck perfectly, and he has a great stroke. Sometimes, it seems that it will not be difficult for him to circle the entire top five of the opponent - that's just what the partners should do then. (Laughs) But seriously, I really want to play on the same line with him.

- I noticed that you, along with Gonchar, Eliash and Sikora, stay at the end of training and do some things with them. special exercises. Why do you need it?

It is interesting for me to see how players - NHL stars play, what they do in training, how they prepare, because training in America is different from Russian. I try to learn something new for myself. Yes, it's just wonderful to work with such hockey players while there is such an opportunity.

- The Russian Championship is entering the finish line, the teams have only one lap left to play, what to expect from the end of the championship and what will Magnitka please its fans with?

I think that the first four teams have already decided. While ahead of us - Dynamo and Lada, a little behind - Ak Bars. We are not weaker than them both in composition and in game. Therefore, we will try to get ahead of these teams in the championship and give them a real fight in the playoffs.

But it's still too early to think about it. Of course, it is desirable to take a place as high as possible in order to have the advantage of one's own field.

- Is there any inconvenient opponent for Metallurg that you wouldn't want to face in knockout games?

No, all opponents will be strong, and no one will have passing streaks. Last season we got to Neftekhimik in the first round - the eighth team of the championship - and beat them only in the fifth, decisive game. Everyone is playing at 100% of their potential right now, in the championship, and imagine what awaits everyone in the playoffs.

- Alexei, do you yourself have a goal to become the top scorer at the end of the season?

No - it just happened, and I don’t think about it specifically - the second, first or tenth me. The main thing is that my team Metallurg Magnitogorsk win every game and become a champion.

- What does top scorer national championship in your spare time?

Usually during away matches I read books, magazines, newspapers. Now Sergei Gonchar advised to read Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code, many NHL players read it last year - now its translation into Russian has been released. At home, in Magnitogorsk, I spend time in the company of my friend Tanya, we have been dating for three years, but have not yet got married. I like to watch our old Soviet comedies. I don't really like nightlife: discos, bars, casinos are not for me.

- And where do you like to relax, is there a favorite place where you always want to return?

I am a native Uralian - and I would not exchange my favorite hills, lakes, forests for all sorts of Maldives and Hawaii. And a better holiday than in winter in Abzakovo ( ski resort.), and in the summer on Bannoy, and you can’t imagine it, just write it.

Valery Kaigorodov lives in Belokurikha. He works as an electrician in one of the local sanatoriums. He recently became a regional representative for the Night Hockey League. Could he imagine that one day he would have the opportunity to play his favorite game against the best representatives of domestic hockey different years, which also stands for President Vladimir Putin?!

"The president has very strong hands"

- It was something incredible. Last year, real idols of hockey fans came to the Altai Territory. Among them were Vladimir Myshkin, Viktor Shalimov, Alexander Guskov, Andrey Nikolishin, Igor Mishukov and Sergey Gimaev, who, to our great grief, suddenly passed away. Each of this magnificent six, with their outstanding skill and talent, wrote bright pages in the history of not only domestic, but also world hockey, - says Valery Kaygorodov.

The purpose of the visit of the star guests was to popularize hockey in general, including the Night Hockey League. They held master classes for children, and also played exhibition matches in Barnaul, Bochkary and Belokurikha.

After their visit, Igor Bakhmutov, General Director of the Night Hockey League, called me with an offer to play for the League team in a gala match taking place in Sochi during the final games of the Night Hockey League season. The emotions that I experienced at that moment cannot be expressed in words, - says Valery.

- What can you tell about the match itself?

- Even before the game there was jitters. When I went on the ice, I didn’t see anything, I didn’t hear the podium. I remember sweat pouring down my face. Only in the second period did I see reruns being shown on the big screen. I looked at the ice and could not believe my eyes, I am on the same platform with my idols. It is very difficult to defend the gate when Pavel Bure or Valery Kamensky attack. Yes, in principle, all the stars have throws, which is necessary. I can note that our president also has very strong hands. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has a powerful throw. There was no talk of any giveaways. All goals were scored honestly.

One big family

Valery Kaigorodov is one of the few regional representatives who are developing all three NHL leagues on their territory. Today in the Altai Territory, three teams play in the "40+" league, three in the "Dream League" and four more in the "League of Hope".

In February of this year, a conference of regional representatives of the Night Hockey League of the Altai Territory, as well as the Kemerovo and Novosibirsk regions was held in Barnaul. The participants were the head of the sports department of the Night Hockey League Vladimir Karpov and the head of the general department Nikolai Fedorenko.

- It is too early to judge the level of participants in the Altai divisions. In this case, it will show up in Sochi. Depending on the places that the teams will take, it will be possible to understand at what level they play. I can say about the organization of competitions in the Altai Territory: this year they have become better, - said Vladimir Karpov in an interview with Altai journalists.

It is already known for sure that this season on final stage three teams from the Altai Territory will go to Sochi. Last year, the Bochkari 18+ team won the Small Cup in the League of Hope in the capital of the 2014 Olympics. Already this season, the team intends to compete for the Grand Slam Cup.

– The Night Hockey League in the Altai Territory is one big friendly family, – continues to tell Valery Kaygorodov. - Last year, many of our guys took their wives and children to Sochi. When we won the Small Cup, something incredible happened in the stands! It was such an emotion! We felt like we had won the Olympics! These are unforgettable impressions that each of us will carry through our lives.

The Altai Territory, even by the standards of Siberia, is far from being the most hockey region, however, caring people find opportunities to develop amateur hockey, and the Night Hockey League has become a new tremendous incentive for many young guys and adult men who have already taken place.

Separately, it is worth noting that now teams from the Altai villages of Rossosh and Eltsovka take part in the Night Hockey League. According to Valery Kaigorodov, there hasn't been hockey there for 25 years, isn't that a success?!

Already today, new teams are showing interest in the Night Hockey League, and most likely, there will be even more of them next season.

Have all the records been set by Metallurg's captain Sergei Mozyakin? No, not all. A pupil of Magnitogorsk Alexei Kaygorodov is still the club's leader in assists. And this, given the fact that he has not played at a professional level for more than a year.

Time goes fast. It seemed that not so long ago, number 55 made his debut in Metallurg. And as it turned out later, he spent almost his entire career as part of the Magnitogorsk team. A unique and unrepeatable career, if only because not all Magnitogorsk pupils managed to become world youth champions. There are only two of them - Dmitry Pestunov and Alexei Kaigorodov. Igor Bobkov doesn't count. At the MFM-2011, he represented the North American team. And not all pupils of Magnitogorsk will be able to end their careers on the most positive note - a victory in the Gagarin Cup for their native club. But Alex could. And his hockey biography in Metallurg can now easily be turned into a script for a film with a Hollywood plot.

- Alexei, at what point was the decision to end your career made?

- Probably, in the final season, when he left Ufa. And then the mess with the clubs began. Frankly, when I left the location of Dynamo, it seemed to me that everything, I would not go anywhere else. But it turned out that an offer was received from Metallurg. It certainly made me happy. And I was preparing for the fact that, most likely, after this season I would finish my career in big hockey. It so happened that he did it on such a major note. Then, in general, in order to end his career at that very moment - there was no doubt. I don't know, somehow I just decided for myself. Perhaps all these moves influenced, something else. Cool down on this one. Decided to finish.

Have you tried to restart your career?

- Not really. In principle, even after the Gagarin Cup, I received offers, but I immediately told the agent that I would not consider them. There was no such thing as no one invited. There were offers, the teams gave a contract, but I didn’t even consider it. Although throughout the offseason, the agent periodically called up, and he asked if I had changed my mind? And in principle, many told me that a year will pass, and I will return. But this is unlikely to happen.

– At the age of 33, retire. What was the reason? Have you lost the desire to play hockey at such a high level?

- Not too early, I ended my career. After all, fifteen seasons have passed. The figure, in principle, is not small and a lot of matches have been played. I played in Ufa, where Kirill Koltsov and I got on well with each other, it was somehow interesting to play. Here, for example, in Magnitogorsk he returned to a slightly different role. Played with young guys. Now a little different hockey, the coaches require a different game. I probably don’t really like to play this hockey, and somehow there was no such interest anymore. Excitement, and did not receive pleasure from the game. But I don’t really want to just go out and serve the number, thinking that the game will end as soon as possible (smiles).

- Did you offer to return to hockey as a coach?

- Recently there was an offer from the Metallurg children's school. I don’t know, although I now go skating with the guys born in 2001. This is the graduation year, he is trained by my peer Artem Romashov. We have been practicing since childhood, but then his hockey career did not work out, and he became a coach. And it's coming out soon. He invites me to come to training, says that it is interesting for the guys. And I'm also interested. I suggest something, I do not stand aside. And I myself move, ride, I can’t do without it. To become a full-fledged coach, I haven’t thought about it yet. Maybe I'm not ready yet. So far I have no such desire.

- From big hockey Has Alexei Kaigorodov gone somewhere in particular, or is he still looking for himself outside the game?

- A year has flown by, a little more already. From the outside, it has become more interesting to look at some things now with different eyes. As long as you just want to live. And then, when there is a desire, it will be possible to try. Why not?

- Final Metallurg - SKA. What can you say about him? Is the army team really a more balanced team that has surpassed Magnitogorsk in terms of the totality of talents?

- Well, of course, the army team is deeper and stronger in composition. Somewhere, maybe our leaders got tired, but in principle they played decently. There should be no complaints against Metallurg. SKA is stronger, yet they saw that otherworldly forces helped. Not without it. Therefore, ours, of course, could win. In principle, the second place is also a normal result, like the game itself performed by the Magnitogorsk team, despite otherworldly aspects. The final was interesting, despite such a score of 1-4. I would not like otherworldly forces and something else to interfere in our hockey. I wanted sport to be a sport, and the one who was more skilled, the one who was stronger, actually won.

- Now how often do you watch hockey live?

- To be honest, last season I came to the game once. On TV, yes, I watch, but somehow I don’t know, maybe I’m fed up. I have comrades with whom we communicate every day, they are interested in hockey, they tell me who played how. Maybe this year I will go more often. I miss you (smiles).

- You were at the match against Traktor at the Romazan memorial. This off-season, Metallurg is being criticized. Like, the team has no game yet, and the result too. What did you, as a professional, like about Metallurg's game? From one match, it was possible to understand what Ilya Vorobyov wants to build from this team?

- Three or four leading players left Metallurg, of course, it became difficult. I think Ilya Petrovich wants to create two triples with an eye on attack, and a third or fourth link with an emphasis on defense. I don’t know why it doesn’t work now, maybe there are not enough performers. Well, of course, “five by four” is one thing when Lee, Antpin and Zaripov played in it, who knew in advance who would be located where, and so it turned out in the end. We are all used to their beautiful, good, gambling game. But these people are gone, and it is not easy to replace them. Artists like them are few and far between. And new arrivals will not be able to master that skill in a month and a half. I think mutual understanding will slowly come. In principle, there are already some moments. In the first three, Ellison came out of the defenders of Shaus. Let's say they played four forwards. In the championship, the majority will improve anyway. Of course, it won't be the same as before. It won't be easy, it won't be easy. There are more young guys in Metallurg. For those who haven't played much highest level, you have to get involved. I think things are slowly getting better.

How much time would you give to be patient? Three months, four?

“I understand all this very well from the inside. It's hard to say, but I think half the championship will be hard. Of course, it is difficult to convince the fans, they all want a bright game and victories. Against the backdrop of those seasons and a productive game, this will not happen now, and it will be hard for the guys, they understand that people expect one thing from them, and for objective reasons they will not be able to show such a game. At least at the start of the championship.

- In connection with the new way of life, did you have more free time?

- It appeared, but I got used to the regime. Now I have more summer months to rest, spend with my family. And so I try to practice almost every day except Saturday and Sunday. I swim, I go on the ice. Somehow I want to keep in shape, participate in veteran tournaments.

- Have you got any new hobbies? Maybe he began to listen to more music, watch movies?

- No, there are no such new hobbies. I listen to music in the car. There are no new hobbies.

- How many times a week do you train?

This week it turned out that Monday was a day off. Tuesday Wednesday Thursday. On Friday I will have a rest, and then we will have the Ax Cup. Two games on Saturday and one game on Sunday. It turns out, seven workouts per week.

- Strongly! By the way, how do you assess the level of amateur hockey in Magnitogorsk?

- The level is pretty good. I haven't been to other cities, so I don't know. But I know that we have quite a few teams and even several leagues. It pleases that people go, go in for sports and directly hockey. There is a problem to find free ice, it is busy everywhere, everything is scheduled. I want to say that amateur hockey is at a good level.

- The level of respect, dirt, violations in amateur hockey. What is he?

- To be honest, I did not participate in the amateur championship. I go with the guys, I train, I participate in some tournaments. I went to the games, looked, it seemed normal, I didn’t see that they were playing dirty. Adequately.

– Did you try to play with “Charge” sticks?

- Didn't even hold it in your hands?

- When I played the final season, Danis offered me to try Zaryadom, but it was flu-like, and I don’t play like that. He wanted me to try, but it didn't work. Ordered new Bauer clubs, should be here soon.

- Do you need a lot of clubs for the season? How much do you take?

- No, I don’t throw with a swing, I try not to use a click. So I have enough for a long time. I try to be careful. The only thing is that it happens that you can break a stick on face-offs, but now I don’t rest on face-offs as much as before (laughs).

- What can you say about the situation with Zaripov?

– It was a total surprise for me. I don’t know how true everything is there - it’s not true, but it’s a shame for Danis. The man wanted to finish calmly in Kazan, at home. He believes that Kazan is his home, despite the fact that he was born in Chelyabinsk. It's very unfortunate that this happened.

- Did you often have to take a doping test yourself?

- Often - not often, but I think fifteen times for sure.

- What is the process of passing a doping test?

- You come to a special room after the match, you take tests. You sign a paper and give it to the doctor. If everything is fine, nothing comes.

- It turns out, on average, once a season.

- Not a fact, mostly activity in the playoffs. That year, when we played the series with Novosibirsk, I got caught twice for the series. That is, he hit twice in five games. They pull out, like cards, the numbers of the players. Whose number is pulled out, he surrenders.

- Over the years that you spent in professional hockey, how has the approach of coaches to pre-season training changed?

– Changed, but not for everyone. There are still coaches who work according to the old system. It is not entirely clear why this is necessary when people are running cross-country and their pulse is under two hundred. I don't know what is the purpose here. It was with me, before my eyes. I saw how people ran to the finish line and crawled on their backs, they were watered cold water. Pre-season training is carried out in order to accumulate reserves, but it turns out that when you run on a pulse of 180, on the contrary, you waste everything. I don't understand what's the point? People ride on old luggage, they don't want to learn modern methods. That is, they remained in that time. Hard to tell. And someone is fine: adequate loads, approach. Some have changed their approach to the pre-season training camp, some have moved forward, while others have remained in place.

- They say that hockey itself has become completely different: throws and throws. Well, nothing more. True? As a professional on TV, are you interested in watching the game now?

- To be honest, not really. Of course, the game of leaders has always been of interest, but now it does not always arouse interest. It was interesting to watch the game of the leading five of Magnitogorsk. Five of CSKA, in which Radulov played. A pair of fives in SKA. Well, and so the game of hockey has become more straightforward, or something. Combination drawing has become less. More: they threw it on the gate, ran, trampled. There is something that can be traced.

- Is there a center forward in the KHL whose game you like?

- Jan Kovař is playing well. So, to be honest, to follow someone, there is no such thing. In SKA - Vadim Shipachev. Played combinations can be traced with him, especially when playing the majority. "Five on four" played well.

– Your corporate identity is “snail”. In fact, this is a very complex technical element. Thanks to her, it was possible to keep the puck in the opponent's zone, find a free partner, give him a pass. Where did the ability to make a branded "snail" come from? Who gave you this item?

- Dad taught me. He also played hockey with me, and played a little for Metallurg, then for Calibration. And he used it himself, skated well and still rides. From childhood, he told me, I did, and this one brought results. Therefore, they tried to save something better in order to use it in the game.

- But you did not immediately learn how to make a "snail"?

Well, of course, everything comes with time. When you do it a thousand times, it is postponed on a subconscious level, until it is worked out mechanically.

- Which of the coaches has invested in you the most work and nerves?

- The coaches did their bit, but in any case, for the first seven or eight seasons, after each game that was shown on TV, my father and I analyzed my actions on the court. Mom recorded games on video cassettes, I came home and my father and I looked at them again and sorted out: what I did right and what didn’t.

- In addition to training at a children's school, did you study on your own?

- In the village in the summer, I worked on a special iron sheet with a puck, threw at the gate. Nobody followed me. I came to my grandparents in the village of Svetloe, performed my duties of maintaining the house, helping them. And in the evening I played the puck on the iron sheets. This is good now, plastic ice has been made for children at the Metallurg Arena. It's a pleasure to work on it.

- Did you work on it?

- I tried a little. The puck slides in fact artificial ice. And there for iron, sprinkled sand, it turns out rubber and metal. There are frictions. This training came from my father, he comes from there, he still trained like that in his time. Then I: a throw - not a throw, a pass - not a pass, I throw it at the gate. In size, a special iron frame was welded, which was called the gate.

- How was your birthday? What was given?

– A year ago, when I was celebrating my 33rd birthday, my friends gave me a portrait that they had painted themselves. We were here for the awards all together, they took a picture of me with a medal in a suit with a bouquet. And then they painted my portrait. Yes, it worked out pretty well. An unexpected gift. And this year, he didn't do much. The two families got together and had dinner. For many years it was not possible to properly celebrate my birthday. Usually at this time I was at the training camp. Therefore, that year they told me: “So, let's celebrate your birthday, otherwise you haven’t been able to do this for many years.”

- With whom from the current Metallurg squad do you communicate?

- We meet with Evgeny Biryukov, with Sergey Mozyakin - we communicate. And so I'm on good terms with everyone.

- Could you work as a hockey expert, just like Badyukov, Guskov?

- No, at least this kind of work does not attract.

- What helped you to gain a foothold in the main team of Metallurg at the age of 18?

- I wanted to play hockey, the desire was great. Then it was generally, I think, more difficult than it is now. I just really wanted to play hockey in such a team of masters as Metallurg.

- You had three or four seasons when you scored under fifty points per season, but at the same time Metallurg did not become a champion. Why didn't you play effectively in other years as well?

- Hard to tell. Maybe it was a period when the composition was knocked out under the top five. Somehow it turned out like this. There were many nuances, I will not talk about them, incomprehensible to me. Why did the coaches at that time, I still don’t understand it, did they behave like that, why did they do it?

- Have you tried to ask the coaches questions on this topic?

“I am not a confrontational person myself. I didn’t want to go into conflict, to find out something, especially since the head coach always knows better. It’s just that at that moment you understand that this is not fair, and your hands drop a little. Let's say, not the mood, not the rise. It happens that this is the case. And when you realize that this is not the case, you begin to think somewhere ... All people are different. Some people can take it easier. I am a bit of a corrosive person, I can start asking myself questions. Against this background, there is a decline.

- How did you manage to win the Youth World Cup final in Halifax? What was the secret of success?

- The team of 1983 was generally good. Each of us was a leader in our clubs. Then just really good team, the goalkeeper is good - Medvedev. No secret. There were people - whoever you take, everything is in order. And then, at that time, it was not clear to me: they took into the national team those people who could not be taken, because instead of them, stronger guys remained outside the national team. And then it would be even more interesting. We had two links that were stronger, and two were weaker.

- Why couldn't Metallurg win the fifth match of the final in 2004?

– After all, we lost in shootouts there, didn’t we?

- Yes sir.

- We had a good team, such a final was interesting. We took a 2-0 lead in the series. And then lost three games in a row. Valery Konstantinovich was in Omsk. And here in the fifth game the shootouts were not scored. I remember that they wanted Evgeny Gladskikh to make his attempt, but his wrist hurt. Means no luck.

– But you didn’t shoot a bullet in that fateful series.

For some reason they didn't post...

- But he scored against Slovan. When I went for those two shootouts in the match with Slovan, what did you think about, because it was all so serious?

“There was no need to think. I just had to get out. It turns out that I beat the third after Kudrna and Marek?

- That's right.

“I passed out at that moment. I almost knew that I would throw it there. All of this was complicated. Then I still went, it turns out?

- Why was Canada so badly battered in 2005? On group stage your bullet at the gates of Canada became victorious. Do you remember him?

- I don't remember that match very well. But I remember how King just after the first game with the Canadians yelled at us, he was very dissatisfied. It seems that they won, albeit in shootouts. To cut a long story short, the King ran over us then, and then we Canada 8:3 and slammed (smiles).

- What kind of game was in the final?

- On the rise, inspired. That game was easy for us, and the Canadians were discouraged.

- I was at the Spengler Cup twice with Magnitka and twice with Ufa. On the one hand cool, on the other - hard. It turns out, often games. You come to the highlands and it's not easy to play every day. Everything seems to be fine, but it's hard. A good option to go to the Spengler Cup with five fives in order to give someone a rest every game. But there are injuries, so this option may not work.

- Do you regret that you did not go to the NHL for the second time?

- No. Once I went, I saw what was there. Enough.

- In general, did the Ottawa bosses persuade you to stay?

No, the situation was a little different there. They began to attack me tightly in the summer of 2006. They called almost every day: “Come, come!”. I started the preseason here, and I didn’t really intend to play in the NHL. But they promised me that I would play there in the second link, they said that they needed a central one for Alfredsson. I thought and thought, but then I finally decided. Thank God that they let me go here in a good way. I remember talking for a very long time: I, Kupriyanov, Velichkin, Aleko ... They somehow did not want to let go, but nevertheless parted amicably. We agreed that if something does not work out there, then I return to Magnitogorsk. I came to Ottawa, of course, no one put me in the second link, but put me in the fourth. However, six games played. There were good games, when our link won the micro-match, the team won. But with each match, playing time became less and less. It got to the point that he spent the first shift in the 11th minute. Before going to the NHL, I asked questions about my sending to the farm club. And we wrote a clause in the contract that if they send me to the farm club, then I go back. And so it happened. The general manager called me and started talking some nonsense. My agent on the phone translated all of this. I asked to buy tickets for me home, and I flew to Magnitogorsk.

- What serious injuries as a player received?

- The lower back hurt, - an intervertebral hernia. Of course, she was very sick, but there was no such thing as to drop out for a long time. I suffered for two years, but when I went to training, the pain subsided. It was hard to get up in the morning. Passed a course of manual therapy, massage. He also broke his ribs and fingers. By the way, my ribs were broken in that final series with Omsk in 2004. Three matches in the final played with broken ribs.

- Khavanov said that a hockey player loses 6-8 teeth on average during his career.

“I haven't lost one.

- Did you use a hood?

- Entire career. And even now, in veteran tournaments.

- I'm surprised that some of our well-known hockey players play without a cap ...

Yes, you need to get used to it. Some get used to it, some don't.

- You are a very disciplined player, but you had to fight. Do you remember your ice skating fights?

- Yes, what is there. It was with Alexander Radulov in Ufa. He popped something on me, Vlad Bulin rolled him over. And I was generally out of business, but for some reason Radulov attacked me. It's probably hard to call it a fight. Yes, we poked around a bit. I remember that they played with Nizhnekamsk here in the Romazan Palace. With whom I quarreled, I don’t remember, but we both got sent off before the end of the game. But there was also no special fistfight there.

- If Metallurg had not won the Gagarin Cup in 2016, would you have ended your career?

- I think I would. Even then I made this decision, probably by seventy percent.

The interview was conducted by Artur IVANNIKOV.

Photo: www.solistic.ru, www.metallurg.ru, personal archive of Alexei Kaygorodov.

Date of Birth: 29.07.1983
Citizenship: Russia

This year, probably, it's my time to show an excellent game and prove my skills on the court. I have been playing for Metallurg in the Super League for the fourth season already - the coaches, the team management are expecting something more from me, they hope that I will become the team leader. I didn’t think about it before, but now, when I began to score a lot of points, score at decisive moments, I have a different attitude towards myself, I become more demanding and purposeful.

- It's easy to notice you in the game - no player in Russia has such a beautiful and easy skating, just skating, not running. The best representatives of bandy would envy your sliding. Where did you get it from?

- Where where?

- And when did you come to Metallurg?

- What can you tell the readers of our newspaper about your hockey exploits in your childhood?

In 1992-93, when I just came to Metallurg, hockey began to rise in our city - a group of strong players from Chelyabinsk and Ust-Kamenogorsk came to the main team, a lot of attention was paid to the children's school. We had a strong team of my age. First, we were trained by a wonderful specialist Valery Viktorovich Kartaev, then Sergey Arkadyevich Demin. We always felt the support and attention from the leadership of our club - several final competitions were held in Magnitogorsk: we took third and second places. It is a pity that they did not become champions. Once in the final tournament in one game, I don’t remember with whom, I scored 12 goals, that’s all my exploits.

- Yes, but few people now remember and know that you are a two-time world champion - once among juniors, once among youth teams?

And he could have been three times, like Medvedev, Polushin, Grigorenko and Trubachev. But Plyushchev (the head coach of the Russian youth team in 1999-2002) did not take me to the 2002 World Cup. Then, two weeks before the training camp, Vladimir Anatolyevich came up to me and said that he would not take me to the team, but he called the day before and he took it. But then Metallurg needed me, and the club's management would not let me go.

- At the Junior World Championships, you played with Kovalchuk and Grigorenko. Many experts then noted the brilliant play of your link?

Interestingly, in this combination we played only at the first junior world championship (before that, only European championships were held. - neither before nor after we played together anymore. Two days before the tournament, Plyushchev connected us, and from the very first game Kovalchuk began to score - oh, he scored a lot of goals for his opponents then. At the World Youth Championships, I played on a line with the army team Zherdev and Anshakov. I still think that I could play much stronger. But even so, defeat the Canadians in the final in their homeland few succeed.

- Is your 83rd birthday really the strongest in the history of Russian hockey?

You won't believe it, but after I was chosen by Ottawa, I received only one offer from the Canadian club - in the summer a fax came to Magnitogorsk with the schedule of summer camps. And that's it. I really want to play in the NHL, but I'm not going to leave Russia without a decent offer. I believe that the leadership of Ottawa should be more active, more interested in me.

- You came to the team just after the last champion title of Metallurg under the leadership of Valery Belousov. Was it difficult to integrate into adult hockey?

- Is it interesting for you to work under this Czech specialist, and how is your relationship with him?

- And how many performance points are you going to score this season - 50, 60 or maybe 100 points?

- Here, for example, Maxim Sushinsky from the Avangard is gaining a lot of points, he is chasing you this season as well. How does he manage to maintain his high performance?

- And what is your record of performance in one game?

- It was with the Gladskys that you played at the first stage of the Euro Hockey Tour Karjala Cap for the Russian national team and played with your combination quite well ...

How we played is better for the coaches to judge. It is much more difficult to play at such tournaments than for your own club - the speeds are just some kind of prohibitive. I liked the atmosphere in the team in Finland - everything was calm, without any tension. All the guys perfectly understand why they came. And although I'm still not completely trusted in the first team of the country - I usually go out in the third link - it's still nice to put on a sweater with the inscription Russia. At Karjala Cap, we were in no way inferior to other teams - we lost because of stupid, offensive mistakes in defense. And I can assure domestic hockey fans that if in recent years we were inferior to rivals in speed, now we have eliminated this shortcoming. In our domestic championship, all teams play speed hockey

- I noticed that you, along with Gonchar, Eliash and Sikora, stay at the end of training and do some special exercises with them. Why do you need it?

- The Russian Championship is entering the finish line, the teams have only one lap left to play, what to expect from the end of the championship and what will Magnitka please its fans with?

But it's still too early to think about it. Of course, it is desirable to take a place as high as possible in order to have the advantage of one's own field.

- Is there any inconvenient opponent for Metallurg that you wouldn't want to face in knockout games?

- Alexei, do you yourself have a goal to become the top scorer at the end of the season?

No - it just happened, and I don’t think about it specifically - the second, first or tenth me. The main thing is that my team from Magnitogorsk Metallurgist wins every game and becomes a champion.

- And what does the best scorer of the national championship do in his free time?

- And where do you like to relax, is there a favorite place where you always want to return?

I am a native Uralian - and I would not exchange my favorite hills, lakes, forests for all sorts of Maldives and Hawaii. And a better holiday than in the winter in Abzakovo (ski resort.), And in the summer on Bannoy, you can’t imagine, just write.

A pupil of the Metallurg Sports School of Magnitogorsk, he began playing hockey at the age of 5. First, he trained with Valery Viktorovich Kartaev, then with Sergei Arkadyevich Demin.

Double Champion world - once among juniors (2001), once among youth teams (2003). At the Junior World Championships, he played on the same line with Ilya Kovalchuk and Igor Grigorenko.

Drafted 47th overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2002.

The first among the pupils of the Metallurg school in terms of the number of matches played. Member of the 2003 World Cup as part of the Russian national team (2 matches).

Since 2001, he has been playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk. In the 2006/07 season, he played 6 games for the NHL Ottawa Senators, making one assist.

On May 12, 2011 in regular KHL championships spent 161 matches in which he scored 90 points (21 + 69). In the KHL playoffs, he played 38 games and scored 17 points (6 + 11).

On May 12, 2011, in the quarterfinals of the World Championship in Slovakia, in a game against the Canadian team, he scored one of the most important goals of his career. 11 minutes before the end of the third period, when the Russian team played in the minority, Kaigorodov picked up the puck in his zone near the faceoff point and, having beaten two opponents along the way, went one on one with the goalkeeper and equalized (1:1). Soon Ilya Kovalchuk scored the winning goal against the Canadians (Russia won 2:1). For Kaigorodov, this puck was the first in the "adult" world championships. Kaigorodov himself admitted after the match that “probably, I haven’t scored more beautiful goals until now.” Ilya Kovalchuk said that the entire bench of the Russian national team was shouting to Kaygorodov to just throw the puck out of the zone, and Alexei scored a "great puck".

Achievements

2001 - Junior World Champion
2003 - World Youth Champion
2004 - Silver medalist of the Russian Championship
2005 - Winner of the Spengler Cup
2006, 2008 - Tampere Cup Winner
2007 - Champion of Russia