For a long time in the off-season, Avangard managed a very modest center line, but in August the situation changed dramatically. First, the Hawks signed a contract with Ryan Spooner, replacing Korban Knight, who suddenly left the club, and then agreed with Amur to trade Ivan Nikolishin.
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Both hockey players joined Avangard only during the Blinov Cup, but they already played in the team’s third match at the tournament. Spooner bonded well with Reed Bush and Vladimir Tkachev, and Nikolishin even scored a goal. After the game, both players answered questions from journalists.
“I thought my place was in the Avangard
Ryan, what are your first impressions of your stay at Avangard?– In principle, it was a decent game, not counting that we had nine eliminations. But the atmosphere, especially for a pre-season tournament, was just amazing. The season starts in ten days, I’m looking forward to it.
How did you prepare for the summer?– I signed the contract at the beginning of August and then I began to deal with visa issues and paperwork. I am only four days in Omsk, I need to make a discount for this. The brain is not yet as fast as we would like, it is necessary to enter the time zone. I think that through matches and training I will adapt.
– Your agent Pilko said that he had other more profitable offers than those of Avangard. Why did you choose Omsk?– As I understand it, this is one of the best clubs in the league and I thought that this is where I belong. At some point in the day I spent it making a decision.
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“Tkachev and Bush are my best partners in the KHL. And the Omsk stadium is better than those where I had to play in the NHL “
– How important is it for you to play along the same lines as Bush? Are you really good friends?— When you are so far from home and the time difference is 11 hours, it is important that you can communicate with someone in English. At the same time, it is worth noting that a decent number of Russian guys at Avangard speak English.
– Did you like the Bushe – Spooner – Tkachev trio?– Perhaps these are the best partners with whom I played in the KHL. My task is to fit in and understand how the guys will act in order to find “chemistry”. Normally it takes a month, but today we had about five good times.
– What are your expectations for the new season, in whose playoffs there will be a crossing from the second round?“To be honest, this is the first time I’ve heard of this. But this is good news, I always thought it was unfair for teams to only play within conferences. The crossover playoffs will add interest, they will be more interesting than in the NHL.
– Is the Omsk stadium similar to the NHL?– I played in the NHL in four clubs, and the Omsk stadium is better than three of them. In Edmonton, for example, they built a new stadium, and Vanguardia Stadium can be compared to it.
— During your stay in Omsk, have you already understood the basic requirements of Mikhail Kravets?— Once again, I have only been in Omsk for four days, we have not delved into any nuances yet. So far they have given me time to adapt, but my impressions are positive, an excellent coach.
ryan spoon
Photo: hawk.ru
“A difficult transition from Amur. Thanks for letting me go.”
– Iván, everything went well for you from the boat to the ball – you arrived, a minimum of training, a goal in the first game.– At first it was difficult, I couldn’t get the rhythm. Either I will repeat the turn or I will play too short. Well, my goal was that Volodya Tkachev gave such a pass that it was difficult not to score.
How ready are you now?– It is difficult to evaluate myself, it is difficult for me to answer. We need to train with the team, gain momentum, there is room for improvement.
How did you prepare for the summer?– There are a lot of unsigned guys in Moscow, we all skated together, trained and kept fit.
Tell us about your departure from Amur.– In fact, it was a difficult transition, there were a lot of things. I don’t want to go into details, he went and went, they said goodbye and shook hands. Thanks to them she said they let him go, seems like a pretty fair trade.
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– Were you worried about running out of a team at the start of the season?– Of course, I was worried. Everyone is already starting to play, and you are still training and do not understand what awaits you next. Thank God everything was resolved. It’s a relief to be able to focus on hockey.
“My father and I are players of a completely different plan. But I try to learn from him.”
– What kind of hockey does Avangard play?– I’ve seen many videos. We will play from a position of strength, of attack, of pressure. This is close to me, I like to play like this.
What position do you prefer to play?– In general, I am central, but if the coach pushes himself to the limit, then this will not be a big problem.
– Your father played for Avangard many years ago. Did you tell anything about Omsk and the club?— His advice was: no matter where you play, play hockey and try to become a leader.
– What did you learn from your father in terms of hockey, what do you have in common?– It turns out that the last name (laughs). It’s hard to say, we are players of a completely different plan. I try to learn from him, he played very well in defense, in throw-ins.
– How did Nikolishin father support you while there was ambiguity with your future?– The whole family supported me, saw that it was difficult for me. You can’t imagine how… It seems that everything was fine and should have stayed that way, but that’s how it happened. It was psychologically difficult, my wife, brother, sister and parents supported me, for which thank you very much.
Ivan Nikolishin
Photo: hawk.ru
“I did the operation on my own. I don’t want to talk about numbers.”
– Tell us about your recovery after an injury and an operation that Amur refused to pay for.– Five and a half months have already passed, the rehabilitation went well, six days a week for two and a half hours I worked diligently. Thanks to the doctors.
– It turns out that the operation was performed by yourself?– Yeah.
– And what is the amount? After all, this is Germany.– Expensive. I wouldn’t like to talk about numbers, to be honest.
– In “Arktika” you skated with Tkachev, how much did you communicate, did you suspect that you could end up together?– We actually talked, I asked him about Omsk. But at the time I didn’t know if there would be an exchange.
