Here’s a rundown of the top hockey events for August 3, 2024.
“Other popular people don’t do that.” Nichushkin told how Ovechkin surprised him in life
Colorado Avalanche forward Valery Nichushkin shared a personal story about Alexander Ovechkin that changed his perception of his fellow countryman.
“I can tell you one good thing about Sasha. Usually when fame falls on people, you notice that people don’t seem to want it. For example, people come up to them to ask for a photo, but they don’t pay attention to them. And Sasha is the complete opposite. You understand why he got this fame. Once we were on a plane, returning to the United States from Moscow, and we were on the same flight. We met him when we were still buying tickets. And so they approach him one by one, one by one. First of all, I didn’t expect him to be so recognizable. At least 20 people approached him, so Sasha didn’t refuse anyone. We entered, the same thing again, at customs everyone also jumps and takes pictures. And Orlov and I stood aside, we were also asked to hold the camera.
I’m on the team with him, of course, so I wouldn’t want to play. Otherwise, the second job would be as a photographer. But that’s not it. Then we all got on the plane. And Sasha starts telling us some story, and it’s clear that he really wants to tell it. And again people came up to him to take pictures, and at first he said, guys, no, no. I was even glad that he at least refused someone. But he didn’t finish the story yet – he himself approached people to take pictures. I was pleasantly surprised. I won’t name the names of popular guys who often refuse. Moreover, many of them are not Russian.
“Sasha seems to get energy from this and gets high. It’s actually great. Because for many fans this is a big event,” Nichushkin said on the Cherkess Atlant YouTube channel.
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Vladimir Tarasenko showed a photo with a Detroit jersey
Russian forward Vladimir Tarasenko showed a photo in a Detroit jersey. The 32-year-old forward signed a two-year contract with Detroit worth $9.5 million. Last season with the Florida Panthers, Tarasenko won the Stanley Cup in 2024 for the second time in his professional NHL career.
Vladimir Tarasenko showed a photo with a Detroit jersey
Photo: From the personal archive of Vladimir Tarasenko.
Tarasenko, 32, spent last season in Florida, where he scored 14 (6+8) points in 19 games. In the NHL, the Russian also played for Ottawa, the New York Rangers and St. Louis, with whom he spent 11 seasons. It was St. Louis who selected Vladimir in the first round of the 2010 NHL draft, 16th overall. In the upcoming season in Detroit, Tarasenko will play alongside his former Rangers teammate Patrick Kane.
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Forty-year-old striker Patrick Thoresen has returned to Swedish side Djurgardens
Forty-year-old striker Patrick Thoresen has returned to Swedish side Djurgardens, the club’s press service reports. The club currently plays in Sweden’s second-strongest league. Thoresen previously played for Djurgården for three seasons (from 2004 to 2006 and the 2015/2016 season).
Last season, Thoresen was captain of Storhamar and for the first time in his career led his home club to victory in the Norwegian championship. He scored 64 points (22 goals, 42 assists) in 45 regular season games and 15 points (6 goals, 9 assists) in 12 playoff games. He also played for Norway’s national team at the 2024 World Cup in the Czech Republic: seven games and 6 (1+5) points.
During his KHL career, Thoresen played for Salavat Yulaev as well as for SKA. In total, he played in 417 matches, scored 149 goals and provided 233 assists, earning a utility rating of +181.
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Tampa Bay prospect says he was inspired by Nikita Kucherov’s coaching
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ethan Gauthier said he was inspired by Nikita Kucherov and Nick Paul’s training during the offseason. The 19-year-old forward was selected by Tampa Bay in the second round, 37th overall, in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
“I just took it all in. This is where I want to be. This is where I want to be in a few years. Look at guys like Kucherov, he led the league in scoring, but he’s here, working, it’s July, and they’re skating and just working on the little details. This is what it means to be a professional. This inspired me and made me work,” Gauthier was quoted by the club’s press service as saying.
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Razin responded to the media’s interpretation of his words about Shipachev and Radulov
Metallurg head coach Andrei Razin recalled the story of the interpretation of his words regarding the possible transfer of former Ak Bars players Alexander Radulov and Vadim Shipachev to the team.
“It’s bad that sometimes social media doesn’t fully convey the idea that you want to express. There was a moment recently when I read on the Internet that Shipachev and Radulov could end up at Metallurg, to which the general manager allegedly replied: “We talked to the head coach, he immediately fired these people.” It turned out that I don’t respect these players and they ended up being hockey players for me. I wrote on social media that they are good hockey players, but we have formed a team in which they have no place. I had this idea and it was expressed like this: [будто я считаю]“They are all old,” Razin said in a video on the YouTube channel “Bettman Will Call.”
Radulov will play for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl next season and Shipachev has moved to Dynamo Minsk.
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Officially
Andrey Razin renewed his contract with Metallurg
