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11/5 Entire Semin Interview!...More…
11/3 The Dzagoev Dialectic...More…
10/31 Fedorov Interview...More…
10/30 Semin and Kozlov...More…
10/20 Yet Another OV Q&A...More…
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10/17 Feds Interview...More…
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9/16 Simeon Varlamov in America...More…
9/5 Morozov and the KHL...More…
9/3 OV behind bars?...More…
8/17 OV on Russian Game show...More…
8/12 OV in Beijing...More…
8/4 OV is in even better shape than last year...More…
7/28 Jagr and OV talk...More…
7/27 Kapitanov--OV doesn't even take vitamins...More…
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7/22 OV parties in Moscow...More…
7/23 OV Going to Beijing...More…
6-3 OV the Superman...More…
5-27 Don Cherry loves OV...More…
5-30 OV interview in Pittsburgh..More…
5-13 Feds Interview...More…
5-12 OV Interview...More…
Odious Don Koharski killed us More…
Blog:
10 April 2008-The Playoffs are just around the corner More…
10 October 2008,
Sergei Fedorov: “I'll Be Playing Forward.... I Hope”
On the threshold of the start of the 2008/2009 regular season, six of our superstar players answered some questions from Slava Malamud, special correspondent for Sport Express in North America.
So what kind of feelings are overwhelming the Veteran Sergei Fedorov, who in Washington is feeling, for the first time in a long time, like a human being? He is very pleased with the management of the team, because after a little bit of negotiating, the Capitals gave him everything that he asked for. But the feelings...on the last day of team training, Sergei is most of all overwhelmed by feelings of accomplishment and experience:
"I want to rest a little bit before the first game. The season has already started for us. It started with training and a lot of other things. Generally, for me, each season is like a new one. Overall I feel good. I'm ready for work."
And just a few months ago you couldn't even say for sure whether or not you would be returning to hockey.
"You know, I've been living in this rhythm for a long time now. I think it would have been a larger shock to my system if I hadn't returned for one more year."
I'm sure you keep up with American football and are familiar with the story which made a big commotion all over the states, concerning NFL superstar Brett Favre. He's no youngster and with his awards and some tears he left the game, but just a few months later he returned. He said he was consumed by depression and couldn't go on without the game. Is this not a similar situation with you? Is it a fear of "civilized life" that caused you to return?
"Yes, I'm familiar with the story, and by the way he is playing pretty good with his new team. Maybe all he needed was a change of teams and not to retire from the game. To be honest, I don't know. Maybe I would also be consumed, maybe not. On the face of it, there wouldn't be any reason for it. As a general rule, I never seriously considered a variation where I left the game. I always told myself to wait and see."
The negotiations with Washington seemed fairly tense.
"The GM understood very well that I wanted to return to this team. And knowing this...generally, in business, it's all good. There were just some financial issues."
It seemed that the final result was that the owner of the team gave the signal "We'll sign Fedorov for whatever it takes".
"It seemed that way."
So did the end of last season, including the world championship, return your taste for hockey?
"Of course it gave a certain stimulation. I hadn't played in a play-off in a long time, and my last few seasons were spent on teams which didn't allow me to show my game."
And your coach put you on defense during the preseason.
"But I've already returned to a forward position. I worked with the forwards during my last training session and will start there on my first game."
But there is a real possibility that you will again be put on defense.
"Sure, there is that possibility. It is difficult, of course, to play there a lot, but I'll get used to it."
But when they put you on defense at Detroit, you didn't really express any desire to play that position.
"No, this is someone else's opinion. I immediately agreed to try that out. Under the Soviet system in which I was trained, the center was almost a defenseman, and in the NHL I became well known as a forward who could play defense."
What do expect from yourself this year?
"To make more goals. I also hope that this comes not from a defensive position, but from an offensive position-- that is, with me playing a forward position."
Click on icon above for original story in Russian at www.sport-express.ru