The best young players in the KHL: Tretyak, Kuzmenko, Mikulovich, Krasotkin. The story of hockey player Andrei Kuzmenko - from Yakutia to the VHL and a hat-trick in the playoffs Andrei Kuzmenko: On the last evening of the tournament, a sofa was thrown out of the window
According to the regulations, each team in the upcoming season must have two “limiters” on its roster. One was born in 1996, the other was born in 1997. You can do without them, but then you will have to limit yourself to a noticeably truncated application. Who of those who will receive an almost guaranteed place in the composition of their clubs is worthy of close attention? We have selected the 20 best young players who fall under this rule. Today we present to your attention the first part of the list
20. , goalkeeper ("Admiral")
You can ask Vladimir Yurzinov Jr. or, say, Yegor Mikhailov about how difficult it can sometimes be for the heirs of the greats. It happens that during their entire career they cannot come out of the shadows. The persecution of Maxim Tretyak began long before he had his first training session with the first CSKA team. A call to the Russian national team added fuel to the fire, even if things didn’t go beyond the training camp. Everyone around is sure that any advancement of Maxim up the career ladder is the merit of his grandfather, who is also the president of the FHR. Moving to Vladivostok is a great chance to get rid of this offensive cliché. Tretyak Jr. has already won his first victory in the preseason, “drying out” the league newcomer “Kunlun”. It would seem that he is only the third goalkeeper of “Admiral”, but Ivan Nalimov’s illness makes Maxim’s debut possible already at the start of the championship. Regardless, he is one of the most talented 1996 goalies in the country.
19. Ilya Dervuk, defender (Vanguard)
After Avangard released Vladimir Tkachev and Maxim Kazakov to Admiral, and traded Nikolai Glukhov to Traktor, the number of young Omsk hockey players in the team decreased sharply. One of those who still enjoys the trust of Evgeniy Kornoukhov is Ilya Dervuk. He is even called the favorite of the “hawks” head coach, with whom they crossed paths with the youth team. Dervuk was unable to make it to the last MFM, but his position in the club is practically unshakable. Especially after the changes that took place in Omsk this summer. Vladimir Shalaev has assembled four or five defenders of the highest level, but the depth of defense leaves much to be desired. Judging by the preseason matches, Ilya is almost guaranteed a place in the third pair.
18. Alexander Mikulovich, defender (Kunlun)
After the not very successful youth world championship, the Chelyabinsk resident did not try his luck overseas and came to Russia after three seasons in the Ontario League. True, the young defender did not return to his native Traktor. Alexander Mikulovich joined the Kunlun roster, where Vladimir Krechin, the former head of the Chelyabinsk club, works. It is obvious that Mikulovich is exactly his creature. Being one of the youngest players on the Chinese team, the 21-year-old Russian is practically an uncontested candidate for the role of limiter.
Everyone around is sure that any advancement of Maxim up the career ladder is the merit of his grandfather, who is also the president of the FHR. Moving to Vladivostok is a great chance to get rid of this offensive cliché.
In pre-season matches, Vladimir Yurzinov Jr. gives him enough playing time, and in that very scandalous game with Barys, Mikulovich became one of the targets of Damir Ryspaev. Let us also note that in the very miniature defense of Kunlun, the Chelyabinsk player stands out due to his size.
Kunlun Red Star. New season: KHL hidden dragon
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17. Mikhail Sidorov, defender (Ak Bars)
It's no secret that the young strikers in Zinetula Bilyaletdinov's system are critically short of oxygen. And the defenders are a completely different matter. The Leopards' mentor played defense himself and knows better than anyone else how to work with players in this role. He especially actively began to involve young defenders in the Ak Bars core after returning from the Russian national team. In the first season, at the suggestion of Bilyaletdinov, Musin and Paigin appeared, and in the second year, Abrosimov and Sidorov. But if the 22-year-old Abrosimov is no longer a “limiter,” then Sidorov can fulfill this role not only in the starting season, but also in the next one. The youngest of the Sidorov brothers, who moved from Yaroslavl to Kazan a year ago, has already played more than 20 matches for Ak Bars. So in the off-season, the well-built defender appears on a permanent basis in the Kazan team.
16. Mikhail Vorobyov, forward (Salavat Yulaev)
It is unknown what the fate of the Ufa player, drafted by Philadelphia, would have been if SKA had not laid eyes on Nikolai Prokhorkin. Having lost their leading center in the midst of the off-season, Salavat Yulaev found themselves with nothing. It was not possible to find a worthy replacement for Prokhorkin on the market, and the only way out was to rely on internal reserves. It was Mikhail Vorobyov and Stepan Khripunov who were first in line to take Prokhorkin’s place.
Alexander Mikulovich joined the Kunlun roster, where Vladimir Krechin, the former head of the Chelyabinsk club, works. It is obvious that Mikulovich is exactly his creature.
However, the option is being considered that they will play together and form a youth trio with Kirill Kaprizov. If Leonid Weisfeld does not urgently find an experienced center forward, the 19-year-old graduate of Salavat Yulaev will have every chance to make a name for himself. This is a classic big center forward who shouldn't get lost in senior hockey.
The most high-profile transfers of the KHL off-season: from Prokhorkin to Talbot
SKA returned Russians from the NHL, Lokomotiv was seriously strengthened by foreign players, Avangard got Medvedev, and Ak Bars got Sekach.
15. Egor Rykov, defender (SKA)
In SKA's stellar lineup, which became even more powerful with the arrival of Oleg Znarok to the club, there is almost no room for young players. Youth development is for other clubs, but St. Petersburg residents pursue goals of a different order. However, even for the base club of the national team, the rule of two limiters applies. And now it is clear that they will be Yegor Rykov and Alexander Dergachev. Other players born in 1996 and 1997 are not even invited to Znarko training camps. As for Rykov, at one time he was the captain of the Russian junior team, and at the last World Championship he stood out even though he was younger than most of his teammates. Returning from Finland, where the young “army man” won bronze, Rykov got the chance to try himself in the SKA team. And, I must say, he took advantage of it, at a certain stage seating Dmitry Yudin on the bench. The fairly large defenseman, who was selected by New Jersey in the last NHL draft, is equally useful on both sides of the ice. If he proves himself in front of Znark, then the road to the Russian national team will be short.
14. Semyon Koshelev, forward (CSKA)
At a certain stage, it seemed that Semyon Koshelev’s career, if not under threat, was seriously slowed down. The reason for this was his status: being a Kazakh citizen, he accepted Russian citizenship, but was in “quarantine” for some time and was considered a legionnaire. Because of this, the forward, who had outgrown the MHL, could not take a step up for a long time. But as soon as Koshelev was given the green light, he burst into the CSKA foundation like a whirlwind. Despite the fact that in 22 matches with the Army Men he did not score a single point, his usefulness for Dmitry Kvartalnov’s squad is difficult to overestimate. The powerful and impudent forward was useful to the Muscovites even in the playoffs. The 20-year-old native of Ust-Kamenogorsk is approaching the upcoming season as a main player.
13. Daniil Vovchenko, forward (Severstal)
Last season there weren't many reasons to keep an eye on Severstal. Even their own fans turned their backs on the last team in the Western Conference, let alone neutral spectators? The only reason to include matches with the participation of Cherepovets was the troika Buchnevich - Trubachev - Vovchenko. The experienced center forward mentored two young graduates from a local school. And if Buchnevich went to the NHL in transit through St. Petersburg, then Daniil Vovchenko remained in his native club. He may not have the same caliber of talent as Buchnevich, and his size still prevents him from dominating at the . However, it is very difficult to find equally skilled players in Severstal. It is important that Vovchenko has already gained extensive experience playing in the majority and in key minutes of matches.
12. Anton Krasotkin, goalkeeper (Lokomotiv)
Like another figure in our rating, by the beginning of the season Anton Krasotkin is suitable only as the third goalkeeper. True, in order to find himself in this role, he did not have to leave his native Yaroslavl. The son of the legendary Lokomotiv defender had the opportunity to make his debut last season, but he failed to become Alexei Murygin’s replacement on a permanent basis. And now, after the arrival of Alexander Sudnitsin in the “railroad workers” camp, the question arises: will Krasotnik Jr. be trusted with at least five or six matches a season? The 19-year-old goalkeeper, who became one of the heroes of the Kharlamov Cup, definitely deserved at least a few games for Lokomotiv this season.
There is no doubt in Yaroslavl: before their eyes, if not a second Semyon Varlamov is growing, then a new Yegor Podomatsky is definitely growing. Moreover, it was Podomatsky who worked with Krasotkin in the Yaroslavl youth team.
There is no doubt in Yaroslavl: before their eyes, if not a second Semyon Varlamov is growing, then a new Yegor Podomatsky is definitely growing. Moreover, it was Podomatsky who worked with Krasotkin in the Yaroslavl youth team.
“I tried to dissuade my son from being a goalkeeper...” Paradoxes of the Krasotkin dynasty
At the MHL Challenge Cup, the Western team was represented by Dmitry and Anton Krasotkin. How did it happen that the son did not follow in his father’s footsteps?
11. Andrey Kuzmenko, forward (CSKA)
Another representative of CSKA in our ranking of the best “limiters”. And, believe me, not the last. Perhaps all the coaches working in the league can envy the selection of talented young people Dmitry Kvartalnov has. Moreover, precisely those young people who are ideally suited for his brand of hockey. The Youth World Championship showed how well Andrei Kuzmenko fit into the vertical and power hockey of CSKA. On the ice of the Hartwall Arena, the young “army man” appeared as a typical “Kvartalnov soldier”, ready to plow the site up and down. And it doesn’t matter that he finished the tournament without points. Even at this level, the native of Yakutsk is unlikely to become a great sniper, but winning a place in the main team of a super club is within his reach. Last season, Kuzmenko managed to play in all three leagues.
Not many people know Andrey Kuzmenko yet, but he has been skating for 20 years and is confidently moving towards his goal. Hockey is the main meaning of his life. He agrees to work hard to achieve his dreams. Even though he may not be recognized on the street yet, this CSKA player has a great future. “Yakut Bear Cub” knows how to cope well with the ice field and move forward despite difficulties.
Homeland - Yakutsk
Andrey Kuzmenko was born on February 4, 1996 in Yakutsk into a family of athletes. This harsh northern region left its mark on his character. The very cold climate with winter temperatures of -50 °C and huge snowdrifts does not allow laziness. This requires constant movement. And the boy learned this from childhood.
It was immediately clear that Andrei would become a hockey player. It couldn’t be otherwise, because his father was the coach of a hockey team. The boy was first put on skates at the age of 1.5 years. At first he just wore them at home, and then his father took him out onto the ice. The child really liked it, and after some time he spent 4 hours a day at the skating rink. It seems incredible that a small child can have such perseverance, but Andrei Kuzmenko has been a hockey player from a very young age.
Of course, such perseverance could not go unappreciated. The parents decided that they couldn’t stay in Yakutsk, and they had to move to Moscow as soon as possible. Their move coincided with an offer to Andrei’s father to work as a coach for the Moscow Polar Bears. This moment was probably decisive in the hockey player’s career. Now there was no doubt, we just had to move forward tirelessly. And he moved.
A little about parents
In a sports family, it rarely happens that a child does not follow in the footsteps of his parents. This happened with Andrei Aleskandrovich Kuzmenko. His father was fond of hockey from his youth. During his student years, he was a successful hockey player. However, over time, he chose coaching. To do this, he had to work hard and receive more than one higher education, each of which is closely related to sports activities.
Andrei’s mother was also always interested in sports. Her passions were both skiing and cycling. On top of everything else, she is also a beauty.
Kuzmenko received all the best from his parents. He is goal-oriented, hardworking and willing to work even more than 100%.
Starting a career in Moscow
From 5 to 12 years old, Andrey Kuzmenko was a player for the Polar Bears. But many famous hockey players came from here, including Gusev, Kucherov, Ozhiganov. Of course, at first Andrei’s coach was his father. It should be noted that he was always very supportive and was constantly nearby. And throughout all the years. Even at his son’s school, he became a physical education teacher.
Andrey was called to CSKA when he was 10 years old, but his father didn’t let him go, he said it was too early. A little later, he lets him train with Pavel Baulin. Kuzmenko was able to make his debut in the MHL at the age of 16. It was during this period that a generational change occurred in CSKA. That year was not very successful for the Red Army and the team, finishing in 14th place, was unable to make it to the playoffs.
Kharlamov Cup
The next season turned out to be more successful for the hockey player and his team. However, the coveted Kharlamov Cup was obtained only after 3 years. Then Andrey Kuzmenko became one of the valuable players in the playoffs.
CSKA
Andrei Aleksandrovich Kuzmenko learned the so-called winning psychology inherent in CSKA hockey players only when he began working with coach M.A. Vasiliev. The coach constantly talked about the importance of these four letters and that many people dream of getting into the team. CSKA is a tradition that is strictly passed on to new generations. You can’t dishonor those who have already played for CSKA before, and yourself. Here Kuzmenko and other players had to give 120%.
According to Andrey, he was very lucky with his coaches. More often there were good seasons than bad ones. Of course, there were failures, for example, when Andrei Kuzmenko just made his debut in the KHL, he was not able to enter the main roster for four years. However, over time, everything got better.
Hard everyday life of hockey players
Sometimes it seems that everything in hockey is simple and easy - you run on the ice, like doing what you love. And what could be so difficult about that?
However, in reality everything is very difficult. When Kuzmenko had to play the playoffs with three fives, he was very tired. The players arrived at the bench completely exhausted. The pleasure of the games was simply overwhelmed by extreme fatigue. This is what hockey players' workdays really look like. But despite the fatigue and heaviness, the final was won.
Visiting Chicago
In 2017, the hockey player managed to visit Chicago. And he was delighted with how everything worked there. Andrey was very impressed by the internal structure of the club. According to Kuzmenko, everything here is thought out for hockey - infrastructure, locker rooms. Even the staff is perfect. He noted that in this place hockey was in the air.
Attitude to work at CSKA
So far, Andrei is not considering his future outside of CSKA. He likes that there is a lot of competition here. There is a need to constantly prove something to someone and maintain a place in the lineup. You need to play well every day. Hockey players have no time to rest; they have to play so as not to end up in reserve. You can’t make mistakes, otherwise you won’t be able to get on the ice anytime soon. Andrey Kuzmenko, CSKA hockey player, believes that it is important to go through this school if you want a great future in hockey. This is where character is strengthened and one can learn to survive.
Why striker
Andrei became a striker as a child. That's how his father originally defined it. Although he himself admits that he wanted to be a goalkeeper. However, the father-coach decided at one time that then there would be no one to score goals. And Kuzmenko himself explained his craving for goalkeeping with his beautiful form. At the same time, he noted that stories about the oddities of goalkeepers are just fiction; among them there are a lot of funny and interesting guys.
Personal life
Kuzmenko Andrey does not like to live for show, but at the same time he does not try to hide everything too much from journalists. For now, all we know is that he has a girlfriend and she supports him very much. Not a single hockey player’s match is complete without her presence in the stands. Everything else remains behind closed doors, as it should be between loving people.
Main fan
Of course, Kuzmenko’s main fan is his father. He never misses a single match of his son. And after each of them, they always call each other and discuss mistakes and successful moments. According to the hockey player himself, it is his father who supports him throughout his career. Over the years, they only began to understand each other better and discuss hockey.
Outside of hockey
I can’t even believe that the biography of Andrei Kuzmenko is able to accommodate other hobbies besides hockey. But in fact they exist. It turns out that the athlete more than compensates for the workload and loss of strength on the ice with his love for other sports - football, tennis, snowboarding. According to Andrey, even on vacation he doesn’t like to just lounge on the beach; here he chooses scuba diving or something else interesting.
Hockey players also like adrenaline. For example, not long ago he learned that there was a great place for paragliding in Turkey, and decided to try it. Of course, on the way to the mountains, he thought several times about abandoning the idea, but in the end he decided to do it. I changed my clothes, accelerated on the descent, and fell into a cliff above the rocks. According to him, it was scary, but at the same time very cool. This experience caused a childish delight in the hockey player. Kuzmenko liked the new emotions. And his plans include a parachute jump over Dubai.
Andrey Kuzmenko (HC SKA) also likes to watch films in his free time, especially about sports. But he doesn't like horror films. He doesn’t like to strain himself mentally while resting. He honestly admits that sometimes he goes to see cartoons. It is very important for him to be charged with positivity, have a lot of fun, and laugh. Kuzmenko clearly knows how to enjoy life, and not just playing hockey.
Hockey Player's Dreams
Hockey players are people too, and they also like to dream. Andrey is no exception. He loves to travel. After a trip to Toronto, which is the birthplace of hockey, he developed a passion for visiting new cities.
Of course, he visited there as part of the Russian national team when the tournaments were held. At that time he was 15 years old. However, even many years later, he does not stop dreaming of travel. For example, he is eager to visit Australia and Brazil. Moreover, a hockey player is interested in everything: the lives of people in these countries, communication.
I still have a dream to play in any NHL stadium. Kuzmenko really likes these sports arenas, which can accommodate 20,000 fans. He anticipates that he can get a colossal boost of energy from so many people.
But Andrey dreams of playing with Pavel Datsyuk, Patrick Kane, PK Subban, Erik Karlsson.
Worst match ever
Of the failures, Andrei Kuzmenko remembers the matches of the 2016 World Youth Championship. He noted that the team as a whole performed well in this tournament. However, he himself never made a rebound from the ice. As a result, he gave himself a one with a big minus for the tournament.
Despite such results, coach Nikitin not only did not scold Andrei, but even supported him. And this means only one thing: the coaches see a great future for the hockey player and are ready to help him fight for it. All fans and spectators can only wish the hockey player the best and follow his new achievements.
Forward CSKA Andrey Kuzmenko commented on his team’s victory over Salavat Yulaev (3:0) in the KHL regular season match, and also assessed the performance of the top three of the Ufa club. Kuzmenko himself scored 3 (2+1) points in this match.
- The game was difficult. Many of our guys played three matches in the national team. It was very difficult both physically and psychologically. But we were able to pull ourselves together and play a good match. It was hard for the team, but we succeeded.
– Are you happy with your game today?
– To be honest, I’m satisfied, but not completely. There were a lot of chances, I could have scored more and benefited the team.
– Mikhail Grigorenko was transferred to your unit today. Has this affected your performance and that of the entire team as a whole?
– I would not beg the merits of Okulov, who played with us. It just so happened today that Mikhail was assigned to us. We have a rotation. It’s a pleasure to play with every partner; you enjoy the game, no matter who you’re paired with.
– How do you like your trip to the Olympic team?
- This is a certain school. I’m very pleased to have been called up to the national team. I gained a lot of positive emotions. I want to work even harder and prove myself in order to get into the main team.
– How did you manage to cover the first link of Salavat today?
– We don’t have such a task to lock down a certain link. In our country, each link plays against its own specific link. We go out and try to play in someone else's zone. We do not have a task to close a certain player.
– Did it feel difficult to play against this trio?
– To be honest, they have a strong team. It was very difficult to play against each of the three.
– When will you become CSKA’s top scorer?
- Let's see. Life will show. You have to work every day to become one,” the correspondent reports Kuzmenko’s words. "BUSINESS Online".
The most little-known player of CSKA, entering the army derby in the fourth line, destroyed SKA with three goals. Who is Andrey Kuzmenko and where did he come from?
SKA - CSKA - a unique confrontation. And not only because in the semi-finals of the Gagarin Cup the strongest teams of the regular season meet, whose rosters are slightly more than entirely made up of Olympic teams. Army clubs are the absolute champions in terms of the number of haters, and literally every news related to them, every puck becomes a reason for flashes of anger and despair in the hearts of people who are not indifferent to hockey throughout Russia. All the more valuable surprise was the benefit performance of the 22-year-old Kuzmenko in the first leg of the semi-final derby. When one of the “base clubs of the national team” wins against another, and the victory is not made by Kovalchuk and Telegin, but by a young guy whom no one knows, this is a balm for the soul and light at the end of the tunnel.
Teddy bear from Yakutsk
Andrey Kuzmenko was born in the harsh northern Yakutsk, where his father, also a sports man, coached a hockey team. It was immediately clear what kind of sport little Andrei would take up - he started skating as soon as he learned to walk. And when he was four years old, it became clear to his parents that it would be difficult for a little hockey player to develop in Yakutsk, and the family moved to Moscow. The boy entered the capital's Polar Bears school.
Kuzmenko remembers his hometown with a smile: “The temperature in winter is -50, the snowdrifts are huge. They pull on felt boots, wrap them in a fur coat, put a hat on my head - in all this it was hard for me to move, let alone move. They dress me up in all this and put it on me like a toy. And in the summer there are such large mosquitoes and other insects that until you spread the spray all over your body, it’s better not to stick your head outside!”
He always liked hockey. In his history, there was no pressure from his father-coach; on the contrary, Andrei himself rushed to train with great enthusiasm at a preschool age, when many others have to be forced using a belt and chocolate. He was assigned to the attack immediately, although there was a moment when Andrei decided to become a goalkeeper. The shape is supposedly beautiful. He approached his father and said: “I want to be a goalkeeper.” “Who will score goals then?” - Dad answered, and this convinced the boy.
Kuzmenko played for the Polar Bears until he was 12 years old, after which he moved to the CSKA system. There he stayed - by now for ten years.
Great four letters
At CSKA he went to success year after year, making his way behind the backs of older star hockey players. ABOUT Pavle Baulin- the coach who then led the school team “army” born in 1996 - Kuzmenko speaks with great respect. “A very good coach, he taught me a lot. We still communicate. If I have any questions, I can always call him for advice. He gives very correct advice on what to do in a given situation.” And the champion psychology inherent in the entire CSKA system was already instilled by Mikhail Vasiliev, the head coach of the Red Army.
Kuzmenko came to the MHL at 16 years old, and he considers that season a failure. At that time, a generation had just changed in the CSKA youth team. The Golden Army, which won the Kharlamov Cup in 2011, silver medals in 2012 - it included Prokhorkin, Gusev, Kucherov and other future stars - went for a promotion, and the MHL team recruited young “mask players”, among whom was Kuzmenko. The renewed “Red Army” failed in battles with teams 2-3-5 years older than itself and, shamefully for such a name, missed the playoffs, taking 14th place in the conference. Kuzmenko then played 49 games, scoring 12 (5+7) points - which is not so bad for a junior who still had a year and a half left before changing the “grid” to a visor.
The next year, the “Red Army”, which had managed to increase its meat, looked incomparably cooler and returned to the status of one of the flagships of the country’s youth hockey. Then he was at the helm Vasiliev. “Mikhail Aleksandrovich himself played for CSKA and before each game he reminded us that we are playing for the great four letters, and that all the boys dream of getting here. That’s when I realized that CSKA is, first of all, a tradition that continues from generation to generation. And Mikhail Alexandrovich said: “Guys, you play for CSKA, so don’t disgrace yourself and don’t disgrace those who wore this uniform before.”
Then the Red Army reached the final of the Kharlamov Cup, lost in seven matches to MHC Spartak and won silver medals. Kuzmenko that season scored 31 points in the regular season and 6 in the playoffs. Not superstar numbers, but more than decent. By that playoffs, he had just taken off his mask - in February 2014 he turned 18 years old.
"We have to prove something here first."
The temptation to go overseas hangs over every promising Russian junior.
Kuzmenko also got ready, but he stayed, and now he doesn’t regret it. “Of course, everyone dreams of the NHL from childhood. I’m no exception, I constantly looked at Larionov, Datsyuk, 20,000-seat arenas... Of course, I want this too, but it all depends on the result. First you need to prove something here. I believe that You need to go overseas with some baggage, to achieve something at home.”
He achieved it. After the silver season, the youth team of the grown-up Red Army men began to be attracted to the CSKA base. Kuzmenko made his KHL debut as an 18-year-old, playing one shift in a match against Atlant on September 16, 2014. And two months later, on November 14, he scored his first goal in the KHL. This was in a home match with Salavat, which CSKA won with a crushing score of 7:0.
That season, he shuttled between CSKA and the Red Army, mostly playing in the MHL, and attracted the attention of the coaches of the Russian youth team. And a year later I already played at the MFM, the same silver one. By that time, he had already outgrown youth hockey and skated between Moscow and Chekhov, playing either for CSKA or for Vakhael’s Zvezda. The MFM itself, however, was not successful for him. “An important tournament, but it turned out to be a failure for me, despite the silver medal,” recalls Kuzmenko. “The team was great. I didn’t succeed – not a single assist, not a single goal. It was a shame that I didn’t even get a high five.” beat off..."
But he remained in Russia and CSKA. The next season turned out to be the most productive in Andrei’s career. In the KHL he scored 15 points in 34 matches, in the “tower” - 28 points in 23 games, and his main triumph was his performance in the MHL. Busy with CSKA and Zvezda, he almost did not appear in the Red Army, where he was still passing due to his age, but he came to the playoffs and there he demonstrated his scoring instinct in all its glory. He scored 11 goals, made 13 assists and triumphantly crowned the season as MVP of the MHL playoffs, winning the Kharlamov Cup with the Red Army.
Did he then remember his first Emhael final in 2014? Certainly. "This motivated us. Before the first game, I watched our first match of that series on YouTube, which we lost. I watched it and never saw another game because I was afraid of losing a second time. They only remember the team that wins. Second and "No one is interested in third place. To be honest, I was afraid to lose."
Didn't lose. And after this season, CSKA began to flirt with him on a permanent basis. Kuzmenko has a two-way KHL-VHL contract, but he appeared consistently in CSKA's squad this entire season, receiving 10-15 minutes of playing time, and justified the coach's trust - 13 goals and 12 assists in 45 KHL games. But Kuzmenko really shot in the playoffs, and in the most royal match.
It was 1:1 when Kuzmenko's first goal put CSKA ahead. It was 3-3 when his puck again allowed the Moscow army team to lead. And finally, overtime with the score 4:4, when Andrei did something simply mocking - having received a pass behind the goal, he was still thinking about whether to shoot with an awkward hand or not, shifted the puck and sent it into the net - 5:4. Hat trick. It’s a pity that it was in St. Petersburg, and there was no one to throw caps on the ice.
“Andrei Svetlakov came, thanks to him we got a good top three, we will continue to work,” Andrei is openly modest after the hat-trick. “There will be a new day, our strength is also not limitless. We will give every match our all, and we’ll see how everything turns out.” "The first period was very scary for me, I was afraid to make a mistake. Then Grigorenko scored - it became a little easier, and we played calmly."
“There is a good guy in CSKA - Kuzmenko. And then I see that he was sent to the VHL. A very talented player, and suddenly at HSE. I would advise him to go to the NHL rather than sit there. It seems to me that he would do very well in the NHL,” Nikita Kucherov said in the fall of 2017.
Like looking into the water. Andrei, like the current star of Tampa, trained in the Polar Bears, only Kuzmenko is three years younger, and the army player was coached by his father.
“I walked on the floor in skates for two months, and then went straight to the ice”
He was born in Eastern Siberia in a city on the banks of the Lena River - the largest in the world, flowing entirely in the permafrost region. The average annual temperature in Yakutsk is minus 8 degrees, and in winter it reaches minus 50. In general, you can’t play hockey outdoors here. Nevertheless, Andrey’s father started skating at the age of one and a half years, when some children are just beginning to walk confidently. “At first I walked on the parquet and carpet at home for two months, and then on the ice,” Kuzmenko recalled.
When the young hockey player was five, his dad received an invitation to work for the Moscow Polar Bears team. The family moved to Moscow.
Until the age of 12, Andrei played in the “White Bears”, from which Ozhiganov, Gusev and Kucherov also came, only Kuzmenko studied under the guidance of his father. Dad was always next to his son - in kindergarten, school (he worked as a physical education teacher) and, of course, at the skating rink.
Kharlamov Cup, debut in the KHL at 18 years old
He was called to CSKA at the age of 10, but his father said it was too early. When the time came, dad let Andrei go to coach Pavel Baulin. At 16, he already made his debut in the MHL. It was then that a generation changed at CSKA and Gusev, Ozhiganov, Kucherov, Prokhorkin left. And green youth got a chance. That year, the Red Army took 14th place in the West and did not make the playoffs.
The following season, the army team already played in the final of the Kharlamov Cup; in the seventh match with Spartak, Kuzmenko scored the second goal, but his team still lost. He won this trophy three years later, Andrey became the most valuable player of the playoffs.
He made his debut in the KHL at 18, but for four years he never became a main team player. At first, Kvartalnov did not like the junior too much, but the next season he began to trust him a little more - Andrei played 10-12 minutes. Starting from the 2012/13 season, Kuzmenko was called up to the Russian national team: U17, U20, and this year to the Olympic team. At the 2016 World Youth Championships he took silver.
Will he become the new Panarin?
The parallels with Artemy really emerge. Kuzmenko, at 22 years old, remained undrafted. But last summer I received an invitation to come visit from Chicago to see how the club works.
“I learned a lot for myself. Hard training, very hard tests, I've never been so tired. At the age of 21 in Chicago, I saw a completely different hockey,” said the striker.
And in terms of his playing style, Kuzmenko resembles Panarin - just as nimble, fast, and technical. “He is capable of working miracles,” say commentators, and they are not at all wrong. It’s just problematic to do this in the fourth link. His contract with CSKA is valid for two more years, after which Kuzmenko will probably go to the NHL.
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Link to VHL
Nikitin’s Andrei never became an iron player of the main team, and not because Kuzmenko is not suitable for the coach, it’s just that the coach has a whole group of players with serious contracts on the bench. The 22-year-old forward had a place only in the fourth line, and even then not always. He played 45 matches in the regular season, and six playoffs so far.
CSKA's roster turned out to be so bloated that in September Kuzmenko, along with Svetlakov and Okulov, were sent to Chekhov's Zvezda. In three VHL matches, Andrei scored six points and was returned to the main team. Obviously, HSE is not the level of a hockey player called up to the national team, even to the reserve team. And it becomes a shame for a player who could play in the first two lines all season and play for the majority in half of the KHL clubs. But instead I went to Uchaly.
We are all surprised by Kuzmenko's hat-trick against SKA. But they shouldn't. This guy could still be churning out goals since the beginning of the season. There would be trust and a place in the squad...
