AT Youth Super Series Russia - Canada there was a short pause. Between the third and fourth matches there is a short break of four days.

For the young striker of Lokomotiv Danil Yurtaykin, this is not the first experience of playing for national team. True, two years ago it was the junior team under 18 years old. Now the forward has received a call to the youth team, with which he went to conquer Canada. Danil took part in two matches. His trio organized the puck in the first match with the Western hockey league. In an interview with our correspondent Egor Tutarikov, the athlete spoke about the details of the tournament in Canada.

Russia (U20) - Team of the Western League - 3:2 (OT). Best Moments

Our trip is going well, at first it was hard because of the constant moving and acclimatization, but now we are used to it.

- Was it difficult to adjust to a different size of the site?

Oh sure. On a small court, you have to make decisions faster, as the opponent is constantly pressing. A lot more throws, throwing from all positions. But now, thinking, everyone is already used to it.

What is more important for you in the Super Series for the team to win, or for the coaching staff to pay attention to you personally?

I will say that both are important. Of course, I want the team to win, but my personal game is also very important here.

Okay, but I didn't manage to use all my moments. It remains to score to play even more confidently.

All Canadian teams are very strong, but we will do our best in every game to win all the remaining meetings.

- Do you manage to exchange experience with the guys playing overseas?

We managed to chat. They say there's more power struggle, and, as I said, opponents throw a lot.

- The day before, Lokomotiv defeated CSKA in a very strange match ...

Yes, we are monitoring the performance of the team. good match was. It turned out strange goals, but a victory is a victory, I'm happy for the team!

Recall that after three matches of the Super Series, the Russian team leads with a score of 2:1. The fourth game will take place on Tuesday night.

The 20-year-old bronze medalist of the 2017 World Youth Championship, winner of the Kharlamov Cup-2016, recently exchanged from Lokomotiv to Amur, became a guest of the site

COMMUNICATION WITH KUDASHOV? DON'T SPEAK BUT PROVE

- Danil, how was your transition to Khabarovsk?

I spent the pre-season training camp with my native Lokomotiv, then the KHL regular season began, and I got injured. When he returned to duty, all the places in Lokomotiv were occupied, so he went for playing practice in the VHL - to HC Ryazan. In early October, an agent called and said that Amur was interested in me and was preparing an exchange.

- Were you happy?

In Yaroslavl, there is very high competition among young hockey players, while at the start of the season, experienced guys, legionnaires, mostly got playing time. But each of the young wants to prove himself at the level of the KHL. Therefore, I was very happy with the chance that Amur gave me.

You were one of the most promising juniors in the Lokomotiv system, a year ago you won the Kharlamov Cup. Did you manage to communicate with the ex-head coach of the Yaroslavl team Alexei Kudashov, understand what needs to be added?

No, unfortunately, such a conversation never took place. But, I repeat, there are a lot of young people in the Lokomotiv system, you probably won’t talk to everyone, so everything is fine. It is necessary not to speak, but to prove.

I SEEN GOALS OF MOgilny ON THE INTERNET. IMPRESSED!

- How did you meet in "Amur"?

Fine! Vice-President Alexander Filippenko immediately explained why I was acquired, what opportunities will be in the club, what is expected of me. We talk a lot with head coach Andrei Martemyanov, he explains the smallest details of Amur's tactics.

- Did you manage to communicate with the president of the club Alexander Mogilny?

Not yet, but every Amur player knows that Mogilny is a legend of Russian hockey, one of the best forwards in history. I saw a lot of goals by our president on the Internet, they are impressive. Noticed a lot techniques, which you need to try to adopt, although it is very difficult.

– Satisfied with his debut in “Cupid” and, accordingly, in the KHL?

In my first match - in Omsk against Avangard - I spent only a few shifts, but the most important thing is that my first outing did not spoil anything, the team won. In the next meeting in Novosibirsk, he went out on the ice more regularly - in the top three with Pavel Dedunov and Dmitry Klopov, but Amur, alas, lost. We managed to score a goal in the shootout against Ugra, but we also lost. So there are not many reasons to rejoice.

KHABAROVSK IS YAROSLAVL WITH CANADIAN ICE FORMAT

- How do you KHL level after MHL and VHL?

The MHL is a good league, but still young people play there, who are only taking their first steps in big hockey. There are many experienced players in the VHL, people are pushing and fighting, the level is very decent. Well, the KHL is the elite, the speeds are very high, only the masters go on the ice. I understand that you have to work very hard to take a decisive step from the MHL and VHL to elite hockey.

- Are you ready to compare Khabarovsk with Yaroslavl?

These cities are very similar to each other in their love of hockey, football in them is only the number two sport. Like the Arena-Lokomotiv, the Platinum Arena is always full, and the fans are the sixth player. The only difference is that in Yaroslavl - the European ice format, in Khabarovsk - Canadian.

In general, I feel comfortable in the Far East. I am from Kuzbass, Siberian, so Russia does not end in the Central region for me.

- The game system in Lokomotiv, one of top clubs in KHL history, more attacking than in "Cupid"?

I can't say that, “Cupid” also tries to play aggressively, pays a lot of attention to the attack.

PICARD IS ALREADY TRAINING AND ADAPTING

Ahead of the “Cupid” eight-match home series. Are there any chances to win five or six victories and return to the playoff zone?

Before this segment, we had almost a week break, there is time for training work. All the guys are plowing, knowing full well that the home series can become a key one in this championship, even if it is broken by a break at the Eurotour stage. Ahead of the meeting with our neighbors in the conference - Nizhnekamsk, Kazan, Ufa, the mood is maximum.

Canadian rookie forward “Cupid” Alexander Picard, who is talked about a lot, will help the team in the next matches?

It's up to the coaches. But Picard is already in Khabarovsk, has had several training sessions, and is adapting. The competition in the team has become even higher.

Who are you currently working with?

Tomasz Zogorna was out of action for a few days, and the coaches entrusted me with his place in the first link - with Oleg Li and Alexei Byvaltsev. The guys spend their best season, score points in every match, there is a chance to follow them. I will do my best not to miss this chance.

Photo: yarsport.ru, fhr.ru, hcamur.ru

This interview should have taken place a month ago - the fans of HC Ryazan recognized the forward Danila Yurtaikina the city's best player in October. Delay caused good reasons: first, Yurtaikin, as part of the youth team of Russia, made a tour of North America, then already in the form of the Ryazan team forged important victories over SKA-Neva and Zvezda. Finally, there was time, and we settled down in cozy armchairs in the lobby of the Olimpiysky Sports Palace ...

“Recognition of the fans is a nice bonus”

The award found the same hero. After the match with SKA-Neva, you were awarded the prize as the best player of HC Ryazan according to the fans.

It was very nice. I was aware that the fans define the best players teams at the end of the month and that in October they chose me. I also saw how, following the results of September, they honored Andrey Rukin, but the fact that this is a traditional ceremony did not know, and enough time has passed. So, in any case, the presentation of gifts from our fans was a surprise. Thanks a lot!

How does the cake taste? Yury Petrov complained last year that sometimes the laureates actually don't get a single piece.

I got exactly the same! He brought the cake to the locker room and presented it to the team. While he took off his ammunition, only crumbs remained from him, - Danil smiles. - It's okay, the necessary experience has been gained, I will be more agile in the future.

Many experts are skeptical about such fan polls, calling the results subjective.

I don’t know how anyone, but for me the recognition of the fans is expensive. I won’t say that I was very worried about the outcome of the vote, although, as far as I remember, we Denis Alekseev, were almost level. But when it turned out that I won, it became a nice bonus, an addition to the goals scored and the points scored. Is the fan choice fair in October? If the majority of hockey fans voted for me, then probably yes, - Yurtaykin laughs.

- But seriously, judging by the game and statistics, one gets the impression that you have been playing in the VHL all your life!

In the VHL, the level is, of course, higher than in the MHL. The speeds are higher in the youth team, but there is more running around. Already established, experienced hockey players play in the VHL. They are harder to counteract, harder to beat, decisions need to be made much faster than in the JHL. At first I got used to it, but in the process I got used to it. It also played into the hands of the fact that Denis Alekseev and I and Roman Krikunenko we perform in one trio, and in this combination we have been acting since the Lokomotiv sports school.

We have already understood that one of the leading MHL offensive trios is able to immediately play at a higher level. And what result would Yaroslavl Loko, the owner of the Kharlamov Cup, be able to show in the VHL in full force?

I know that this has already happened, the same Kazan Bars moved to the VHL from the MHL in full force, and the results were not encouraging. But, I can assure you, our Loko would not have been lost in the VHL. It took some time to adapt, but by the tenth game we would have been able to fight. For what exactly? For a place in the playoffs for sure. I think that somewhere at the level of the current results of HC Ryazan, our Loko would show ...

“The news of a business trip to Ryazan was unexpected”

- At the start of the season, you managed to play several matches for Loko. Was the move to Ryazan planned already then?

No. The news of the transfer to HC Ryazan came as a complete surprise. After Loko's matches with Chaika Nizhny Novgorod, we had a conversation with the club's management, who explained to us that in order to progress and develop, we need to perform at a higher level, so we are going to the VHL, to HC Ryazan.

There were no fears - after all, a new coaching staff, and you had to join the team without going through pre-season training?

As for the pre-season, we prepared quite well as part of Loko. As for the coaches, there was not the slightest doubt that HC Ryazan employs competent, qualified mentors. Of course, each specialist has his own technique. But, in general, there were no problems. Pavel Desyatkov with assistants did everything they could to quickly let us in on the tactical subtleties of the team's game, to adapt to the game of Ryazan. It probably also affected the fact that Lokomotiv and HC Ryazan are partner clubs and Desyatkov are aware of how the training process in Yaroslavl, and what to expect from our quartet sent to Ryazan.

On the this moment you top scorer HC Ryazan. Did you expect such agility from yourself? Set some goals for debut season in the VHL?

No, I didn’t think of specific figures and didn’t look that far. The task was to prove oneself in training, to break into the base of HC Ryazan, to benefit the team. Coaches trusted, it began to turn out, scored, gave. It may sound trite, but for me, the success of the team is most important, to achieve which I try to make every effort.

But participation in the bombardment race cannot but capture! Can you immediately name - how many points you have now, and how many have your pursuers?

I remember my performance, I recently looked at the statistics - it seems 7 abandoned pucks and 10 assists. I know that they scored a lot Andrey Rukin and Denis Alekseev, but I won’t say exactly how much (according to 16 points - Author's note). For me, it doesn't matter who leads the list of scorers - me, Rukin or someone else. Especially when you consider that I am called up to the youth team and I have to miss some matches of HC Ryazan, it just so happens. Another thing is that it is installed quite high bar, which must be followed in the future. Fans expect a certain level of play and they should not be disappointed.

“Dad was against playing hockey”

You were born and started playing hockey in the city of Belovo, which until now has not been seen on the hockey map of Russia.

And there is. Belovo - small town in the Kemerovo region, a hundred kilometers from the regional center. Hockey is not very popular there, although there are children's and youth sections. It is curious that at first my father opposed my playing hockey, although he worked as the head of the city administration for physical culture and sports. To be honest, why dad resisted my hobby, I never fully understood. But he succumbed to the persuasion of his friends and enrolled in the section anyway. It turns out that he disobeyed his father. But I don't regret it at all. I liked playing hockey. Over time, it became clear that Belovo, where there were no prospects, had to leave. First I went to Novokuznetsk, the hockey center of the Kemerovo region. They left there, but on the advice of friends, they decided to try their luck in Yaroslavl. And so he ended up in Lokomotiv.

Champion of Russia among youths, silver medalist of the MHL-B Championship, winner of the Kharlamov Cup, regular calls to the junior and youth teams of the country. By the age of 19, not a career - a dream!

It’s a sin for me to complain, I’m happy with how my hockey is going so far. Almost every year I won something. I hope this will continue.

In the 2013/14 season, you, playing for Loko-Junior, greatly offended Molniya by scoring the puck and making two assists in the match against the Ryazan team.

It was business. But then I did not know that I would perform in Ryazan! So I gave and gave up. I beg your pardon, - the interlocutor smiles. - However, even if I had not scored a single point that day, it would not have affected the result in any way, and Loko-Junior still won a landslide victory. The score for that match was 9:2 , if I'm not mistaken, in our favor.

“In Canada, the puck did not go into the goal”

- In the form of the Russian national team, what competition did you remember the most?

I will note the latter. The Super Series in Canada that we recently returned from. It's not even that the series is still fresh in memory. These competitions high level, it was very interesting, strong rivals. Plus, I played against Canadian teams for the first time. They say that playing against the North Americans is a special feeling. I must admit that I didn’t feel anything special, the same rivals as everyone else. But the experience we got, of course, is huge.

- I thought you would name the 2015 World Junior Championships.

I don't really want to remember this tournament. In many ways, due to the fact that they performed far from what was expected from the Russian team. At the preliminary stage, they won four victories in four matches. But in the quarterfinals, they unexpectedly lost to the hosts (Switzerland, 0:5 – Author's note). We moved to another city before the game, but this, of course, is no excuse. Little did the team succeed in that match ...

- Is the difference between playing on "big" and "small" venues really that significant?

So it is, you have to rebuild. When you come from Europe to Canada, it's nothing. But after the North American boxes we have Ice Arena like an airfield! Of course, it's more pleasant to play on the European grounds - there is where to roll, more opportunities for combinations. It's crowded across the ocean, and besides a shot, as soon as I got the puck in the opponent's zone, there are no special options for developing an attack.

Experts considered the Super Series as a selection for the national team for youth championship peace. How would you rate its results?

The team played well, although the result could have been better. But constant flights from city to city caused difficulties, and every time we played against a fresh opponent. I had to say it was hard. As for my game, I wanted to score points, but the puck just did not go into the goal! All of our three, in general, did not play as we would like, as we know how.

After the series, a number of media have already published publications regarding the prospects of certain hockey players to go to Montreal and Toronto.

I read. Among the "iron candidates" for a trip to the World Cup, among which is Denis Alekseev, I did not find my last name. Hurt? No. After all, these are the conclusions based on the results of the Super Series, which was better for someone, worse for someone - this is hockey. Ahead of the training camp, which will start on December 7, as a result of which the final application of the team will be formed, where it will be necessary to prove their need for the national team. Of course, if I am not in the final line-up, I will be upset. Yet the young players coming under the spotlight coaching staff, strive to get to the World Cup, go for it. But I'm not even considering the option of not getting into the application!

"I take criticism lightly"

When I was preparing for an interview with Alekseev, it was you who, through the HC Ryazan group VKontakte, suggested that Denis was fond of fishing. So, an active user of social networks?

Not to say "active", but I'm friends with the Internet. Do fans write? It happens. I react to it differently. When they cheer or express words of gratitude, it is pleasant, of course. But sometimes they ask banality - when next game Or what time is it? Such messages are, of course, unnerving.

- Fans on their forums and not that can write! Especially after defeat.

I take criticism in stride. No matter how you play, there will always be someone who does not like your actions on the court. So I just ignore posts like this. However, I have not been criticized particularly harshly so far.

- We then figured out Alekseev's hobbies. And what does Danil Yurtaikin do in his free time?

So I won’t say right away, the young man thinks. - Fishing? No, this is Denis an amateur. Of course, I can sit with a fishing rod, but without fanaticism. And so, everything is normal - I go out with friends, I go to the movies. Whenever possible, I communicate with my family, which is not often possible. Mom, dad and two younger brothers now live in Yaroslavl. For the first six years at the Lokomotiv sports school, I lived alone. But then a decline began, little worked out, they were almost going to kick me out. Then my parents decided to move in with me. And I immediately had a jump in the results!

Did your brothers follow in your footsteps? Maybe we will see them in the uniform of HC Ryazan?

Yes, the brothers are passionate about hockey. But it’s too early to talk about their prospects, they are still small - for the average Cyril 12