"I'm with ChTZ, I have nothing to fear"
Now, in the parking lots of hockey schools, you can’t drive without fear of hitting some very expensive car. Very young boys are brought in Land Rovers and other wonders of the foreign automobile industry. In the school building, it is impossible to get through because of the crowds of parents, and at tournaments they support their children so emotionally, as if they were losing in the World Cup final, and give them as many instructions as graduates. But they can also be understood: they invest a lot of money in the hockey upbringing of their child - ammunition, tournaments, training camps, tackles ... As well as their own strength, time, emotions and nerves. Of course, they expect their dreams to come true and the child to become a star.
Evgeny Kuznetsov is probably one of the last who grew up on the street, who was never forced to play hockey and in whom his parents did not invest big money. A simple boy from an unsecured family from the Traktorozavodsky district of the city of Chelyabinsk (ChTZ), by definition, was unlikely to have a great future. The yards along Savina Street, where the Traktor school is located, still cause concern, especially in the evening and at night.
In the neighboring yard with Kuznetsov lived famous boxer Sergey Kovalev (although he, of course, will be older), who in his interviews speaks in vivid colors about a very difficult childhood in this area. Kovalev also played hockey, but his uniform was stolen, and there was no financial opportunity to buy a new one. Not so long ago, in the USA, he met with the players of "Washington": Kovalev and Kuznetsov - from the same ChTZ district, Orlov - from Novokuznetsk, and only Ovechkin stands out - a Muscovite from the famous sports family. Until recently, sport was a social lift, a real opportunity to break out into people, to rise high up for those who were born "at a low start." Now, unfortunately, these guys have little chance.
“All the same, I won’t tell the camera how it really was, how my childhood went. You can pick up an actor, but it’s very difficult to convey to him how everything was for real. You can’t say much,” Kuznetsov himself said . “I am with ChTZ, I have nothing to be afraid of,” the hockey player likes to repeat for a reason.On ice for 8-10 hours a day
Azam hockey Kuznetsov was taught by his father, and then for the future hockey player, the time will come for an almost non-stop stay on the ice of the Traktor school. Fortunately, he lived 50 meters from the LDS, running home only to have lunch. Kuznetsov himself recalled that he trained for eight to ten hours a day, begging him to ride with other teams, including amateur ones, bribing security guards, etc. If it was impossible to throw the puck on the ice, he did it in the lobby of the sports palace. Kuznetsov could even be let in at night, with the lights turned on. He practically did not communicate with his peers, but tried to learn from older players born in 1984 - 1988, for example, from Alexander Semin.
“Here’s my schedule for you: I clearly remember it, because it was repeated every day,” Evgeny Kuznetsov told The Players Tribune, “I woke up at 7 in the morning. I went to school for five hours. I thought about hockey all morning. I was able to concentrate on my lessons. I wanted to start skating as soon as possible. I ran as fast as I could from school to the playground. I lived 30 seconds walk from ice palace. Running could be reached in 10 seconds. Mom with a trunk and food was waiting for me there. She cooked amazingly. I ate like a terribly hungry person, as fast as I could. I couldn't wait to get on the ice. I skated with my team, and then also with guys a year older ... In Russia, we didn’t have Christmas holidays, but there were New Year holidays: from December 31 to January 3, everything is closed. Even the hockey school. Those were the worst days of my life. Four days without hockey, complete depression! I couldn't even sleep."
At the age of 12, Evgeny Kuznetsov went to Omsk (there were very difficult times at the Traktor school), but returned six months later. As he himself reported, due to a conflict with the coach: "The coach disliked. He did not like visitors. He was tough." The local coach even stated that Evgeny Kuznetsov would not be able to become professional player. However, a short Omsk period was remembered thanks to an excellent film about a young hockey player, shot by Canadians. Journalists from North America have already seen future star and went to distant Siberia. There, the family also talks about the tragically deceased older brother Zhenya - about which they will no longer talk about.
In the hands of Valery BelousovDespite offers from other cities, the Kuznetsov family decided to stay in Chelyabinsk, and they did the right thing. "Tractor", after long time, returned to the elite and a great hockey life began in the city again. Kuznetsov became famous long before graduating from school, then he began to be attracted to the national teams different ages. And in November 2009, Andrey Nazarov attracted him to Traktor.
He has four more seasons ahead of him in the KHL in his native team, where he will be destined to become the main star and one of the most recognizable people in the town. The word "Kuzya" (as well as the number "92") acquired a magical meaning - and not only among the many boys who ran after the Traktor forward in crowds, but even among housewives and grandmothers, occasionally watching hockey on TV. Everyone knew his cars, whether it was the Porsche Cayenne or the recognizable sporty blue Audi. It is no coincidence that even Kuznetsov celebrated his wedding on a city scale - right on his favorite arena "Tractor". And his famous jokes ("fartozopy", "I will sell a garage" or "a folding bed from Khabarovsk") turned out to be known throughout Russia.
Evgeny Kuznetsov was lucky that he fell into the hands of Valery Belousov. It was this outstanding coach who instilled that “Russian hockey” that the Washington forward likes to talk about to the overseas press: “It only works when all five players work together perfectly. If a hockey player enters the zone and throws from the blue line without trying to make a pass, then , he does not respect partners.In "Tractor" Main coach could put you on the bench if you just throw the puck into the zone, and you will never be allowed to play hockey. "Valery Konstantinovich put him in the later famous link to masters Stanislav Chistov and Yan Bulis. Belousov is the last coach in the KHL who worked in the best traditions Soviet school. And there are practically no players in the league who fit this style...
From ChTZ to the Stanley Cup
But, as the well-known agent Alexei Dementiev accurately said, Kuznetsov is "a clear example of a person who was first loved to death, and then began to be scolded." After the silver season, the best in the history of Chelyabinsk hockey, Traktor began to fail. The 2013/14 KHL championship is generally better not to remember for many reasons. Evgeny Kuznetsov, who began to be criticized, did not stick either. Disgruntled fans began to vent their anger, even scratching his car. Many were annoyed by the fact that his sweater as a world champion had already been hung under the arches of the Traktor arena (by the way, the T-shirts of Evgeny Medvedev, Danis Zaripov and Alexander Semin were still hanging there - thank God, then they were removed). And the governor Chelyabinsk region Mikhail Yurevich admitted that the striker was saved thanks to the most serious contract in the club.
Everything indicated that Kuznetsov had already sat up in the KHL and it was time to go overseas. Despite the fact that “Washington” showed great interest. No wonder the then head coach Adam Oates personally came to Chelyabinsk to see the striker's game with his own eyes. “I was constantly called from America: “Come on, get ready ...” Already the dogs in Chelyabinsk began to bark: “Come on, go.” I began to understand their language,” said Kuznetsov.
In any case, the parting turned out to be beautiful - in his final match for Tractor, Kuznetsov took to the ice as captain, as he always dreamed of.
In the NHL, everything did not work out right away, but Kuznetsov endured, survived and now showed himself in all its glory in Washington. The huge path that he went from the Tractor school at ChTZ to winning the Stanley Cup, causes great respect.Unfortunately, now poor boys in Chelyabinsk or any other city, even with great talent, can hardly repeat his path. But the example of Evgeny Kuznetsov should delight, motivate and lead forward to his dream. No matter how crazy or unrealistic it may seem.
When six-year-old Zhenya Kuznetsov came to hockey school"Tractor", he was already confidently skating. His mentor was his father, who taught his son the basics of hockey. The Kuznetsov family lived in the Traktorozavodsky district, literally 100 meters from the Traktor ice sports palace, and the newcomer somehow immediately settled down there. He could be found in the arena both during the day and in the evening, he became older - he rode at night. Hockey fans gathered, rented ice, and he played with them. It turned out that his peers trained for an hour and a half, and he - for eight.
First official tournament, in which young Kuznetsov participated, was held in Magnitogorsk. In the final "Tractor-1992" met with the local team and won - 12:2. Then nine-year-old Zhenya became the top scorer, scoring about 20 goals.
He always scored a lot, - says the first coach Kuznetsova Vladimir Shabunin. - About 50 percent of all goals of the team were on his account. Zhenya could play anywhere, central or winger, defender. If I had put him as a goalkeeper, I could
I immediately noticed that the eyes of this guy are cunning. Looking at him, you understand what true talent is. God's talent.
Alexander Kitov
would be a goalkeeper. Just say. And about how much Zhenya trained, legends will soon begin to add up. It seems that if you wake him up at night, he will get up and go out on the ice without question. After all, he is not greedy in hockey, you have to give a pass - he will give it, but only justified. And he dealt with any opponent one-on-one.
When he was a Traktor player, Shabunin brought a prize during the team's tour of Canada, which was awarded to the best player in each match. The prize is nothing special: a goose on a ball. But dear to those from Canada itself. And so Vladimir Ivanovich decided that this very prize would go to the best player of Traktor-1992, and not just the best, but in three seasons. guess with three times who received this prize. That's right - Kuznetsov.
I myself don’t know how it happened,” Shabunin smiles, “once a short one escaped during training - Kuzya, and so it went.
In the hockey school "Tractor" they keep scrupulous statistics on the performances of Evgeny Kuznetsov. Methodist Lyudmila Slizovskaya strictly monitors reporting. The computer gives a complete printout: where, when, in which tournament Kuzya played and what place he took. So, officially, over the years of performances, Evgeny Kuznetsov has played in 83 tournaments for the Traktor school and various teams. He took 44 first places with his teams, including becoming the 2011 World Youth Champion, was second 14 times, including the last one youth championship world, and eight times - the third.
You know, for some reason we always knew that Zhenya would become the world champion, - admitted Lyudmila Slizovskaya.
In the early 2000s, an “Omsk” period happened in Kuznetsov’s life. Then "Tractor" played in major league, and hockey youth was torn from Chelyabinsk, because they did not see great prospects. And Avangard was one of the leaders Russian hockey, and when Kuznetsov and his parents were offered to move to Omsk, the family agreed. But Zhenya did not stay there for a long time, something did not work out, and the Kuznetsovs returned to Chelyabinsk.
The brightest episode of life in Omsk. Canadians came to make a film about Siberian hockey. The film is three hours long, one and a half of them about Kuznetsov.
Kuzya could have ended up in Tolyatti, - says Vladimir Shabunin. - Agent Valera Panin offered me to sell the boy to Lada. I said: go and negotiate with your parents. Knew it was useless. After Omsk, the Kuznetsovs decided that nowhere else
I am fully aware of the extent of my talent. But talent is a dangerous thing. If you stop training at the same time, you catch a star disease - then it is very difficult.
will not leave. And rightly so. Traktor is his team, Chelyabinsk is his city.
I came to the hockey school in 2004, - recalls Alexander Shvarev, Kuznetsov's second coach. - And immediately accepted the team born in 1992. They tell me: Zhenya Kuznetsov plays in it, a talented guy, you know this? I think for whom they take me, although I am new at school, I am by no means in hockey. And Zhenya did not need advertising even then. Everyone who was supposed to know about the Ural nugget.
It was a pleasure to work with Kuznetsov. He never had any problems. On the ice, he felt like a fish in water, it feels like he is resting here. It was at this time that Zhenya went far ahead of his peers, sometimes I caught myself thinking that he was not interested in them. Even then, he began to play with adults.
At the school of the Magnitogorsk "Metallurg" there was a pupil Daniil Apalkov, a bright hockey player, who later played in the "Steel Foxes". Somehow it happened that he and Kuznetsov began an unspoken competition: who will score more. After each tournament, they called each other and reported to each other, and I scored so many, and I scored so many. It ended up that Zhenya moved to another level - he began to play for the main team of Tractor, and the comparison turned out to be incomparable.
Kuznetsov's debut in the main team of Traktor took place in the 2009/10 season in home match against Dynamo Moscow. In that game, Andrei Nazarov's wards lost with a score of 2:4. In total, in the 2009/10 season, Evgeny played 35 matches for Tractor, scored two goals and made six assists. But already in the next season, Kuznetsov was named by the fans the best hockey player on the team.
Statistics do not give a complete picture of the player's skill, but allow us to draw conclusions about the real contribution to the team's result. In the 2010/11 season, Traktor's number 92 scored 32 (17+15) points in 44 matches, becoming the club's top scorer, and also made a significant contribution to the victory of the Russian youth team at the youth world championship.
Evgeny Kuznetsov in "Tractor"
In the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Evgeny Kuznetsov was selected 26th overall in the first round. Chelyabinsk "engaged" "Washington", where a significant colony of Russians then performed - Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Semyon Varlamov - only five people. After the end of the ceremony, which took place in Los Angeles, Alexander Ovechkin congratulated the newcomer.
In the same year, right after the draft, I visited Washington,” recalls Evgeny Kuznetsov. - I went into the locker room and walked around with my mouth open for a week. The point is that I came without hockey uniform. A man measured me with a glance. Coming back from the hotel
My idol is Wayne Gretzky. This is a man who has achieved a lot and I really like the style of his game. Breaking all his records is my dream.
the size is already hanging in the locker! After training, he began to hang it. The outfitter waves his hand: “Throw it on the floor! I'll pick it up myself." Professionalism in every detail. Your only job is to play hockey.
Evgeny Kuznetsov does not go into his pocket for a word. Likes jokes and humour. His statement after the final of the 2011 Youth World Championship will forever go down in the history of hockey, when the Russians, losing 0:3 to the Canadians during the match, pulled out a victory with a score of 5:3. His words were heard by the whole world. By the way, after the championship, he and his teammate Anton Burdasov received the keys to the apartments from the governor of the Chelyabinsk region.
And take an episode from the playoff series of the current KHL championship between Traktor and Yugra, when the injured Kuznetsov watched the second match from the VIP box. Fans warmly welcomed Kuznetsov when he was shown on the screen of the arena cube. Soon the broadcast director again directed the cameras at Eugene. In response, the Traktor striker showed a large sheet of paper with the inscription "For sale garage" and some phone number. This made the fans and hockey players laugh, who saw the hockey player's comic message from the stands.
So at his wedding, which took place last year, he could not resist another joke. At the exit from the Traktor arena, where the wedding took place, the Cossacks congratulated the young. Among other gifts, they gave a cedar seedling.
This is a rare tree, it is listed in the Red Book.
- And where did you get it? Eugene smiled.
“We have everything according to the law,” the Cossacks hastened to assure the young.
The end follows.
The famous hockey player Evgeny Kuznetsov was born in Chelyabinsk on May 19, 1992. Little Zhenya's love for hockey arose from the age of 6, when he began to study at one of the sports schools in his city. The first mentor of the future celebrity was his father, who taught his son the basics of the game.
Carier start
Hockey player Evgeny Kuznetsov, purposeful by nature, from a young age did not see himself anywhere else but on the ice. And if his peers devoted no more than 2 hours a day to training, then Zhenya could devote up to 8 hours in a row to this lesson.
Vladimir Shabunin, Evgeny's first coach, speaks of his pupil with pride and warmth. According to him, Kuznetsov was ready to go on the ice at any moment, even if he was awakened in the middle of the night. Long workouts, the ability to adequately perceive criticism and work on oneself were not in vain. Soon, thanks to a brilliant game, the career of a young hockey player went uphill.
Playing in the youth team
In 2010, Eugene, being a member of the Chelyabinsk team "Tractor", was invited to the youth team. However, then the Russian team was able to take only 6th place in the youth championship. This failure was an incentive for the young athlete to prove his professional skills, which he successfully did - following the results of the match with Austria, hockey player Evgeny Kuznetsov was awarded the title best player. Success increased with each match. About 50% of all goals scored belonged to Kuznetsov. He could play in any position, coping equally well as a center forward, winger or defender.
Peak of popularity
In 2011, at the World Championships held in Buffalo, the Russian youth team took the honorable first place. It was hockey player Evgeny Kuznetsov who became the author of the decisive puck that brought the team the championship title.
In the next 2012, Kuznetsov had the honor of becoming the captain of the Russian national team at the World Youth Championship. The team led by a young hockey player took second place. The young player has become a crowd favorite and a role model for younger hockey players. Photos of Evgeny Kuznetsov appeared in numerous sports magazines.
Achievements
In native for Eugene hockey team"Tractor" keeps statistics on the achievements and games of a popular football player. So, in total Kuznetsov played for the youth team at 83 championships and tournaments. As part of the team, he took 44 first places, in 2011 he was awarded the title of world champion, 14 times was a silver medalist and 7 times - bronze. The Russian team has acquired a new champion in the person of Evgeny Kuznetsov, in the absence of which the game will not be so bright and intense. The best year for Kuznetsov was 2012, when his team was awarded the title of champion of the Continental Cup and the Continental Hockey League.
Vladimir Krechin, CEO"Tractor", calls Yevgeny's goals small hockey masterpieces and claims that over the years the hockey player will not lose his outstanding abilities, but, on the contrary, will only exaggerate them. All fans and fans see great potential in the young athlete. Kuznetsov's idol is legendary hockey player Eugene believes that Way has achieved a lot in his sports career, and admires his playing style. Dream young football player- surpass all the achievements and records of your idol by scoring more goals.
Contract with the Washington Capitals
On March 8, 2014, it became known that Evgeny terminated the contract with his native Chelyabinsk club Tractor and signed a new agreement with the Washington Capitals NHL team. New club drafted Russian player a long time ago, back in 2010, but he always refused, besides, Evgeny Kuznetsov, whose biography sparkled with bright colors, received an official invitation only now. According to some reports, the contract amount is 900 thousand dollars a year. Kuznetsov left his homeland in a fighting mood, realizing that ahead of him was a game in the strongest league in the world.
In Washington, twenty-two-year-old Kuznetsov wears number 92. Debut Russian hockey player as part of new team took place on March 10, 2014 in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The meeting ended with the defeat of the Washington team with a score of 3:2. Eugene spent just over 10 minutes on the ice, during which he was able to make only 2 throws.
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored his debut goal in the NHL on March 26 at the very end of the third period of the meeting with " Los Angeles Kings”, thanks to which the teams equalized the score. The match went to a shootout, where the Kings hockey players were more accurate. Eugene scored his second goal on March 30 at the gates of Boston, and, like last time, this happened in the final minute of the match, and also did not lead his team to victory. Now the fans of the hockey player know for sure where Evgeny Kuznetsov is playing this season.
2014 Olympics
On the eve of the Sochi Winter Olympics, in an interview, the athlete admitted that the victory in Olympic Games is the dream of his life. The hockey player, in order to represent the honor of his country at the Olympic Games, postponed the transition to the NHL for several years. According to Eugene, he was ready for a lot, just to get on the ice. Despite the Chelyabinsk "Tractor" was not declared in Olympic squad. As Eugene commented, this decision of the coaches is quite fair, because the best of the best are selected for competitions of this level. Kuznetsov believes that only himself is to blame for everything, because he was not worthy of a call to the national team. What happened was a great incentive for the young football player to improve and improve his professional skills, because the next one is not far off. winter Olympics, to get to which Eugene is simply obliged.
Hockey player's personal life
On June 3, 2011, the wedding of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anastasia Zinovieva took place on the ice arena of the Traktor team stadium. In such an unusual setting, the young exchanged rings and tied the knot.
The wife of Evgeny Kuznetsov is also from a sports family. Nastya's two younger brothers were fond of hockey, and the girl accompanied them to training, where she met her future husband. Friendships after 2 years grew into real feelings. Nineteen-year-old Eugene, monogamous by nature, realized that he could not live without Nastya, and immediately appointed the day of the wedding, choosing the place of registration ice arena. By the way, the Kuznetsovs, in a sense, can be called pioneers, since after them many couples began to hold such celebrations on the ice.
The most unusual wedding gift was a seedling of a rare breed of cedar, which now adorns one of the corners of the city as an ever-living monument to the family happiness of the young. Immediately after the wedding, the newly-made husband and wife went to their apartment, which was presented to the successful hockey player by the local authorities. And soon the newlyweds left for their honeymoon, hiding from the press the place of the upcoming vacation.
Eugene and Anastasia are an ideal couple, love and understanding reign in their family. A caring husband loves to pamper his soul mate with luxurious gifts. So, recently he gave her a chic Range Rover car. Young people in the future dream of children, but for now they decided to postpone this, to live for their own pleasure. Hockey player Evgeny Kuznetsov is a promising, very talented and already fully accomplished athlete.
Dry lines on the official website International Federation Ice Hockey (IIHF) report: “The Russian striker Evgeny Kuznetsov suspended for 4 years for an anti-doping rule violation. Yevgeny's doping test, taken at the 2019 World Championships, gave a positive result. A banned substance (cocaine) was found in a doping sample taken on May 26, 2019, after the match between Russia and the Czech Republic. The Russian forward did not demand the opening of the B sample. The period of ineligibility will expire on June 12, 2023.”
And now about everything in order. During the Ice Hockey World Championship in May of this year, a video spread around all social networks, in which our guy Evgeny Kuznetsov is sitting at a table and talking on the phone. In the background, an unknown girl (in clothes) is lying in bed, and on the coffee table in front of him is a white powder.
It is curious that Kuznetsov did not hide and invent various nonsense, but confirmed his presence in that same hotel room.
- Yes, I saw that this video appeared on the Web. I am not always related to what is happening next to me. I have never used drugs and I don't intend to. If you have any questions, I am ready to undergo a medical examination at any time. This video is a year old. It was the summer of 2018 in Vegas when we won the Stanley Cup. It has nothing to do with the past World Cup. I just went to my friends room. When I saw what was happening there - unfamiliar women, incomprehensible substances on the table - I called a friend and left there as quickly as possible, - Kuznetsov said then in an interview with SE.
He quickly and efficiently worked out the situation and commented on his club, the Washington Capitals. Management met with the player and demanded an explanation about what was happening in the video. An internal audit was carried out, but no punishment was applied to Kuznetsov. Moreover, they wished the forward to draw the right conclusions from what happened.
The main thing that you now need to know in this story:
a) Kuznetsov refused to open the "B" sample, which automatically means admitting his guilt in cocaine use.
b) Just the other day, Eugene retired from all social networks and even destroyed all photos from Instagram, where he had a huge number of subscribers.
c) The main thing is what awaits him further in his hockey career? The suspension from the IIHF means that he will not be able to play under the auspices of this organization, whether in the KHL, the championship of Germany (or any other European country) and the world championship for four years.
But what about the NHL? There are options both with the continuation of the game for the club, and with the suspension of the contract. In 2017, the Washington Capitals signed the striker to an eight-year, $62.4 million contract! That is, it expires only in 2025.
There are important nuances here. Formally, the NHL is not subordinate to WADA, and, in principle, overseas may not pay attention to any disqualifications there at all. Another issue is that in 2013 the NHL signed an agreement with the hockey players' union, which specifies prohibited drugs for which penalties may follow. And the list of substances is different from the WADA list. It was this point that the lawyers of the Russian hockey player tried to use Danisa Zaripova, who also had drug problems in 2017.
As for the cocaine found at Kuznetsov, it is also on the WADA list and in the NHL agreement with the trade union. True, with a serious caveat. “Cocaine is not considered a performance enhancing drug and therefore is not illegal by the NHL and the Players Association. Kuznetsov’s actions are drug use, which requires prompt intervention, investigation and compulsory treatment, ”is the reaction of the NHL vice commissioner Bill Daly to disqualify Kuznetsov from the IIHF.
Meanwhile, it became known that Evgeny Kuznetsov will be deprived of the bronze medal of the World Championship, which was held in Slovakia. These are the requirements of the same International Ice Hockey Federation. Kuznetsov himself also commented on his disqualification.
“I have decided to accept this punishment. I have always been proud to represent my country, it is close to my heart. It's hard to accept that I won't be able to wear the national team jersey for the next four years.
I have disappointed many people who are important to me, including family, teammates and friends. From the first day I hit the ice in Washington, the Capitals and our fans have been great to me and my family. I feel terrible about letting you down. Understand, what the only way to return your trust is to take responsibility for this situation and your actions, ”the press service of Washington quoted Kuznetsov as saying.
Russian hockey player currently playing for the American hockey club "Washington Capitals". As part of the team, at number 92, Evgeny won the Stanley Cup in 2018, an award that the club did not receive for 44 years.
- Date of birth - May 19, 1992
- Place of birth - Russia, Chelyabinsk
- Zodiac sign - Taurus
- Height - 190 cm
- Weight - 86 kg
Not only the close location of the club, but also the support of his father brought Evgeny Kuznetsov to the ice at the age of 6. Even then, the boy began to show outstanding athletic perseverance. Zhenya was so carried away by the game that he spent on the ice 4 times more time allotted for training, sometimes staying at the club until nightfall.
Fame
His first coaches could not help but notice the character and talent of the boy, predicting him a great professional career. In 2001, Eugene showed himself as top scorer, defeating a team from Magnitogorsk in an official match.
At the age of 17, the young man already played in the first team and fully met the expectations of the coaches. The hockey player's talent was also manifested in the fact that he equally successfully played in different positions, and at the age of 20 he became the captain of the youth team.
The Washington Capitals acquired the rights to the junior in 2010, and since 2014, Evgeny has already played in America. The hockey player hoped to perform at the Sochi Olympics, but was not invited. The young athlete was upset, but considered the selection of the strongest contenders fair. According to Evgeny, every sane player wants to get to the Olympics, and he does not lose this hope.
Before being invited to the NHL, Evgeny spent the main part of his playing career for his native Chelyabinsk club Tractor, and played in Omsk for a short time. The hockey player admits that he did not want to move to other cities, but the NHL was his dream. At various tournaments for the Russian youth team, Evgeny played 83 times, where 44 took first places. In "Tractor" he was recognized as the best player.
Not the least important when choosing a team for Evgeny was Alexander Ovechkin's participation in the Washington Capitals. Mom Evgenia is also glad that Zhenya is in distant America under the supervision of Alexander.
Evgeny brought the Champions League winners' award - the Stanley Cup to Chelyabinsk, which caused a lot of emotions among the fans and the pride of his family.
In 2017, Evgeny Kuznetsov signed a contract with the American club for the next 8 years, where he is going to continue to show his winning character and strong game.
Personal life
My future wife Eugene met in his native hockey club"Tractor". Anastasia often visited the club, because she took her younger brothers to play hockey there. The young couple did not think for a long time about the venue of the wedding ceremony, organizing it on the ice of their favorite club.
In 2015, the Kuznetsovs had a daughter, with the beautiful name Yesenia. The family now lives together in Washington, where Eugene plays.
Before moving to America, the newlyweds lived in an apartment that sports achivments hockey player received from local authorities. Eugene does not miss the chance to tell about his love for his wife and gives her expensive gifts.