Igor Grishin: «Full stands, great energy»
14.08.2026
Neftekhimik Head Coach Igor Grishin speaks with the media after a following 2–1 win over Ak Bars.
– It was fantastic, as always. Full stands, great energy – you love coming here to play. I think the game itself was a good show. Sure, it's the first one of the summer, so there were plenty of rust spots – not everyone was in mid–season form – but I think the fans liked this game. Lots of good shifts, plenty of special teams action, a real battle out there. And obviously, coming away with the win makes it even sweeter.– There is a lot of talk around signing Timothy Lovell, especially after Luca Profaca came in and made an impact last year. How did you like his first game? Is he doing what you want him to do?
– I liked what I saw today – it's his first taste of this level, after all. He played in his own league before, but we did not just grab him blindly. We scouted him, followed his progress, and we saw good mobility, solid skating, and some creative moves. Now he needs to adjust to the game over here – not every import adapts overnight. But his debut was promising, and I told him that after the game.
– There were rumours about Neftekhimik being interested in Ak Bars forward Bykov. He's on a tryout in Kazan right now. Is it true?
– There was some chatter after the season ended, sure. We were looking around, made a few inquiries, but nothing concrete ever came together. That is all I can say.
– You have two guys on tryout contracts right now – Khokhryakov and Bikmullin. Rafael scored his second in a row. What are the chances they both stay?
– They're big names, well‑known around the league, and they've got the skill. Rafa's been hot, and Petya's been solid too. I'd say there's a real good chance we get something done with them.
– Evgeny Kuznetsov was close to joining your team this summer, but he ended up in Sibir. Does it sting to miss out on a star like that?
– The only sting is that he picked someone else over us. You know, we put ourselves out there – like a bride, right? We showed him what we had. I talked to Evgeny personally, and I think our offer was fair. But I guess the money worked out better for him over there. That probably tipped the scales. We move on.
– Is the roster basically set for the season?
– Yeah, we are pretty much there. We would like to sign another scoring forward if we could, but the market is empty right now. We are going to roll with the guys we have got. If something falls into our lap down the road, we will look at it.
– Has anyone caught your eye this preseason?
– Honestly, the whole group is putting in the work. I am not going to single out one name, because the thing that stands out most is the compete level and the energy we are seeing in practice every day. That is what I am happiest about.
– Who do you see stepping up as the new leaders this season?
– The core leadership is still in place. Our top veterans – the three or five guys who set the tone – they are still the ones driving the bus.
– What are your expectations for Nikita Khoruzhev?
– Nikita takes another step forward every single year. Today we tried him on a line with Alexander Petunin and Artur Tyanulin – both are really skilled guys, and that combo showed some good chemistry. We might stick with it. Andreichenko, who we brought up from Toros, had a great game today – he buried a penalty shot, added an assist, and was probably our most dangerous forward out there. Really solid showing from him.
– Have you decided on the younger guys yet?
– Sevastyan Sokolov was with us today, but I will be honest – our 2007-born kids are not quite ready yet. They have got the skill, no question, but they still need to fill out physically. We will keep working with them, keep them around. Amir Gizyatov is staying with us – he is going to the Omsk tournament. Kirill Stolyarov we sent down to Ryazan to get some game action and battle for minutes. If those guys prove they can hang, they will earn their spot on the main roster. As for the 2006 group – Sokolov, Krivolapov, Reshetnikov – they are absolutely in the mix. They can step into a role if we need them.
