Danil Gataullin: «I remember my first game in the JHL»
26.06.2025
Reaktor defenseman Danil Gataullin talks about his JHL debut, the most memorable moment of the season and his vacation.
– Danil, your short vacation is almost over. How are you spending your time?– Yes, this time I managed to rest for a little while, just one month. I tried to spend it actively: I spent time with my family, with friends, walked, rode a bike. I trained, improved my skating technique and physical components. In general, I think that this will help me during the season. I was paying off my student debts, I finished my second year at the Korolyov National Youth Basketball Club, I am studying at the construction department. I chose this direction because my dad is a builder, and my brother graduated with a master's degree from the Kazan University of Architecture and Civil Engineering.
– The past season was your debut in the JHL. Do you remember your first match? What do you remember about it?
– Yes, I remember my first game in the JHL, we played at home against Ladya. After the warm–up, Igor Viktorovich Fyodorov came up to me and said that I should put all my worries aside, that it would be easier and simpler to play, and that I should not make anything up. We lost that day. It was very sad and offensive. I could have scored my first goal in my debut game, but I hit the crossbar, fortune was not on my side.
– And overall, what impression did the season leave?
– Overall, the season was good, there were good moments and bad ones. But the ending, of course, was not what we wanted. Because of this, my impressions of the season were somehow spoiled.
– What difficulties did you encounter in your first season, and how did you overcome them?
– The first difficulty is the difference in the style of play from the UHL. It was hard to adjust, but thanks to the coaching staff and my teammates, I quickly got used to it and overcame these difficulties.
– Your statistics show 100 blocked shots, this is the 12th result in the league, which is very good for a rookie. Is this your game trick?
– It is very nice that I am in 12th place in the league in blocked shots. But this is not a trick, not some personal goal. I just wanted to help the team in any way I could, I tried to catch more. The coaching staff, especially Dmitry Yuryevich and Ilnar Vakilovich, demanded that the defensemen always, with any shot, put their sticks together, not allowing opponents to shoot at the goal. In modern hockey, blocking shots is a key element.
– 49 games played in the debut season is also a good indicator. Did you immediately feel the trust of the coaching staff?
– Honestly, I didn’t expect that I would have so many games, so much playing time in the first season. Of course, there were times when I played little, sat somewhere, but still was often in the application. When I went out on the ice, I tried to justify every minute and second of the trust from the coaching staff.
– How would you describe the atmosphere in the team? What moments brought you closer to other players?
– The atmosphere in the team was cheerful, kind, positive. Everyone was one. Even if during the match we were losing somewhere, something didn’t work out, we supported each other, helped, encouraged each other in the locker room. Thanks to this, we pulled out many matches during the season. For example, against Molot, when we were losing, 4:1, we were able to win. Against Avto, we were losing 2:0, and also brought the match to victory.
– What was the most memorable moment this season for you and why?
– The most memorable moment was probably when Tolpar scored against us in the final seconds. Because of that, we didn't finish the season on the note we wanted. If I take a personal moment, it was the match against Avto. We were playing at home in Nizhnekamsk. I thought I scored a goal and was happy. But again, fortune was not on my side, it wasn't counted. I hope I'll finally be able to score in the upcoming season.
– Two years ago, you moved from your native Kazan to Nizhnekamsk, played for the Neftekhimik Youth Sports School team, and then received an invitation to Reaktor. Why did you decide to move?
– Before moving to Nizhnekamsk, I played for the Smena Youth Sports School for two years. Our coach was Aleksandr Yuryevich Sokolov. He told me a lot of good things about Nizhnekamsk and the Reaktor team, gave examples of students who reached the MHL final in 2016. And so, when the moment came in my life when I had to choose where to go for a tryout, I decided to go to Nizhnekamsk. I was accepted to the UHL Neftekhimik team, and from that moment on, I began my journey here.
– Did your family support you in this decision?
– Yes, my parents and brother fully supported me. Thanks to them, this move happened.
– Tell me, how was your year at the Nizhnekamsk hockey school?
– The year in Nizhnekamsk was key for me. It was the transition from junior hockey to adult hockey. Sergey Rasikhovich Kasymov, our coach, emphasized discipline, understanding of the game, physical fitness and, of course, playing defense. I already knew almost all the players on the team, as I had a summer training camp with Neftekhimik in 2021. The guys welcomed me well, and I developed friendly relations with everyone. During this season, I was able to grow significantly as a person and as a player. I learned to adapt to higher demands.
– What is your goal for the next season?
– The goal is simple – to show even better results than in the past season.
– What do you like to do in your free time, when there are no training sessions or matches?
– I love walking and always, when I am away in other cities, I try to find time to walk in new places. I especially enjoyed walking in Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod and Astana. In addition, I am fond of video games and in my free time I can watch some films or TV series.
