"When refs didn't let me fight, I thought, 'Thank God it didn't happen.'
Pyotr Kochetkov's interview (translate from russian by Ari, me)
I hope you'll enjoy!
The interview is very long, so I decided to summarize what Petya is talking about! Link on original interview is higher. Also, I'll do second part, because here is really a lot of 🥹
◾Kochetkov is very tired of flying this season, and he wants to take a break in his hometown of Penza. They went to Miami for 5 days with his fiancée, but they didn't have good weather. "I'm very tired of flying during the season and, to be honest, I don't want to travel with transfers at all. Last year, I went on vacation and to a sanatorium, and to be honest, I was more exhausted than I rested. This year I want to be between St. Petersburg, Moscow and Penza"
◾In Penza Petya is not often recognized on the streets and he is not a local celebrity, of course, the citizens recognize him, but rarely. Hockey is not particularly popular in the city.
◾He doesn't have a plan for off-season training yet. He considers it a mistake that he didn't take a break during the last offseasons just to be with himself, exhale and reflect. "Everything was planned. For example: 10 days of rest, then three days in Penza, I start skating, go to St. Petersburg for a week of training, return to Penza, skate a couple of times, get in shape, go to Moscow. And that's how it is — the whole offseason. It seemed dynamic and intense, but there wasn't a single day to just lie down, stay at home, take a walk, think". This offseason he wants to get more rest.
◾"— Have you accumulated a little moral fatigue from hockey?
— Moral fatigue… Well, in general, as it were, fatigue from the season, fatigue from, I say, flights. I don't know… Well, that is, in general now, maybe you are getting older, maybe just flights have become heavier too".
◾Kochetkov has a lot of ideas and thoughts about what he would like to do after his career (he is already thinking about it!..). "Actually, I have a lot of ideas related to what I would like to do after hockey. And I thought: I have ideas, but I need some kind of platform for this. It doesn't matter which direction I go in, because, I say, I don't have any one clear solution. The key thing that motivated me was to have a few meetings last summer with guys who had already graduated from hockey. They played in the KHL and the NHL, and they made good money. And so, when people's careers end, they don't know what to do next. And you have to think: what about now?"
◾After his career, he wants to do only what his heart desires and what interests him, not for the sake of money. Pyotr isn't interested in posting photos of himself or his life, or sharing information about his life. Currently, he focuses on posting about the daily routine of a goalkeeper and the hockey life of goalkeeper. "My primary audience is, of course, goalkeepers and hockey enthusiasts, who are meticulous individuals."
◾— You did a blog on English and Russian. Which audience gets the most feedback — from the North American or the Russian audience?
— The most feedback, of course, is from the American audience. I would probably like to have more Russians now, but for me it's not important yet. I'm trying to figure out which direction I'm interested in and that people are interested too. I write in two languages. It seems to me more logical — this way I can reach more of the audience.
◾ Kochetkov is not particularly popular in Raleigh, but he knows the people in his neighborhood, and they know him (because they go to the same places, shops, and so on). " They will recognize me, but without any madness and crazy."
◾He uses a Whoop bracelet, like some of the other guys on the team, but mostly the older ones.
◾Pyotr says kind words about Andersen and that he had a really good game in the playoffs as the main goalkeeper.
◾About the third match against Florida: "You can talk a lot about how hard it is, but who cares? There is a chance — we have to go out and play, prove it. At least you can catch pucks with your teeth. Let's leave the conversations for the poor. Of course, it's not pleasant, but you have to go out and do your job". Kochetkov also thinks that the game was a good one, despite the defeat.
◾No one in the team was worried or discussing the fact that the Carolina had a streak of 15 losses in conference finals. They didn't care, they just did their job.
◾— Were you disappointed when the referees didn't let you fight Karel Vejmělko in the game against Utah?
— He wanted to fight me, not the other way around. If you watch the full video, you can see that I had the puck, someone was pushing me, and I swung my stick. Then there was a stick on the face off circle and I pushed it away and went into the corner. I think I landed on my goalkeeper's shields . And then he started skating towards the blue line, looked at me, nodded, and I drove towards him. If he wanted to, why not? I was already a little excited at the time. However, I rarely start conflicts; I respond if I feel it's appropriate. I'm a goalkeeper. If I were playing like forward, it would be different. Our job is slightly different. So, watch the video - he started, and I responded. And when I got penalty, I went to the locker room and thought, "Thank God nothing happened."
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Part I 🫶🌪️
