Semin: "The Playoffs Can't Start Soon Enough"

by tuvanhillbilly on Mar 30, 2009 6:00 PM EDT in Translations

[If you blinked, you may have missed the fact that two heavyweights from Russian hockey, Vyacheslav (Slava) Bykov and Igor Zakharin, were in town the other day. They were on a whirlwind tour of North America to talk to potential members for the Russian national team for the upcoming World Championship. Slava Malamud from Sport Express reported on this in his guest column for Capitals Insider, and the following is a translation of a brief interview Slava had with Alexander Semin following the meetings, which appeared in todays issue of Sport Express.]

Alexander Semin: "Fedorov said we will go to the national team together"

Russian national team coaches Vyacheslav Bykov and Igor Zakharin were in Washington D.C. Saturday for the Washington-Tampa Bay game. Alexander Semin, who has been under the weather lately, was the first to meet with the coaches and spent more time than anyone else talking with them, and not just about the world championship. Indeed, the author of two goals in the finals has no reason to worry about his place on the team. But Alexander's health -- unfortunately a theme this year -- is vital.

"I didn't run a fever" the Russian said to your SE correspondent Slava Malamud. "True, I did have the chills a little bit, and my nose was running and I had a cough. But I haven't had that for several days now. I'm really tired of this."

Did you get a virus on the road trip or did you just catch a cold?

"I think I got a virus. How could you catch a cold in Tampa? Maybe from the air conditioning? Today I felt a little bit weak and they told me "It's best to get better and come back 100% ready."

How were your talks with the national team coaches?

"Okay. There's nothing secret about them. They talked a lot about the KHL and I found that interesting. There really wasn't a lot of talk about the national team, since right now all our thoughts are on the playoffs. It was understood that if we're free, then we'll come."

Are you already looking forward to Vancouver? Could you say that you've already staked out a place on the Olympic team?

"If I don't get injured and can keep playing like I've been playing. I know they're satisfied with my game right now."

And if you get knocked out of the playoffs is there a chance that the Washington troika of Ovechkin-Fedorov-Semin will be reunited?

"Sergei said that he'll go. ‘You can't go without me', he said."

Are you not worried, however, that you've had a lot of injuries the last two seasons? In America they could say that you are "predisposed to injuries".

"Yeah, I really didn't have injuries before this! I played well all season, didn't get injured, and then...it happens. Out of the blue I tore a muscle, and then I hurt my back."

Is the team finishing the season on autopilot? It seems you don't have the same eagerness that you had before.

"To tell the truth, the playoffs can't start soon enough. Everything is different then. Although, of course, it is better to go into them not having lost five in a row."

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Best. Hilbilly. Ever.

Thanks as always for the translation.

The keyboard is mightier.

by breed16 on Mar 30, 2009 6:07 PM EDT reply actions

"The playoffs can't start soon enough. Everything is different then."

Truer words may never have been spoken, except perhaps Semin’s opinions about a certain Canadian Born Center who plays in Western Pa….

by markbona-capsfan99 on Mar 30, 2009 7:50 PM EDT reply actions

You don’t get colds from the cold, silly Sasha.

by Ovechwin on Mar 30, 2009 8:33 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah this question wasn't all that brilliant: "Did you get a virus on the road trip or did you just catch a cold?"

by Ginga on Mar 30, 2009 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions

I’ve heard some very interesting theories on illnesses from highly educated Russians— like drinking ice cold drinks will cause stomach cancer, going outside in winter without a hat will guarantee you will catch a cold, and my personal favorite— women who sit on the cold ground or on rocks or concrete are in danger of becoming infertile as their ovaries will freeze. They absolutely believe these things to be true, so what Sasha says isn’t really surprising.

"I tried to capture the spirit of the thing"

by tuvanhillbilly on Mar 30, 2009 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions

"They talked a lot about the KHL and I found that interesting. "

Hmmm.

by Ginga on Mar 30, 2009 10:22 PM EDT reply actions

It’s my theory that when it comes time to re-sign Semin, our biggest competitor will not be an NHL team, but rather, the KHL.

Officially out of the minors...Capitals Kremlin.com!."

by CapitalsKremlin on Mar 30, 2009 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Luckily Semin and Ovechkin are best friends, so that should help our case.

by red army line on Mar 30, 2009 11:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I’ve always thought our biggest asset in keeping Semin is Ovechkin.

by Ovechwin on Mar 30, 2009 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions

I kind of doubt that. The KHL puffed its chest out when petrol prices were really high, but now that they’re not the league doesn’t have nearly as much financial clout and Russia’s economy as a whole isn’t doing as well. I just don’t see anyone over there being willing to lure Semin away.

by David Getz on Mar 31, 2009 1:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Agreed. I don’t see any way the KHL is going to be able to compete salary-wise given the price of oil and their financial struggles this year. Semin is going to demand a huge contract and has shown/learned that he can be a superstar on the biggest stage. He’s not a very egotistical guy, but the only way I see him turning down the money and challenge of the NHL is if he just has his heart set on playing in Russia. He looks like he’s having fun in the NHL to me.

by grapejoos on Mar 31, 2009 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions

I’m not so much worried about him wanting more money from the KHL, but rather him wanting the Russian lifestyle back. Of course as Red Army and Ovechwin said, our biggest asset to Semin is Ovechkin.

Officially out of the minors...Capitals Kremlin.com!."

by CapitalsKremlin on Mar 31, 2009 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh, agreed. I think the Caps have some advantages in keeping him beyond Ovie alone- he seems like a homebody, he’s comfortable in DC, it has one of the bigger Russian populations in NHL markets, fans love him, etc.

I’m not too worried about him having a wandering eye towards other teams. If the KHL is around and feisty when his contract is up, we’ll see what happens, but I don’t think the Caps can do anything to persuade him otherwise if playing over there is what he wants to do.

by grapejoos on Mar 31, 2009 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I also suspect there is or will be a KHL Stigma

It’s the league where the NHL has-beens and losers sign. I mean, J-F Fortin was a friggin’ All-Star. Radulov and Jagr have or are flirting with returning. I mean, come on.

The keyboard is mightier.

by breed16 on Mar 31, 2009 12:10 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

I dunno. If Karpat, Berlin, and some of the Swedish teams join, as there are rumors for…who knows what might happen? I hope there will be that stigma though.

I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.

by Whiter Mage on Mar 31, 2009 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t want to harp on the issue at all but I think the Cherepanov thing is the biggest stigma the KHL has. Radulov and Jagirl talking about defecting is a bit of a problem, but NHL players are used to top of the line medical treatment. Seeing a guy carried from the bench in the trainer’s arms and then not being able to get proper treatment because there was no ambulance on the scene was probably an eye opener for a lot of players. Until the KHL can definitively demonstrate that their medical treatment is at least close to on par with the NHL I think a lot of players won’t consider the KHL option. Whether Semin falls in that group, however, I have no idea.

by Rob Parker on Mar 31, 2009 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions